![Amanda Bennett swearing in](http://pdaa.publicdiplomacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/AmandaBennett_SwearingIn_BBGgov.jpg)
Amanda Bennett, left, is sworn in as Voice of America director by John Lansing, CEO of BBG. Acting director Kelu Chao holds the bible. (BBG.gov)
(24 April 2016) Amanda Bennett, Voice of America’s new director, will visit the next First Monday Forum, on Monday 2 May at American Foreign Service Association in Washington, D.C. Bennett was sworn in as VOA’s director on 18 April 2016.
Bennett is a veteran reporter and editor, with two Pulitzer prizes to her credit. She joins VOA from a stint as contributing columnist at the Washington Post. Bennett earlier served as executive editor for Bloomberg News, where she created and ran a global team of investigative reporters and editors, and also co-founded the Bloomberg News’ Women’s Project.
Her work with the Wall Street Journal led to her winning one of the 1997 Pulitzer awards for national reporting. In 2001, Bennett’s team at the Oregonian in Portland received the Pulitzer prize that year for public service. She was a member or co-chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board from 2003 to 2010, as well as on the boards of the Gerald Loeb Awards, the American Society of News Editors, and the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
First Monday forums are a joint project of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, and Public Diplomacy Council. The event takes place on Monday, 2 May 2016 at 12 noon, at AFSA headquarters, 2101 E Street NW, Washington DC (Foggy Bottom metro). Sandwiches and refreshments will be served.
The event is free, but advance registrations by e-mail are required: FirstMondayForum.RSVP@gmail.com.
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