Shawn Wilson, the newly appointed secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, will be the speaker at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Jan. 4. Wilson has served as DOTD’s chief of staff since 2005. He will talk about his plan to tackle the backlog of road and bridge projects and help ease traffic problems in the state. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $13 for members and $17 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

The Press Club of Baton Rouge will not meet again until Jan. 4, 2016. We will announce the speaker closer to the date. The Press Club will not meet on Jan. 11 because of the inauguration nor on Jan. 18 because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On Jan. 25, the speaker will be Adam Knapp, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. Happy Holidays!

Gov. Bobby Jindal will be the speaker at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 14. The governor will discuss his time in office and how he believes Louisiana is stronger today than ever before. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $13 for members and $17 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

The Press Club of Baton Rouge will not meet on Monday, Dec. 7. The following Monday, Dec. 14, the speaker will be Gov. Bobby Jindal. He will discuss his time in office and how he believes Louisiana is stronger today than ever before. Press Club members are invited to a holiday social event on Dec. 9 at the Hotel Indigo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Baton Rouge Area Association of Black Journalists and the Press Club of Baton Rouge. Each member may bring a guest. Food and drinks will be served. Please bring an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to a needy family.