By Martha Steger As the year wanes, I return to its beginning when VPC lost a former member and great friend on January 11: Heloise Bertman “Ginger” Levit, who was 86. Some of us will remember her as the hostess-with-the-mostest who opened her art-filled West End Richmond home to VPC (then VPW) members one evening before a meeting. Those who knew...
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By Terry Haycock, VPC Treasurer I met Laura Fortunato at this year’s VPC spring conference. I was setting out the table decorations, and she offered to help. I didn’t know anything about her then except that she was another member stepping up when help was needed. Since that time, I have been privileged to hear her story and am delighted to share it with you....
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VPC members take home nearly 20 awards, including three 1st-place awards By Sunni Brown Communicators from throughout the United States were honored June 22 when the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) announced the winners of its 2024 Professional Communications Contest as the final event of the organization’s 2024 National Conference in St. Louis, Mo. Nearly...
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The 2024 VPC Spring Conference was held on Saturday, April 20, at the Library of Virginia in downtown Richmond. In addition to recognizing the winners in the annual VPC communications contest, we honored this year’s Newsmaker of the Year, Sandra G. Treadway, who recently retired after an impressive career as the Librarian of Virginia. More than 30 attendees gathered...
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By Sunni Brown, Contest Chair VPC celebrated the winners of the state-level 2024 communications contest earlier today at its Spring Conference. The contest recognizes outstanding work by members of the organization. The contest also attracted several non-members, who have since joined VPC. By the Numbers This year’s contest drew 64 entries from more than 20...
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Introducing our Newsmaker of the Year: Sandra G. Treadway By Julie Campbell The year was 1978. Sandra G. Treadway walked into the Virginia State Library and Archives, on Capitol Square in Richmond. She was fresh out of the University of Virginia, history Ph.D. in hand, reporting for duty as a copyeditor. “The academic job market was extremely tight at the time,”...
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VPC visited the VMHC in April 2023. Pictured above are Jessica Johnson, Tyya Turner, Terry Haycock, Julie Campbell, Louise Seals, Diane Thieke, Ann Oppenhimer, Pam Stallsmith, Frances Crutchfield, Cynthia Price and Geoff Thieke By Terry Haycock “Being involved in Virginia Professional Communicators is so important. It’s a solid professional network where all the...
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Our annual Fall Conference took place at the Virginia State Capitol on October 5. About 35 members and guests, including NFPW president Julie Campbell, gathered to hear top-notch speakers and take a tour of this historic building. President Sande Snead opened the conference, and House Clerk Paul Nardo welcomed attendees to the building. The day’s topics...
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By Sande Snead Kim Loehr was honored, Sande Snead spoke and Julie Campbell was inducted – all exciting happenings at the 2023 National Federation of Press Women Conference at the Graduate Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. Additionally, 16 Virginia Professional Communicators members received national awards in the annual communications contest. Cathy Jett, Julie Campbell,...
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VPC member Julie Campbell was elected president of the board of directors of the National Federation of Press Women.
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Sixteen VPC members were honored with 23 national awards, including six first-place awards.
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More than 40 VPC members and nonmembers met in Fredericksburg for VPC’s spring conference, which lived up to its theme of “pushing boundaries.”
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VPC members and guests enjoyed an enthralling tour of the newly renovated Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
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Kristen Green, author and journalist, has been named VPC’s 2023 Newsmaker of the Year, one of the organization’s top honors.
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Kimberly Loehr, a lightning protection and communications consultant received VPC’s 2023 Communicator of Achievement Award.
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Virginia Professional Communicators announces winners of 2023 state communications contest.
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Introducing storyteller Terry Haycock: From ‘Little Princess’ to a life of service.
Read MoreMeet Kim Loehr: VPC’s 2023 Communicator of Achievement.
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Published on March 30, 2023 Genealogy, Tae Kwon Do and Sweet Valley High … introducing 1st VP for Membership Cathy Petrini By Terry Haycock, Secretary/Treasurer One of our members has written an astonishing 29 books to date! In the early 1980s, the Sweet Valley High best-selling series was created by Francine Pascal and written by Kate William, a pseudonym for the...
