A journalism professor who spent more than 40 years at the Associated Press was elected president of the National Press Club last week.

Myron Belkind, who has taught at GW since 2005, will lead the group for the next year. He teaches introduction to news writing and reporting in the School of Media and Public Affairs and advanced writing in the Graduate School of Political Management.

Belkind spent 40 years as a foreign correspondent, leading the AP’s bureaus New Delhi, London and Tokyo. He said he hopes to use his experiences abroad, as well as his experience chairing the club’s International Correspondence Committee since 2005, to grow its international presence.

“We want to use this year and use my international background to really enhance the National Press Club, not only as a national press club, but as a global center,” Belkind said.

He joined the organization in 2004, after retiring from the AP. Then a colleague suggested he consider teaching at GW, which he began doing the following fall, as he led media training seminars in Serbia and other Eastern European countries.

“I’m really excited about leading the National Press Club because it is truly a great organization of 3,000 members and we have so many activities,” Belkind said. “I have gotten so much from the National Press Club, and I wanted to give something back.”