Meetings

James Waskom, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 18. Waskom will recap the 2017 hurricane season, provide an update on the 2016 flood and discuss changes proposed for the Flood Improvement Act during the 2018 Legislative Session. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a national expert on hazing, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 11. He will discuss hazing, in light of the recent death of an LSU student and other fraternity pledges across the nation this year, and the challenges and best practices for schools trying to prevent it. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Col. Kevin Reeves, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 4. He will talk about his tenure since taking over leadership of the agency in March. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Brian Burton, state director for Navigators for a Healthy Louisiana, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Nov. 27. He will discuss the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace, open enrollment and efforts to get information to the public after recent outreach cuts. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Fairleigh Cook Jackson, executive director of Preserve Louisiana, formerly the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Nov. 20. Jackson will address the potential elimination of a 20-percent tax credit for rehabilitation of income producing, historic buildings. The U.S. Senate is debating a bill approved by the U.S. House that could dispose of tax benefits for renovating older structures. Jackson says many projects in downtown Baton Rouge were made possible by federal tax incentives. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Kerry Myers, former editor of The Angolite and a freelance journalist who has written for The Marshall Project, The Bayou Brief and The Sentencing Project in Washington D.C., will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Nov. 13. He will discuss the recent criminal justice overhaul in Louisiana as well as his concerns about the way the media covers criminal justice matters. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Three representatives from Fair Districts Louisiana will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Nov. 6. Matt Bailey, Brian Marks and Stephen Kearny will discuss this new grassroots, bipartisan alliance of organizations and citizens who support redistricting reform. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Davis Rhorer, director of the Baton Rouge Downtown Development District, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Oct. 30. The DDD is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and Rhorer will discuss accomplishments and what’s ahead. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Paul Arrigo, president and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Oct. 23. Arrigo will discuss the hotel occupancy tax on the November ballot and share details about upcoming events and conferences in Baton Rouge. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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.

Johnny Bradberry, executive assistant to the governor for coastal activities and chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Oct. 16. Bradberry will talk about all things related to CPRA efforts to fund and implement the state Coastal Master Plan, including the problems, successes and new strategies going forward. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. 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. Like the Baton Rouge Press Club on Facebook.