About NPW
NPW History
On March 22, 1946, about 40 newspaper women gathered in Omaha and founded the Nebraska Women’s Press Club, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW).
The state press club’s mission was “to promote the highest ideals in journalism; to provide exchange of journalistic ideas and experiences; and to coordinate editorial opinion on matters of national interest to women.”
Just nine years after the organization’s founding, Velma Price of Newman Grove became the first Nebraskan elected president of the national organization. She served from 1955 to 1957.
In 1960, the Nebraska Women’s Press Club was renamed the Nebraska Press Women (NPW).
In 2011, Lori Potter of Kearney was the second Nebraskan elected president of the national organization. Also in 2011, NPW created the Marian Andersen Nebraska Women Journalists Hall of Fame and, each year, inducts more deserving journalists.
NPW provides members professional development at its spring and fall conference sessions as well as through the expert feedback on each entry in its communications contests for members and high school students. Two scholarships are also awarded to students.
Each year, one NPW member is chosen Communicator of Achievement (COA) and advances to the national contest (if a dual member with NFPW). Four dual NPW / NFPW members have been selected national Communicator of Achievement. They are Lois Lambley of North Bend (1985), Joan Burney of Hartington (1993), Eileen Wirth of Omaha (2019) and LuAnn Schindler of Clearwater (2022).
LEADERSHIP
2025 – 2026 NPW Officers
President:
Terri Hahn, Osceola
Vice President / Hall of Fame:
Bette Pore, Grand Island
Secretary:
Molly Klocksin, Lincoln
Treasurer:
Lori Potter, Kearney
Board of Directors
Communicator of Achievement:
Mary Jane Skala, Kearney
Professional Communications Contest:
Mary Jane Skala, Kearney
High School Contest:
Sherry Thompson, Omaha, and Barb Batie, Lexington
Historian:
Mary Pat Finn-Hoag, Norfolk
Member Services / Membership:
Open
Publicity / Website:
Glennis Nagel, Kearney
Legislative / First Amendment:
Open
Scholarships:
Mary Kay Quinlan, Lincoln
National Affiliation
National Federation of Press Women
Nebraska Press Women, Inc., is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), a nationwide organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum. NFPW offers professional development through an annual national conference, cost-effective libel insurance, a job bank, peer competition, a grassroots First Amendment e-mail alert system, a quarterly newsletter, networking, member services, national advocacy on issues significant to members and more. Interestingly, NFPW was founded in 1937, and NPW was organized just nine years later – in 1946. For more information on NFPW, please check the Web site at www.nfpw.org.
National Federation of Press Women Code of Ethics
As a professional communicator, I recognize my responsibility to the public, which has placed its trust and confidence in my work and will endeavor to do nothing to abuse this obligation.
With truth as my ultimate goal, I will adhere to the highest standards of professional communications, never consciously misleading reader, viewer or listener; and will avoid any compromise of my objectivity and fairness.
Because I believe that professional communicators must be obligated only to the people’s right to know, I affirm that freedom of the press is to be guarded as an inalienable right of the citizens of a free society.
I pledge to use this freedom wisely and to uphold the right of communicators to express unpopular opinions as well as the right to agree with the majority.
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