Read MoreIntroducing our 2023 Newsmaker of the Year: Kristen Green By Nicole van Esselstyn The New York Times best-selling author and former Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter published her latest book, “The Devil’s Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South’s Most Notorious Slave Jail,” in April 2022. Since then, the story of Mary Lumpkin, a formerly...
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Kayaking, Cooking and Creating Copy – Introducing Nicole van Esselstyn By Terry Haycock, Secretary/Treasurer New member Nicole van Esselstyn grew up in a small farming community near Danville, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia’s James Madison University in Harrisonburg with a degree in mass communications, concentrating in print journalism. Nicole was the editor...
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Treasure, Travel and Tenacity … Meet Ann Oppenhimer, Richmond’s Delightful Folk Art Entrepreneur By Terry Haycock, Secretary/Treasurer From the outside it is a stately brick Virginia home rich in history and tradition. But step into the foyer and you enter a world of color, imagination, whimsy and eclectic vision. And you are just on the threshold of Ann...
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Interactive, Innovative, and Informative Photo above: VPC board member Terry Haycock put together a beautiful fall tablescape complete with refreshments. More than a dozen members attended VPC’s fall conference, which was held on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Libbie Mill Library in Richmond. Special thanks to members Cynthia Price and Terry...
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When life handed Jill Vaughan a challenge — her longtime position at the Virginia Lottery was eliminated following a leadership change — her next journey began. After a lot of soul-searching, yoga, and reflecting, she decided to launch her own business. Vaughan, who has more than 25 years of communications and leadership experience in consumer products, economic...
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Thinking Outside the Book(store): How to Find Readers in a Crowded Market Melissa Face’s first book debuted in September 2020 when the pandemic had forced bookstore closures and limited in-person events. Still, she found a way to reach readers, sell books, and find joy in the launch experience. Face, a VPC member and contest winner, is the author of the...
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Virtual Assistants, Marketing, and Media VPC’s Board has lined up a great day of networking opportunities and speakers for our fall 2022 conference. The conference will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 1:30-5 p.m. at Libbie Mill Library in Richmond. We previously held our fall conference at this location in 2019, and it’s a wonderful and inviting space....
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Minister, Mom, and Manager — Introducing Lyndsie Blakely By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership Meet Lyndsie Blakely, who has served as our treasurer these past two years. A native Virginian raised in Richmond, she received her bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and Recreation and Leisure from Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach (“Well,...
Read More2022 National Contest Results: You’re a Star! VPC members were well represented and won many awards in the national contest. Congratulations to all the award winners, especially Beth JoJack, Karen Schwartzkopf, Joan Tupponce, and Sheila Wickouski, who all took home first-place awards in an extremely competitive year! A distinguished group of professional...
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Kayaking, Willie Nelson, and Llamas — Introducing Beth JoJack By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership Beth JoJack is native Virginian from Bedford County near Smith Mountain Lake. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from nearby Hollins University, Virginia’s first chartered women’s college (founded...
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Luisa Igloria, State’s 20th Poet Laureate, Named Newsmaker of the Year by Virginia Professional Communicators RICHMOND, Va — Luisa Igloria, Virginia’s poet laureate, has been named Virginia Professional Communicators 2022 Newsmaker of the Year, one of the organization’s top honors. The annual VPC Newsmaker Award is given to a nominee who has made significant news in...
Read MoreVirginia Professional Communicators Announces Winners of 2022 State Communications Awards Contest; 1st Place Winners Compete Nationally Richmond, Virginia — Winners of the Virginia Professional Communicators 2022 Communications Contest were announced on April 30, 2022, at VPC’s spring conference, held in Richmond. VPC’s first-place winners have advanced to the...
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Wogging, Zumba and The Miami Heat — Introducing Karen Schwartzkopf By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership New member Karen Schwartzkopf hails from Wheeling, in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. She attended Wheeling Jesuit College. After studying a variety of writing styles and techniques (advertising, journalism, magazine, broadcast, and...
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The VPC Board invites you to our in-person spring conference event, which will be an awards celebration and networking opportunity. We also intend to celebrate our Newsmaker of the Year as part of the festivities. This event will be held at the Grapevine, and VPC will foot the bill to make up for our canceled New Year’s celebration. Following your RSVP, you...
