Photo by Brenda Ladd
Rena Pederson, a trail blazer for women in journalism in Texas, is the author of four books. Her most recent book project The King of Diamonds — The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief was published by Pegasus Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster in April 2024.
Ms. Pederson served on the Pulitzer Prize Board for nine years and received national recognition as Vice President and Editorial Page Editor at The Dallas Morning News for 16 years. During her tenure at the newspaper, Texas Monthly named her as one of the most powerful women in Texas.
Some of the world figures she has interviewed range from Margaret Thatcher to Fidel Castro to Princess Grace and Julia Child. Her first book “What’s Next?” was featured on the Oprah Winfrey television show and her opinion pieces have appeared in The American Interest, The Weekly Standard, Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.
In addition to writing books, Pederson recently has taught at Southern Methodist University and previously was Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications at the U.S. Department of State, serving as a senior speechwriter.