WASHINGTON, D.C., August 15, 2006 -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who was recently elected president of the war-torn nation -- making her Africa's first female Head of State -- will speak during the opening ceremony of the 2006 NABJ Convention and Career Fair on August 16.

The session, A Conversation with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the Sagamore Ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center. Johnson-Sirleaf will participate live via remote from Liberia. Lester Holt, host of The Today Show, Weekend Edition for NBC will moderate.

We are honored that Her Excellency Johnson-Sirleaf will join us for this years opening ceremony, said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director for Ebony and JET magazines. Its exciting that our members will have the chance to hear from such a powerful and influential world leader. NABJ is committed to making these types of personal narratives accessible to our membership.

In 2005, six NABJ fellows traveled to Liberia to cover the presidential elections. While in the country's capital, Monrovia, they has an opportunity to interview then candidate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The NABJ Media Institute program was co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Knight Foundation and the UN Foundation to provide journalists an opportunity to gain experience as foreign correspondents. NABJ members have also traveled on fellowships to Senegal, Morocco, Brazil, and Tanzania.

Born in Monrovia, Liberia, Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in as President on January 16th, 2006. She earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Madison Business College in Wisconsin, and later obtained a Master of Public Administration from Harvard in 1971. After graduating from Harvard, Johnson-Sirleaf returned to Liberia to become the Assistant Minister of Finance in President William Tolbert's administration. In the late 1970s after the Tolbert government was overthrown, she fled the country.

In three decades, President Johnson-Sirleaf has witnessed two civil wars, a military coup and the displacement of half a million Liberians. Currently, she serves as a delegate for the U.N. Development Programme for Africa where she has committed herself to decreasing poverty, fueling economic growth and promoting peace. She is believed to be the world's first black female president of a sovereign nation. Over 3,000 journalists from across the country are expected to attend the 31st Annual Convention, August 16-20 at the Indiana Convention Center. The convention will also feature the nation's largest journalism career fair along with specialized workshops, plenary sessions, professional development breakfasts targeted to various journalism disciplines, a Hall of Fame banquet, gospel brunch and media receptions for veteran, up-and-coming and future journalists.

Reporters interested in covering the 31st Annual NABJ Convention and Career Fair should contact Kristin Wilson at 301-455-7100, ext. 107 or kwilson@nabj.org for press credentials.