NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2108—The Overseas Press Club of America, a 79-year old organization that awards the most prestigious prizes devoted to international news coverage for an American audience, elected a new president Tuesday night at its annual meeting in midtown Manhattan.
Pancho Bernasconi, vice president of Global News at Getty Images, was elected president of the OPC, as the club is widely known.
Bernasconi, 51, started his journalism career as a photo editor at the Washington DC bureau of Agence France-Presse. Prior to joining Getty Images in 2004, Bernasconi was a photo editor at The Chicago Tribune and The New York Times. During his 14 years at Getty, the organization’s photographers have been recognized for their passion, talent and commitment to telling the most important stories by professional organizations such as World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year, White House News Photographers Association, the OPC, and three times as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.
“I am deeply honored to have been elected OPC President during such an important and critical juncture for journalism and the work that journalists everywhere perform every day,” Bernasconi said. “During my 4 years as an OPC Governor, it has been tremendously gratifying to work with so many talented and knowledgeable members. I look forward to engaging in conversations that help move the profession of journalism ever forward and foster the next generation of journalists and storytellers.”
As a career photo editor, Bernasconi is the first visual journalist to be elected president of the OPC, and he is also the first foreign-born OPC president. He was born in Chile, and his family moved to Washington, DC when he was seven years old. His father was a working print and radio journalist.
The OPC was founded in 1939 in New York by a group of foreign correspondents to encourage the highest standards of professional integrity and skill in the reporting of news and to promote the freedom of the press throughout the world.
The club also announced results of the election for other officers and board members. Deborah Amos of NPR, Scott Kraft of the Los Angeles Times and Christopher Dickey of The Daily Beast were elected vice presidents.
Active members elected or reelected to the board are: John Avlon of CNN, Miriam Elder of Buzzfeed, Alix Freedman and Michael Williams of Reuters, Douglas Jehl of The Washington Post, Jim Laurie of Focus Asia Productions, Adriane Quinlan of HBO’s Vice News Tonight and Gary Silverman of the Financial Times.
Associate board members elected or reelected are Pete Engardio of Boston Consulting Group, Sarah Lubman of Brunswick Group and Kem Knapp Sawyer of The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.
Bernasconi replaces Deidre Depke, managing editor of Markeplace, who will remain on the board.
The OPC is grateful for the contributions of governors who are leaving the board due to term limits: Rukmini Callimachi, Bill Collins, Emma Daly, Charles Graeber, Anjali Kamat, Rachael Morehouse, Abigail Pesta, Roxana Saberi, Lara Setrakian, and Calvin Sims.
For a complete listing of the new OPC board, click here >>