G RADY F ELLOWS T RIBU T E E VENIN G Honoring The Grady Fellowship and Saluting Grady’s Sports Journalism Legacy Thursday, November 19, 2009 The Classic Center Athens, Ga. GRADY FELLOWSHIP TRIBUTE EVENING AUTOGRAPHS BY GRADY, FOR GRADY Program The Grady Fellowship Tribute Evening has been produced “By Grady, for Grady,” testifying to a remarkable quality of creativity and volunteer spirit among alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends. Grady College thanks the Grady Family and these individuals who have made the Tribute Evening possible. November 19, 2009 We salute their generosity, commitment and the many ways they exemplify “The Grady Spirit.” Karen Andrews, ABJ ’03, Tribute Evening event coordinator and graphic designer WELCOME Cecil Bentley, All Fellows Day coordinator E. Culpepper Clark Dean, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Jody Danneman, ABJ ’88, and Atlanta-ImageArts, executive producer of Grady Fellowship Tribute Evening Wingate Downs, ABJ ’79, Tribute Evening photography REMARKS Debbie Ebalobo, ABJ ’10, Grady intern Swann Seiler, ABJ ’78 Professor Conrad Fink President, Grady Board of Trust Grady County Legends Grady Board of Trust Grady College Ambassadors PRESENTATION OF FELLOWS AND HONOR ROLL CALL OF THE GRADY FELLOWSHIP Grady Society Alumni Board E. Culpepper Clark Rachel Hobgood, ABJ ’10, Grady intern Swann Seiler Dr. Ann Hollifield and Grady honors students Cherie and Vance Leavy, Bulldawg Illustrated SALUTE TO GRADY’S SPORTS JOURNALISM LEGACY: Charlie McAlexander “THE STATUS OF SPORTS JOURNALISM IN A 24/7 NEWS CYCLE” Dr. Parker Middleton, director, All Fellows Day and Grady Fellowship Conrad Fink, moderator Tribute Evening Tony Barnhart, ABJ ’76 Furman Bisher Diane Murray, ABJ ’89, outreach and promotion Charlie McAlexander Dr. Horace Newcomb Mark Schlabach, ABJ ’96 Dr. Sherrie Whaley, publicity and photography CLOSING WNEG-TV THE GRADY FELLOWSHIP Grady Board of Trust The Board of Trust of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism Beverly Blake Brian Johnstone (ABJ ’68) Susan Rosenberg and Mass Communication congratulates The Grady Fellowship, the members of which, John S. and James L. Lockheed Martin UPS Public Relations by virtue of their accomplishments, friendship and service are members emeritus and Knight Foundation honoris causa of the Trust. On behalf of the Grady Board of Trust, join me Brian Brodrick Chris Jones (ABJ ’73) Dan A. Schafer and the faculty, staff, students and alumni of the Grady College in saluting them. Jackson Spalding Verizon Wireless Coca-Cola North America - E. Culpepper Clark, Dean Pamela (P.J.) Browning Tom Landrum (MA ’87) Swann Seiler (ABJ ’78) The Sun News The University of Georgia Georgia Power Company Jean Cobb (ABJ ’74) Melissa Libby (ABJ ’85) Brad Shaw Freebairn & Company Melissa Libby & Associates The Home Depot Claude Felton (ABJ ´70, MA´71) Bill Crane (ABJ ’84) Tim Mapes (ABJ ’86) Jennifer Sloan (ABJ ’86) C.S.I.: Crane Delta Air Lines Toronto, Ont. Claude Felton has held positions in the University of Georgia’s Ath- letic Association since 1979, including associate athletic director and Richard Davis Burgett Mooney Mark Smith (ABJ ’66) sports communications director, a position he has held since July 2004. CNN News Group Rome News-Tribune Smith Communications During his career, he has served as media coordinator for 18 NCAA national championship events and was the host sports information di- Frank Denton Lauran Neergaard (ABJ ’89) Sam Starnes (ABJ ’89) rector for the 1977 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament in Atlanta. The Florida Times-Union Associated Press Author, Freelance Writer He served on the press liaison staff for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and was the press venue chief Jennifer Dorian Dink NeSmith (ABJ ’70) Lauri Strauss for soccer at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. In 2008, Turner Entertainment Community Newspapers, Inc. Atlanta Press Club he was awarded the Bert McGrane Award from the Football Writers Networks Association of America. Sherri Fallin Simmons (ABJ ’94) Donald A. Perry (ABJ ’74) Charles Van Rysselberge Duffey Communications Chick-fil-A, Inc. (ABJ ’68, MA ’71) Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Brenda Hampton (ABJ ´73) Rex Granum (ABJ ’72) Jere Pigue Julia Wallace Brenda Hampton is creator and currently writer and executive producer Prism Public Affairs Georgia Association of The Atlanta Journal- of the highly rated and widely-watched ABC teen drama series, The Broadcasters Constitution Secret Life of the American Teenager. Hampton was also creator, writer and executive producer of the hit series, 7th Heaven, the longest run- Charles Hayslett (ABJ ’73) Condace Pressley (ABJ ’86) Richard Warner ning family drama in TV history. She has enjoyed sustained success Hayslett Group WSB Radio What’s Up Interactive since moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s with writer, editor and producer credits in shows such as Sister Kate, Baghdad Café, Lenny, Betty Hudson (ABJ ’71) Robin Rhodes Chris Wood Blossom, Daddy’s Girls and Mad About You. Hampton was also co-cre- National Geographic