After a week-long convention in Tampa, Fla., that included panel discussions, speeches, an awards ceremony, workshops, a career fair and elections, the National Association of Black Journalists closed its annual convention Sunday.  

About 2000 registered members attended the gathering the organization describes as the largest assembly of Black journalists in the country.

This year, members elected Kathy Times, an investigative TV reporter from Jackson, Miss., as its new President, replacing outgoing president Barbara Ciara. CNN’s Roland Martin also rejoined the board as Secretary, reports Richard Prince, who reported daily from the event on his Journal-isms Web site.

We have a lot of work to do and I want to say to you that we will hit the ground running," Times told guests during her acceptance speech. "Advocacy is part of our mission, it is what we do, it is what we are about."

A number of senior Obama administration officials attended the event, including White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, EPA Chief Lisa Jackson and Gary Locke, Commerce Secretary.

 "With the addition of Valerie Jarrett joining the EPA Administrator and Commerce Secretary, the NABJ convention becomes an important opportunity to gauge the progress of the new administration on topics from the environment and green jobs to the growing political power of minorities,” said outgoing President Barbara Ciara in a statement.

NPR's Michele Norris won the Journalist of the Year Award. And sportswriter Michael Wilbon won the group’s annual Lifetime Achievement Award.

For full coverage of the NABJ Convention, visit Richard Prince's online column, Journal-isms.