The Press Club of Toledo is pleased to announce the 2022 Touchstone Award Winners.

In front of a sold-out crowd at the Valentine Theatre on Oct. 4, the Press Club of Toledo celebrated its 50th anniversary by recognizing community leaders, journalists, and public relations professionals.

Emcee Shaun Hegarty started the night with a moment of silence for Jeff McKinnis, stating, “We honor Jeff McGinnis, assignment editor of the Toledo City Paper, who passed away one week ago tonight. He was a nominee and winner of the Touchstone Awards, and he will be sorely missed.”

Candice Harrison, president of the Press Club of Toledo, shared the organization’s legacy and how she made history as the first Black president, stating, “The Press Club of Toledo has been honoring journalistic and community achievements since 1999. Tonight, we add a distinguished set of honorees to our terrific list.”

The Press Club of Toledo’s Board of Directors selects the Community Awards winners, and the recipients are as follows:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

The award that recognizes a lifetime’s worth of outstanding contributions to the community in all aspects, including business, public service, and philanthropy, was awarded to Mary Fedderke, vice president of development at the United Way of Greater Toledo, for her incomparable service to the Toledo non-profit community.

CONTRIBUTOR AWARD

This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the community, specifically someone who’s significantly impacted the quality of life in Northwest Ohio over the past year. It was awarded to Will Lucas, community champion and owner of Creadio and TolHouse, and Moussa Salloukh, community champion and owner of Souk Mediterranean Restaurant, for their contributions to the growth and development of the Toledo region and media impact in 2022.

NORM CARTWRIGHT AWARD

Named after a founding member of the Press Club of Toledo, this award honors outstanding efforts to promote the press club’s principles. It was awarded to Kurt Franck, president, general manager, and executive editor of The Blade.

TOUCHSTONE AWARDS

Winners for this year’s award categories were judged by journalists and media professionals from San Diego, and the winners are as follows:

Print-Daily

• Hard News – Luke Ramseth of The Blade
• Feature – Nicki Gorny of The Blade
• Sports – Mark Monroe of The Blade
• Arts & Entertainment – Jason Webber of The Blade

Print Non-Daily

• Hard News – Lila Waterfield of Toledo City Paper
• Feature – Mary Rose Kulczak of Toledo Area Parent
• Sports – Nathaniel Light of Toledo City Paper
• Arts & Entertainment – Dave Kubacki of Toledo City Paper

Photojournalism

• Videography – Mary Bilyeu and Phillip L. Kaplan of The Blade
• Print – Rebecca Benson of the Blade

Television

• Hard News – Brian Dugger, Kalie Marantette, Silas Tsang, and Eric Rerucha of WTOL 11
• Feature – Tiffany Tarpley of WTOL 11
• Sports – Justin Feldkamp of BCSN
• Arts & Entertainment – Allie Ray of BCAN

Radio

• Single report – Brad Cresswell of WGTE Public Media
• Show/Series – Brad Cresswell of WGTE Public Media
• Podcast – Qarie Marshall of WGTE Public Media

Best Use of Social Media

• Tim McMahon of BCAN

Best Use of Digital Media

• Kaitlin Durbin and Joe Landsberger of The Blade

Student Television

• Tiara Medley of The University of Toledo

Student Print

• BG Falcon Media

Student Social or Digital Media

• Falcon Radio and Music Industry Club

Best Public Relations Campaign

• Mallory Crooks of the Ability Center

Bernard F. Judy Scholarship

• Tiara Medley, The University of Toledo
• Nia Lambdin, Bowling Green State University

The Press Club of Toledo thanks its generous sponsors for supporting the Touchstone Awards and the future of journalism through the annual scholarship program that recognizes student journalists at the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University.

Touchstone Awards sponsors included: Buckeye Broadband/BCSN/BCAN, Chrys Peterson Consulting, Communica, WTOL 11, Imagination Station and SSOE.

About Press Club of Toledo
The Press Club of Toledo exists to promote the advancement of ethical journalism and to foster fellowship among representatives of the media and those they cover. The Press Club of Toledo has a diverse membership including journalists, reporters, anchors, writers, editors, media managers and public relations professionals. The Press Club of Toledo offers professional development opportunities, industry leaders and influencers access, in-person and online networking and members-only events. For more information or to donate, visit toledopressclub.com.

Thank you for supporting the Press Club of Toledo and the annual Touchstone Awards. Tickets are sold out for our Oct. 4 event! We look forward to celebrating the past year of local journalism and our community leaders at the Valentine Theatre.

Each year the Touchstone Awards provides an opportunity for the Press Club of Toledo to recognize community leaders in northwest Ohio.

During this special 50-year anniversary, the Press Club is excited to celebrate this year’s recipients at the 2022 Touchstone Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Valentine Theatre.

Please join us as we recognize:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

The award that recognizes a lifetime’s worth of outstanding contributions to the community in all aspects to include business, public service, and philanthropy, is being awarded to:

Mary Fedderke, vice president of development at the United Way of Greater Toledo, for her incomparable service to the Toledo non-profit community.

CONTRIBUTOR AWARD

This award that recognizes outstanding contributions to the community, specifically someone who’s made a significant impact on the quality of life in Northwest Ohio over the past year, is being awarded to:

Will Lucas, community champion and owner of Creadio and TolHouse, and Moussa Salloukh, community champion and owner of SoukMediterranean Restaurant, for their contributions to the growth and development of the Toledo region and media impact in 2022.

NORM CARTWRIGHT AWARD

Named after a founding member of the Press Club of Toledo, this award honors outstanding efforts to promote the press club’s principles. It is being awarded to:

Kurt Franck, president, general manager and executive editor of The Blade.

Get your tickets today to celebrate these community leaders and the achievements of local journalists during the past year!

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for cocktails and networking and the program begins at 7 p.m. Parking is included with your ticket purchase. See you at the Touchstones!

The Press Club of Toledo will celebrate our 50-year anniversary and recognize the achievements of local journalists and community leaders in northwest Ohio.

Please join us for the 24th annual Touchstone Awards Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 at The Valentine Theater, 410 Adams St. in downtown Toledo.