Virginia Professional Communicators

2015 Communications Contest Awards presented, Marty Van Duyne wins sweepstakes award

Marty van Duyne - PhotoVPC honored 31 winners in its annual communications contest in Norfolk at its spring conference at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Norfolk on May 2. Judges awarded 47 first places, 32 second places, 21 third places and 21 honorable mentions in such categories as newspaper writing, public relations, advertising, photo journalism, internet and magazine writing and books.

The 2015 sweepstakes winner was Marty Van Duyne of Falmouth, Virginia, with News Net News. The sweepstakes award is determined by a point system that considers the total number of entries submitted to the contest and the number and level (first, second, third, honorable mention) of awards received. First-place winners will advance to the National Federation of Press Women contest.

Awards presented were:

Bonnie Atwood, Richmond – First Place: Columns – Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice). Third Place: Editorial /Opinion – Print-based newspaper. Honorable Mention: Blogs – Personal.

Nancy Beasley, Richmond – First Place: Specialty articles – Social issues; Columns – Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial). Honorable Mention: Feature story – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper print publication; Columns – General; Columns – Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice).

Sue Bland, Ashland – First Place: Feature story – Online publication.

Ellen Brown, Richmond – First Place: Feature story – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper print publication. Honorable Mention: Editorial / Opinion – Print-based newspaper.

Katherine Calos, Richmond – First Place: News Story – Print-based Newspaper (with co-entrant Graham Moomaw, Richmond); Feature story – Print-ibased newspaper; Specialty articles – History. Third Place: Specialty articles – Travel.

Julie Campbell, Lexington – Second Place: Editing and Page Design, Print Publications – Publications regularly edited by entrant – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper publication.

Clara Cox, Blacksburg – Honorable Mention: Communications programs and campaigns – Community, institutional, or internal relations.

Frances Crutchfield, Midlothian – First Place: Speech; Creative Verse – Single poem. Second Place: Editorial / Opinion – Print-based newspaper; Feature story – Print-ibased newspaper; Creative Verse – Single poem.

Hannah Davis, Farmville – First Place: Single photograph – Sports photo. Second Place: Specialty articles – Sports. Third Place: Specialty articles – Physical health, fitness, mental health, self-help; Single photograph – Sports photo. Honorable Mention: Specialty articles – Physical health, fitness, mental health, self-help.

Ruth Doumlele, Richmond – Second Place: Speech. Third Place: Specialty articles – History.

Paul Fletcher, Richmond – First Place: Columns – Humorous; Columns – General.

Sarah Honenberger, Richmond – First Place: Novels for adult readers.

Cathy Jett, Fredericksburg – First Place: Specialty articles – Agriculture, Agribusiness, Aquaculture. Second Place:

Specialty articles – Business. Third Place: Columns – General.

Virginia Johnson, Fredericksburg – Third Place: Specialty articles – Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion).

Elizabeth Jones, Roanoke – Third Place: Specialty articles – Business.

Patty Kruszewski, Richmond – First Place: Specialty articles – Green/environmental. Second Place: Specialty articles – Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion); Columns – Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial).

Honorable Mention: Feature story – Print-ibased newspaper; Specialty articles – History; Columns – Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial).

Ginger Levit, Richmond – First Place: Special Series; Editorial / Opinion – Print-based newspaper; Specialty articles – Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion). Second Place: Specialty articles – Arts and entertainment;Specialty articles – History. Third Place: Specialty articles – Fashion. Honorable Mention: Specialty articles – Business.

Kimberly Loehr, Richmond – First Place: Blogs – Nonprofit, government, or educational; Social Media Campaign – Nonprofit, government, or educational; Communications programs and campaigns – Community, institutional, or internal relations; News or feature releases – multiple releases; Media kit – tools to gain media coverage. Third Place: Feature story – Online publication. Honorable Mention: Videos for Website – Nonprofit, government, or educational.
Ilsa Loeser, Farmville – Second Place: News Story – Print-based Newspaper; Personality profile – More than 500 words; Columns – General; Columns – Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice).

K.J. Mushung, Stafford – First Place: Writing for the Web; Web site edited or managed by entrant – Nonprofit, government, or educational. Second Place: News Story – Online Publication; Feature story – Online publication. Third Place: News Story – Online Publication. Honorable Mention: News Story – Online Publication; Single photograph – News or feature photo.

Ann Oppenhimer, Richmond – First Place: Editing and Page Design, Print Publications – Publications regularly edited by entrant – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper publication. Second Place: Brochures – Nonprofit, government, or educational. Honorable Mention: Web site edited or managed by entrant – Nonprofit, government, or educational.

Cynthia Price, Richmond – First Place: Headlines; Blogs – Personal.

Donna Raab, Fredericksburg – First Place: Newsletters – Nonprofit, government, or educational. Second Place: Communications programs and campaigns – Community, institutional, or internal relations; PR Materials – Reports (including, but not limited to, annual reports). Honorable Mention: Brochures – Nonprofit, government, or educational.

Pamela Stallsmith, Richmond – First Place: Brochures – Corporate or for-profit (with co-entrant Cecilia Bingenheimer, Richmond).

Martha Steger, Richmond – First Place: Personality profile – 500 words or fewer; Specialty articles – Arts and entertainment; Specialty articles – Business; Specialty articles – Travel; Essay, chapter, or section in a book. Second Place: Feature story – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper print publication. Third Place: Photographer-writer.

Marge Swayne, Prospect – First Place: Specialty articles – Advertorials (special ad supplements or special sections; Specialty articles – Education; Specialty articles – Food. Second Place: Specialty articles – Physical health, fitness, mental health, self-help; Specialty articles – Social issues; Single photograph – News or feature photo; Single photograph – General photo (open competition – no subcategories as to type of publication). Third Place: News Story – Print-based Newspaper; Feature story – Print-ibased newspaper; Columns – Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice); Columns – Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial).

Joan Tupponce, Glen Allen – First Place: Personality profile – More than 500 words; Specialty articles – Home (interior deco, furniture, architecture, landscaping); Specialty articles – Physical health, fitness, mental health, self-help. Third Place: Feature story – Magazine, newsletter, or other non-newspaper print publication; Personality profile – More than 500 words. Honorable Mention: Personality profile – More than 500 words.

Marty van Duyne, Falmouth – First Place: Specialty articles – Government or politics; Single photograph – News or feature photo; Single photograph – General photo (open competition – no subcategories as to type of publication); Photo essay; Photographer-writer. Second Place: Specialty articles – Government or politics; Specialty articles – Green/environmental; Headlines; Single photograph – Sports photo; Photo essay; Photographer-writer. Third Place: Specialty articles – Sports; Single photograph – General photo (open competition – no subcategories as to type of publication). Honorable Mention: News Story – Print-based Newspaper; Single photograph – Sports photo.

Gwen Woolf, Spotsylvania – Second Place: Specialty articles – Travel. Third Place: Specialty articles – Arts and entertainment. Honorable Mention: Specialty articles – Arts and entertainment; Specialty articles – Travel.

Photo of Marty Van Duyne: Lil’ Pals Pet Photography, Fredericksburg, VA