Society Georgia Press Association (ABJ ’87, Ph.D. ’06) ator, writer and executive producer of the high profile Showtime series, JWA Public Communications Fat Actress, starring Kirstie Alley. She is the 2003 recipient of the Henry John W. ‘Jay’ Jacobs, III Gloria Ricks Taylor (ABJ ’66) Neely Young W. Grady Mid-Career Alumnus Award. JACOBS Media Corporation Hearst Corporation Georgia Trend magazine Teresa Edwards LEWIS GAINEY BILL Stanfill BILL Stanfill BOBBY walden LEWIS GAINEY BOBBY walden Teresa Edwards Ray Jenkins (ABJ ´51) Ray Jenkins began his career in journalism in 1951 as a reporter for The Grady Mission The Columbus Ledger. In 1954, he was one of two reporters who covered the Phenix City, Ala., upheaval, coverage for which the news- paper received a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Between 1959 and 1979 he served as city editor, managing editor, executive editor and vice-president of the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser-Journal. Jenkins was special assistant for press affairs to President Jimmy Carter, 1979- 81. After 10 years as editorial page editor of The Evening Sun in Balti- The Grady College serves the state, nation and world by: 1) developing and dis- more, he retired from daily journalism in 1992. He has written exten- seminating knowledge about communication institutions and the processes and sively on Southern politics and culture for The New York Times and role of mass communication in society; 2) preparing students to be critical thinkers other publications, and is the author of Blind Vengeance, a book about and outstanding communication professionals; and 3) creating and transferring the assassination of a federal judge in Alabama in 1989. knowledge about mass communication that informs and serves the public, communication professionals, academics, and policy makers. Gordon Smith (ABJ ´75 , JD ´78) Gordon Smith is executive director and chief operating officer of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). In this position, Smith GRADY SOCIETY ALUMNI BOARD leads USTA’s effort to promote and develop the growth of tennis, and Gene Colter (ABJ ‘89) Jeff Jowdy (ABJ ‘83) oversees USTA operations. He has long been connected to tennis as PIMCO Lighthouse Counsel both a player and volunteer, playing competitively at UGA and serving as captain for a team that swept four straight SEC titles from 1971 Selwyn Crawford (ABJ ‘81) Eric NeSmith (ABJ ‘02) through 1975. Following law school, he clerked with the federal Dallas Morning News The Highlander (Highlands, N.C.) judiciary before joining the Atlanta-based international law firm of King and Spalding, where he was a senior partner in the 800-lawyer Jody Danneman (ABJ ‘88) Amanda Rosseter Schab (ABJ ‘90) firm. Smith is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Atlanta Image Arts, Inc. Saint Joseph’s Health System has been listed in the publication, The Best Lawyers in America for many years. Chris Decherd (ABJ ‘90) Steve Sears (ABJ ‘90) Voice of America Barron’s and Barron’s Online Valerie Elston (ABJ ‘04) Jennifer Sloan (ABJ ‘86), president Ruth Estes Trager (ABJ ´47) Levick Strategic Communications Toronto, Ont. Ruth Estes Trager pioneered the role of women executives in broad- cast programming and sales promotion, first with Atlanta’s WAGA Ra- Eddie Garrett (BA ‘06) (MBA Terry ‘08) Katherine Strate (ABJ ‘09) dio, then WAGA-TV. She was also part of the original staff of WLAC-TV Porter Novelli Jackson Spalding in Nashville, Tenn. In 1957, she became a media buyer at the Tucker Bryan Harris (MA ‘03) Scott Williamson (MMC ‘92) Wayne & Co. advertising agency where she remained for 21 years. Jackson Spalding Coca-Cola North America Her next stops were at Pringle Dixon Pringle as vice president, media director, and J. Walter Thompson Atlanta as vice president, associate Cynthia Harris (ABJ ‘94) Mesha Chance Wind (ABJ ‘90) media director. A mentor to many young women entering advertising, Microsoft Corporation The Cairo (Ga.) Messenger Trager helped shape the parameters of media buying and planning as Atlanta grew to claim its status as a major media market. Josh Jackson (ABJ ‘94) Paste magazine SALUTE TO GRADY’S SPORTS JOURNALISM LEGACY: Conrad Fink, professor of journalism, teaches newspaper management, contem- porary American newspapers, opinion writing, public affairs reporting and ethics “THE STATUS OF SPORTS JOURNALISM IN at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communica- tion. For 21 years, Fink worked with The Associated Press as a reporter, editor, for- A 24/7 NEWS CYCLE” eign correspondent and vice president. Subsequently he served as executive vice president of Park Communications, a newspaper and broadcast company. Fink has This evening’s sports panel features legends in sports journalism: Furman Bisher, published nine journalism textbooks and is the author of several books including who retired last month at age 90 after writing some 10,000 columns for The Sportswriting: The Lively Game, as well as books on ethics, business news writ- Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tony Barnhart, who reveals the secrets of SEC ing and opinion writing.