The Society of Professional Journalists has selected Brian Eckert to receive the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award for contributions to the SPJ Virginia Pro Chapter and SPJ’s Region 2 (the mid-Atlantic states).
Brian won the national award for SPJ chapters of fewer than 75 members, the society announced. The announcement noted:
Brian Eckert joined SPJ as a TV news director in 1987 and served as the SPJ Virginia Pro Chapter president in 2003-05, where he led the group to two Outstanding Professional Chapter of the Year awards. He also served as SPJ Region 2 director in 2009-13 and was twice named Regional Director of the Year. Eckert has been said to be the reason the Virginia Pro Chapter exists, as he recruited a slate of SPJ stalwarts to serve on the chapter’s board, scheduled organizational meetings and rebuilt the chapter from the ground up after it began to decline. The chapter now has more than 60 members and is growing.
Eckert, who previously served on the SPJ Executive Committee and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation Board, is currently serving as the chapter’s treasurer for the fifth time and is a trustee and executive director-treasurer of Virginia Pro’s SDX Educational Foundation. The Virginia Pro Chapter collected more than a dozen letters of recommendation and other testimonials about Brian’s service to SPJ.
Brian will be recognized at the SPJ2020 Journalism Conference, Sept. 12-13.
SPJVA Today 