SPJVA presidents and honorees

Here are the journalists who have served as president of our chapter since its founding:

1958-59 — Gerald Gammon
1959-60 — Ed O. Meyer
1960-61 — John Leard
1961-62 — Overton Jones
1962-63 — Larry Gould
1963-64 — Alf Goodykoontz
1964-65 — John Gunn
1965-66 — Omar Mardan
1966-67 — Ross Weeks Jr.
1967-68 — Ed Grimsley
1968-69 — Hugh Robertson
1969-70 — Max Ailor
1970-71 — Tyler Whitley
1971-72 — Wayne Farrar
1972-73 — Norm Coder
1973-74 — Bob Gallimore
1974-75 — Norm Beatty
1975-76 — Marv Garrette
1976-77 — George Crutchfield
1977-78 — Steve Row
1978-79 — Dave Chapin
1979-80 — Kathy Fair
1980-81 — Tom Howard
1981-82 — Jay Pace
1982-83 — Wilford Kale
1983-84 — Ben Kent
1984-85 — Clissa England
1985-86 — James A. Mann
1986-87 — Mary Anne Pikrone
1987-88 — Will Molineux
1988-89 — June Nicholson
1989-90 — W. S. “Steve” Richardson
1990-91 — Bruce Potter
1991-92 — Nancy Moore
1992-93 — John Dillon
1993-94 — Jane Zemel
1994-95 — Dorothy Abernathy
1995-96 — Greg Gilligan
1996-97 — Gail Gilmore
1997-99 — Anna Billingsley
1999-00 — Tom Silvestri
2000-02 — Louise Seals
2002-03 — Laura Fortunato
2003-05 — Brian Eckert
2005-07 — Paula Otto
2007-09 — Jason Roop
2009-11 — Nicole McMullin
2011-13 — Paul Fletcher
2013-15 — Patrick Kane
2015-17 — Robyn Sidersky
2017-19 — Vacant
2019-21 — Jeff South
2021-present — Dina Weinstein

The SPJ Virginia Pro Chapter has periodically given its Distinguished Service Award to a member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Here are the recipients of that award:

1982Ed Young, retired news editor, The Associated Press
1984George Bowles, chief of the Capitol bureau, Virginia News Network
1987Omar Mardan, retired assistant managing editor, Richmond Times-Dispatch
1988James P. McKnight, city editor, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg
1997James A. Mann, assistant managing editor, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg
1998George N. Gill, retired publisher of the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal;
David M. Clinger, managing partner of The Public Relations Council;
Stephen Guback Jr., former sportswriter, The Washington Evening Star;
and Harry L. Smith, special assistant for public information and publications for the Virginia Department of Education
2000Wilma Wirt, journalism professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Mass Communications
2001Ben Kent, retired wire editor, The Richmond News Leader
2006Steve Richardson, president, Bill’s Barbecue, and former reporter
2009Wilford Kale, former bureau chief and senior writer, Richmond Times-Dispatch and Virginia Marine Resources Commission (retired)       
2010George Crutchfield, retired director, VCU School of Mass Communications, and Francine Crutchfield — both longtime supporters of the chapter and its educational fund
2013Brian Eckert, executive director, Communications and Public Affairs, Washington and Lee University
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