Denver Woman’s Press Club adds Ryan Warner as first male

DENVER — The Denver Woman’s Press Club has announced its first male member, Ryan Warner, senior host of Colorado Matters on Colorado Public Radio.

In 2024, the club clarified its bylaws to welcome all gender identities who meet its other membership requirements. The group was founded in 1898 by women journalists, many of them active in the women’s suffrage movement, as a comfortable place to share their voice. DWPC policy had never excluded any person from applying for membership; however, Warner is the first male to submit an application. Warner’s application was accepted by a unanimous vote of the membership committee and board of directors.

“The DWPC is excited to welcome Ryan into the organization,” said President Gail Beaton. “Our members include some of the finest award-winning journalists, writers and authors. Ryan’s work is an example of the quality that has defined the DWPC for more than 127 years.”

Warner first connected with the club and its members during an open house at its clubhouse at 13th and Logan several years ago. He has since become a supporter of its mission and a frequent speaker at its events.

“The Denver Woman’s Press Club has been a welcoming place for me professionally and personally,” Warner said. “I’ve shared interview techniques with engaged audiences there. I hosted an important Jewish ceremony in its halls. Now I look forward to giving back to a club that has given so much to me.”

Warner said he is mindful that women historically had to create their own spaces because of exclusion. He accepted membership only after a unanimous vote by the board.

When the club was founded, the original Denver Press Club, incorporated in 1877 as the nation’s first, did not admit women until the 1960s.

The only other man affiliated with the DWPC was Stanton Peckham, book critic and columnist for the Denver Post, who was an honorary member from 1978 until his death in 1995.

An award-winning host, Warner’s voice is heard across Colorado as he talks with politicians, scientists, artists, activists and others. Under his tenure, Colorado Matters has been recognized as the nation’s best major market public radio talk show. He speaks French, loves commercial aviation, adores his tuxedo cat Bob and owns too many shoes.