NABJ Congratulates Member Jeff Ballou on His Election as Vice President of The National Press Club
Washington, DC – The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) congratulates member Jeff Ballou on his election as Vice President of The National Press Club. The Press Club is a private club of more than 3,000 journalists and communications professionals, and has been a Washington institution for more than a century. As one of the nation’s oldest journalism clubs, The Press Club is dedicated to supporting the ongoing improvement of the profession of journalism.
“Jeff Ballou is an experienced journalist and a devoted leader. I am confident that he will continue to be an advocate for a press that is reflective of the communities we serve in Washington, and beyond,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “As a board member of The Press Club for the last two years and as a past member of the Executive Committee of the Radio & Television Correspondents Association, he has shown an ability to lead, build consensus and ensure that the members of the groups he is associated with are well served.”
Ballou is a news editor/manager at Al Jazeera Media Network’s English language channel, a channel he helped to launch in 2006. He previously worked at WTTG-TV/FOX 5 DC as a planning editor, at CONUS as a general assignment and later White House producer. He has also worked at C-SPAN and National Public Radio.
“There is no way a Jeff Ballou stands as Vice-President elect of the nearly 109-year-old National Press Club without the path paved by the founders of both the Capital Press Club, who were turned away as members at the end of World War II and the National Association of Black Journalists whom together, paved the way for me to exist in the profession, let alone be successfully elected to serve it,” Ballou said
He joined the National Press Club in 1992 and while in Washington was also president of the Washington chapter of NABJ and later served as a national committee co-chair.
Ballou who earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, and a master’s degree from American University. He has also served on the board of the DC Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and is a member of both the Capital Press Club and the White House Correspondents Association. Additionally, Ballou is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Prince Hall Freemasons, and has served on the national and local boards for the Penn State Alumni Association.
The new officers of the NPC take office in January and NABJ wishes Mr. Ballou much success in his new role.
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide.
