Virginia Communications Professionals Honored At State and Local Level For Writing, Photography and More

 

Winners of Annual Communications Contest Announced

The National Federation of Press Women Professional Communications Contest honors communicators throughout the United States for their professional work during the previous year. The two-tiered contest is open to anyone over the age of 18 regardless of age, gender, professional status, or location.

The first tier of the contest is run at the state level, in this case Virginia Professional Communicators. First-place winners at the state level move on to the national contest.

VPC contest winners were honored during the group’s spring conference April 27.

“The winners were selected by 14 professional judges, whose expertise spans everything from poetry to media relations,” said Julie Campbell, VPC’s contest chair. “The judges evaluated 84 entries submitted by 20 contestants. Descriptions of the winning work included the adjectives ‘fascinating,’ ‘engaging,’ ‘relevant,’ ‘clever’ and ‘genuine.’”

The final results included the following 19 contestants with 66 winning entries:

Bonnie Atwood
Richmond, Virginia

• First place, Specialty Articles—History
• First place, Nonfiction Books for Adult Readers—Autobiography or Memoir
• Second place, Editorial/Opinion—Print-Based Newspaper

Nancy Wright Beasley
North Chesterfield, Virginia

• Second place, Public Service
• Second place, Brochures—Corporate or For-profit

Sunni Brown
Richmond, Virginia

• First place, News or Feature Release—Single Release
• First place, Media Pitch

Frances Broaddus-Crutchfield
Midlothian, Virginia

• Second place, Creative Verse—Single Poem

Paul Fletcher
Richmond, Virginia

• First place, Columns—Humorous
• Third place, Editorial/Opinion—Print-Based Newspaper

Audrey Hingley
Urbanna, Virginia

• Second place, Personality profile—More than 500 words

Mary Ann Hoyt
Millsboro, Delaware

• Third place, Nonfiction Books for Adult Readers—Humor

Cathy Jett
Fredericksburg, Virginia

• First place, Specialty Articles—Agriculture, agribusiness, aquaculture

Virginia Johnson
Fredericksburg, Virginia

• First place, Feature Story—Online Publication
• Third place, Specialty Articles—Food

Gail Benge Kent
Newport News, Virginia

• First place, Editorial/Opinion—Print-Based Newspaper
• Third place, Videos for Web—PR video promoting specific product or service

Patty Kruszewski
Richmond, Virginia

• First place, Specialty Articles—Physical health (fitness, diet, clean lifestyle)
• First place, Specialty Articles—Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion)
• First place, Feature Story—Print-Based Newspaper
• First place, Columns—Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial)
• Second place, Feature Story—Print-Based Newspaper
• Third place, Feature Story—Print-Based Newspaper
• Honorable mention, Feature Story—Print-Based Newspaper
• Honorable mention, Specialty Articles—Education

Kim Loehr
Richmond, Virginia

• First place, Graphics—Infographics
• Second place, Headlines
• Second place, Website Edited/Managed by Entrant—Nonprofit, Government, Educational

Louisa Preston
Manakin-Sabot, Virginia

• First place, Photographer-writer

Cynthia Price
Glen Allen, Virginia

• First place, Single photograph—News or feature photo
• First place, Audiovisuals
• Honorable mention, Blogs—Personal

Martha Steger
Midlothian, Virginia

• Sweepstakes Award for the most entries placing first, second or third
• First place, Creative Verse—Single Poem
• First place, Specialty Articles—Green/Environmental
• First place, Specialty Articles—Personal essay
• First place, Specialty Articles—Style (fashion, interior design, architecture, landscaping, home economics)
• Second place, Personality profile—500 words or fewer
• Second place, Specialty Articles—Arts and entertainment
• Second place, Specialty Articles—Food
• Second place, Specialty Articles—History
• Second place, Specialty Articles—Style (fashion, interior design, architecture, landscaping, home economics)
• Second place, Blogs—Nonprofit, Government or Educational
• Third place, Specialty Articles—Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion)
• Third place, Specialty Articles—Travel
• Third place, Feature Story—Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
• Honorable mention, Specialty Articles—Travel
• Honorable mention, Editorial/Opinion—Print-Based Newspaper

Marge Swayne
Prospect, Virginia

• Second place, Nonfiction Books for Adult Readers—Biography

Annie Tobey
Chesterfield, Virginia

• First place, Specialty Articles—Food
• First place, Specialty Articles—Hobby, crafts, building, designing, construction
• First place, Specialty Articles—Science or Technology
• First place, Publications Regularly Written by Entrant—Magazine/Magpaper
• Second place, Specialty Articles—Travel
• Second place, Columns—General
• Second place, Specialty Articles—Reviews (any subject, must express personal opinion)

Joan Tupponce
Glen Allen, Virginia

• First place, Feature Story—Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
• First place, Personality profile—More than 500 words
• First place, Specialty Articles—Travel
• First place, Columns—General
• Second place, Feature Story—Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
• Third place, Personality profile—More than 500 words
• Honorable mention, Feature Story—Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
• Honorable mention, Feature Story—Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
• Honorable mention, Personality profile—More than 500 words

Gwen Woolf
Spotsylvania, Virginia

• First place, Specialty Articles—Arts and entertainment
• Third place, Specialty Articles—Arts and entertainment

The winners of the national contest will be honored at the awards banquet on June 29 during the NFPW Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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