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Tortoises, Rowing, and Georgetown — Meet new VPC member Devin Reese By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership Devin Reese is Executive Editor of Natural History Magazine managing the Samplings news section. She and husband Hal Cardwell live in Alexandria, Virginia. They have three children: Camilla, 21, born in Panama, who is studying economics in London,...
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Chicken Soup, Buddy Holly and French Roast Coffee — Meet New Member Melissa Face By First Vice President for Membership Terry Haycock Melissa Face hails from Wakefield, Virginia, where she’s lived most of her life. She attended high school at Wakefield’s Tidewater Academy. After graduation, she resided in South Carolina while earning a Bachelor of Arts from Coastal...
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Camino De Santiago, Community, and Communication: Introducing the Marvelous Mary Jane King By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership Longtime VPC member Mary Jane King, a native Virginian, resides in Keswick (near Charlottesville) with her husband David. She majored in English at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, graduating in 1969 with a BA....
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By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership Gail Kent is a longtime VPC member who served as our president from 2014–16. Like her colleagues in VPC, Gail is a fascinating, multi-talented writer and PR practitioner. She hails from Hickory, North Carolina. Gail says she “wound up in Virginia” in 1975 with her first husband, a Navy man stationed here. She later...
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Australia, Asian Arts, Kris Kristofferson, and the Beach Boys: Introducing Gwen Woolf By Terry Haycock, 1st Vice President for Membership A “Marine brat” with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Mary Washington College, Gwen Woolf, although born in North Carolina, lived in various parts of the country from Florida to California until settling in...
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As announced in the August newsletter, after careful consideration and an abundance of caution, VPC’s board has decided to host a virtual fall conference series rather than an in-person opportunity. The board is excited to announce our VPC Fall 2021 Conference Series lineup. Registration for several of VPC’s 2021 Fall Conference Series events is now open. Details...
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During an awards ceremony attended by about 200 people, including NFPW members from all across the country, NFPW announced the winners of the national contest June 11, 2021. Congrats to all the winners for their hard work during an especially challenging and competitive year. Virginia winners included the following: Lyndsie Blakely, Xavier Harrison2nd Place, Video...
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The Virginia Press Women Foundation is pleased to announce Jaqueline Llanos Hernandez, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, as the 2021 recipient of the Agnes Cooke Scholarship. Llanos Hernandez is a first-generation student at the University of Richmond where she studies journalism and serves as the investigative and multimedia editor at the independent student-run...
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Antionette V. Irving, Sheriff of the City of Richmond, Named Newsmaker of the Year by Virginia Professional Communicators Antionette V. Irving, Sheriff of the City of Richmond, has been named Virginia Professional Communicators Newsmaker of the Year, one of the organization’s top honors. The annual Virginia Professional Communicator’s Newsmaker Award is...
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Award-Winning Journalist and Community Activist Patty Kruszewski Receives Top Honor from State Communications Group Virginia Professional Communicators has named Kruszewski Communicator of Achievement for 2021 Richmond, Virginia — Patty Kruszewski, managing editor of the Henrico Citizen and safe driving activist, has received Virginia Professional Communicators’...
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Journalism, Law, Music, and Dance: A Visit with Bonnie Atwood By Terry Haycock Photos: Above: Bonnie with her publication and in 1966 as a chorus member of the Ice Capades. Meet Bonnie Atwood, editor of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine, a “one-stop source for non-partisan statewide political news.” Bonnie’s service to VCCQM goes back to 1998 when...
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Virginia Professional Communicators Name Sandra G. Treadway, Librarian of Virginia emerita, Newsmaker of the Year RICHMOND, Va. — Sandra G. Treadway, Librarian of Virginia emerita, has been named Virginia Professional Communicators’ 2024 Newsmaker of the Year, one of the organization’s top honors. The annual VPC Newsmaker Award is given to a nominee who has...
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By Terry Haycock, Secretary/Treasurer What exactly is PR, anyway? If you ask new member and communications strategist Kelly Vance, she says it’s a whole lot more than “just getting ink.” “PR is widely misunderstood, but it really is in the name. We help clients build relationships. Relationships are built on trust and trust all comes down to open...
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