2020 June Newsletter
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Fellowship • Scholarship • Education And the Best View in Town VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 35 MARCH 2020 WWW.OMAHAPRESSCLUB.COM SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 5 Meadows event bringing March Forum to roasters from afar feature Rudy By Tom O'Connor servation, col- Smith’s photos Communications Committee laboration and affordability. “The aughs should be plentiful on March 21 The company Black Ex- when Othello Meadows III becomes has worked perience: Lthe Omaha Press Club’s newest “Face closely with Through on the Barroom Floor.” Meadows in the Lens Meadows, who is president and CEO of his revitaliza- of Rudy THE BLACK Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp. tion efforts in Smith,” EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE LENS and owner of The Meadows Group, will be North Omaha. a book OF RUDY SMITH roasted by a foursome of colleagues, includ- • Saida Othello Meadows that ing three who live in cities outside Omaha. Grundy, high- “Since multiple roasters are from out of Ph.D., assistant professor of Sociology, lights the town, many people won’t be familiar with African-American Studies and Women’s and late Rudy them,” Meadows said. “I can assure you that Gender Studies at Boston University. Smith's this is an all-star group of people, and they • Justin Miller, attorney, Morgan & photo- won’t hold any punches when they roast me. Morgan, Atlanta. Miller practiced law with journalism experience in North Omaha, I may need some ‘revitalization’ after they’re Meadows in Atlanta after Meadows started done with me.” will be displayed and discussed at a Noon his own law firm. Forum on Thursday, March 19. The list of roasters will include: • Kyle Peterson, chairman and CEO of Smith, a longtime photographer with • Emcee – Todd Lieberman, executive vice the Colliers International office in Omaha. the Omaha World-Herald, died Dec. 5 president, Brinshore Development, Kansas Peterson, who also is a college baseball ana- City, Missouri. Brinshore is a real estate lyst for ESPN, was honored in 2015 as the after a short illness at the age of 74. Photo company that specializes in the development selections for the long-planned book were of residential communities that foster con- Continue on Page 3 completed while Rudy was in hospice. His wife, Llana, assisted him in the selections as he gave her a thumbs up or down on A message from the executive director his choices. After his death, World-Herald staff completed the book with the help of ome big changes are coming to your Membership Changes Smith’s family. membership experience with the Over the past few months, we’ve been Llana Smith and Kristine Gerber, book Omaha Press Club — but before we sharing information about how club man- S editor at the World-Herald, will take share those, a reminder: One thing that agement has been working on updating our the Noon Forum audience on a journey never changes is the great lineup of events 1970s-era billing system to a modern soft- through the years explaining how Rudy’s that are hosted at the Press Club each ware system. The update has required many photographs were compiled. month. hours of data input and lots of volunteer One of Rudy's memorable quotes was: Check out the calendar on page 6 for in- time from board members. We are chang- "For some reason, I always knew whatever I formation about upcoming events, includ- ing our point-of-sale (POS) system and shot was for historical purposes. When it's ing Dinner with an Irish Poet on March 12, the bookkeeping system. We have signed history, that moment will never be revisited the Winemaker’s Dinner on March 13, a a contract with local company Toast for again. Words can describe it, but images St. Patrick’s Day Buffet on March 17, our our POS system, and it will integrate with live on forever, just like freedom marches Noon Forum on March 19, and our first QuickBooks online. on." “Face on the Barroom Floor” of 2020 on What will this mean for you? Our end The OPC forum will run from noon March 21. And save the date for the OPC goal is to be able to send you your monthly until 1 p.m., with lunch service beginning First Amendment Night (April 18), the invoices via email instead of through the at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $17 and non-OPC OPC Scholarship Awards Dinner on April mail. This will result in significant cost members are welcome. 