Tuesday, December 16, 2003 5:40 PM
BY KAREN OCAMB
There were no dimpled or hanging chads, but L.A. Press Club volunteers who showed up Nov. 17 to count the Board of Director’s election took the task very seri- ously. Each scrawled mark was checked and rechecked under the watchful eye of former board member and Election Committee Chair Chris Woodyard (reporter, USA Today).
Among the 130 votes cast by secret ballot—the largest turnout in years—were personal flairs, such
as two deeply pressed “X’s” next to the name of Diana Ljungaeus, the club’s executive director and a Swedish foreign correspondent. Another ballot was blank, except for the notation: “I cannot remember her name but I want to write in ‘the lady with the hat.’ A very very capable leader and such a classy person.”
By consensus, it was agreed that vote went to Los Angeles Times columnist and club vice president Patt Morrison.
Journalists selected seven of their Southern California colleagues to fill two- year seats on the Press Club Board of Directors. The two-year term winners were:
Patt Morrison, Bob Baker (Los Angeles Times reporter), Diana Ljungaeus, Jill Stewart (syndicated columnist, jillstew- art.net), Jon Beaupre (NPR and PBS freelancer/broadcast professor Cal State L.A.), Sandy Cohen (Daily Breeze reporter) and Rob Eshman (editor-in-chief, Jewish Journal).
In addition, Norma Zager, Beverly Hills Courier editor, won a seat for a one-year term. Alicia Flanary, In2view Magazine publisher, and Emmanuelle Richard, foreign correspondent for French radio, were the next highest vote-getters.
Ljungaeus was giddy over winning more votes than one of the perennial top-vote- getters, Stewart, who was in Sacramento cover- ing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s swearing-in. She immediately called Stewart by cell phone to tease and thank the “Capitol Punishment” syn- dicated political columnist for her
campaign help. “We are extremely excited by this energetic- looking new board,” says Ljungaeus. “Now that we have our nonprofit status, and are going to be issuing formal press I.D. cards, we expect to be busier than ever serving our members, fellow journalists and the L.A. community. Next year should be monumental in the history of the club.” The 8 Ball contacted the four newly elected directors who weren’t incumbents, and these newcomers to the board were kind enough to offer the following thoughts: Bob Baker: “I’m looking forward to being part of a broad community of Los Angeles journalists. We tend to get isolated in our separate lairs. My commitment is to never forget that far more issues bring us together than divide us.”
Jon Beaupre: “The vigorous turn out for our recent election is proof once again that the revitalized press club is a vibrant and lively community. Since Bill Rosendahl, and the amazing board since then, we are able to build on the grand tradition of this organ- ization and have a real impact on our com- munity.”
Sandy Cohen: “I want to thank my col- leagues for giving me an opportunity to serve as a leader of the Press Club. I?m looking forward to continuing the club?s growth and impact on journalism and journalists in Los Angeles. Contact me with your ideas!!
Rob Eshman: “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try to improve the lot of working journalists in LA. I’m looking for- ward to working with you and the members of the board to strengthen the LAPC, and I suspect—though here I may be deluded— that we’ll have a good time doing it.”
Only club members who earn 50 percent or more of the income from journalism were eligible to vote for board of directors. The official count took place down the hall from the club’s new offices at 6363 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Volunteer vote counters were: Alex Ben Block, Jordi Ortega, Joel Ortmann, Karen Ocamb, and Chris Woodyard.
