Bill McCarren

Bill McCarren is the executive director of The National Press Club. He announced his pending retirement in March, after more than 15 years of service. McCarren will continue his duties until a new executive director is in place and will then consult for the organization for a brief period, in addition to continuing his service to the boards of Reporters Without Borders, LightBox and the International Youth Peace Forum. He was hired as general manager in 2007 and appointed executive director in 2010. He was the first person to hold the executive director title in the organization's 116-year history. McCarren helped lead The National Press Club's central mission of press freedom. He has helped lead several of the organization's most high-profile campaigns, including those supporting: Jason Rezaian, Emilio Gutiérrez Soto, Austin Tice, Jamal Khashoggi and Shireen Abu Akleh. Earlier in his career McCarren was founder and CEO of U.S. Newswire, a wire service startup which was ultimately sold to PR Newswire.