24, and the Journalists of Excellence Hall of savings (helping keep our membership dues Books will be available for purchase at Fame (June 6). and food prices affordable) while providing the forum. “The Black Experience” is also These events are full of great food and more convenience. Eventually, you’ll be able available from owhstore.com and at the unique company with laughter and fun. Continue on Page 5 World-Herald building. Annual Meeting sets stage for big OPC year By Gary Willis Marketing & Membership Chatelain and a discussion of the Tri-Faith Communications Committee The goal of the Marketing/Member- Initiative. A 2nd Congressional District ship Committee is to support the work of debate is scheduled for April 2020. OPC Foundation fficers were elected for 2020, club all the committees and execute activities More than $41,000 in scholarships operations were reviewed for 2019 and programs to increase membership in were awarded to students at Creighton and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and utilization of the club. Under the O University, UNL and UNO. These stu- were enjoyed by those attending the leadership of chairperson Bridge (Weide) dents join a list of more than 400 Omaha Omaha Press Club’s Annual Meeting on Brooks, committee members revitalized Press Club scholarship recipients. The Jan. 16. efforts to attract more wedding recep- OPC Foundation has set a $35,000 Following are summaries of the reports tions to the club. The committee also is a minimum goal to create and permanently by OPC leaders and committee chairs: major participant in planning the Omaha endow a new scholarship in memory of Outgoing President Press Club's inaugural “First Amendment longtime Omaha Press Club member, Jeremy Maskel described 2019 as a busy Night” in April. volunteer and supporter Susan Eustice. year for the club. As other OPC leaders Communications Two families personally fund scholarships confirmed in their reports, there was a lot The committee, chaired by Gary Willis in memory of their loved ones: Omaha of transition in both staff and volunteers. and Cindy Workman, met monthly to World-Herald reporters Howard Silber Maskel thanked Executive Director Steve plan the 11 OPC newsletters. The news- and Jim Denney. Howard's widow, Sissy, Villamonte and Restaurant Manager letter now features a color front page. has pledged her support of the scholarship Christine Villamonte for their commit- The death of longtime committee chair again in 2020. This year's Scholarship ment to the club and their hard work, Susan Eustice was a great loss to the Press Club family. The committee welcomed Dinner will be held April 24, 2019. especially modernizing the workflow. Hall of Fame Maskel also thanked the board of direc- three new members: Todd Andrews, Anne On June 1, 2019, the Omaha Press tors who went above and beyond the call Walsh and Lauren Robinson. The com- Club honored six outstanding Journal- of duty to digitize the records. It was re- mittee is planning to revive the "Where ists of Excellence: Joni Baillon, Ben Gray, petitive but necessary work. Special thanks Are They Now" feature in the newsletter, Walt Kavanagh, Mike McKnight, Carrie went to Gary Kerr and Tom O’Connor, hopefully quarterly, revisiting previous Murphy and Kent Warneke. Nearly 200 who stepped down from their longtime "Faces on the Barroom Floor." guests attended the recognition of OPC’s committee leadership positions. They led Face on the Barroom Floor 12th class of Hall of Fame journalists. the teams -- Education and Face on the Four successful events in 2019 were Marcia Cady has passed the committee Floor -- that bring the most vital OPC highlighted by a sellout crowd for Tom chair baton to Woody Bradford. The 2020 events to life. Shatel's “Face” event. After 18 years, Tom Journalists of Excellence Hall of Fame is `Maskel said he was thrilled to welcome O'Connor turned over the chairmanship set for Saturday, June 6. new members to the club. “Continuing of the committee to Roger Humphries. th Incoming President to tell our story is important,” he said. “A And after 164 “Faces,” Jim Horan Tom Shatel stressed how honored he strong, free and respected press is vital. stepped down as the caricature artist. was to be president of the club. He also How special is it that we get to carry out Words cannot do justice to what Jim has made it known that he likes to come up that work?” meant to the “Face” events and to the with ideas, but is not great at executing Executive Director Omaha Press Club. Wayne Sealy drew the them and thus will be seeking the help of Steve Villamonte said 2019 was the caricature of the most recent “Face”– Jim his fellow members. toughest of his 20-year tenure. The prob- and Todd Murphy. Othello Meadows III First on the Shatel list in 2020 is a lems started during 2018 with a slower- will be the 164th Face starting our 2020 new event that he is spearheading: “First than-normal fourth quarter that put the season. Amendment Night: Celebrating News- club in the red for the year. The club’s Education makers and News Media.” KFAB’s Gary longtime bookkeeper retired and was no The Education Committee meets Sadlemyer will emcee and former Sen.