Join the Press Club of Toledo for the first of several planned mixers on Thursday, May 12.
Come mix and mingle with the Press Club at The Alleyway, 28 N. Erie St. from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Press Club mixer events are a great opportunity to mingle with media, public relations and marketing professionals and learn more about what the Press Club does for the community.
Additional mixers are planned for 2022. Mark your calendar now to join us Thursday, Aug. 4 from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. for a public event at Toledo Spirits, 1301 N. Summit St., and Thursday, Nov. 10 from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. for a members only event at Tolhouse, 1447 N. Summit St.
Candice Harrison was inducted as the first Black president of the Press Club of Toledo at the board’s February meeting.
Harrison, who has served as external communications manager for Toledo Public Schools since 2017, recently announced she will soon begin a new career journey as corporate director of diversity, equity and inclusion with SSOE Group.
Harrison also is the owner of Synergy Engagement, a strategic communications, public relations, and engagement firm, and is a communication instructor at The University of Toledo. A communications leader in the Toledo community, Harrison has previously led communication efforts at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Zoo and The University of Toledo Medical Center.
In addition to the Press Club of Toledo Board of Directors, she currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Rotary Club of Toledo and the Arts Commission. She is also a member of the Toledo chapter of Links, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Toledo chapter of Jack and Jill of America, where she serves as vice president.
The 2021 Touchstone Awards were held virtually on October 21. More than 80 people attended to celebrate the best in community service and local journalism. We thank Dr. Nicole Kraft for a thought-provoking keynote address! You can watch a quick summary of the event or enjoy the entire event! Congratulations to all the winners!
Touchstone Winners
Touchstone Contributor Award Meg Ressner & Richard Hylant
Touchstone Lifetime Award The Lavalley Family
Touchstone Lifetime Award Billie Johnson
Golden Touchstone Award Rhonda Sewell
Golden Touchstone Award Fletcher Word
Norm Cartwright Award Ron Royhab
Print Daily – Hard News Sarah Elms, Brooks Sutherland and Danielle Gamble, The Blade
Print Daily – Feature Mary Bilyeu, The Blade
Photojournalism – Videography JD Pooley
Photojournalism – Print Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
Television – Hard News WTVG 13 ABC
Television – Feature Eric Oblander, BCAN
Radio – Show/Series Deepa Bhujbal
Podcast Kaitlin Durbin and Phillip Kaplan, The Blade
Social Media BCAN Pulse
Student – Television Spring 2021 UT:10 Crew, The University of Toledo
Student – Print Riley Runnells, Ohio University
Scholarship Winners Caleb Gill, The University of Toledo Ryan Dick, Bowling Green State University
The LaValley Foundation is a private charitable
foundation established in 1993 by Richard G. LaValley and his wife Mary Ann
LaValley. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has provided scholarships and made
donations, mainly focusing on education and catholic interests throughout our
community inspired by Richard and Mary Ann’s faith-based life and legacy.
Since their passing, their seven children have
continued their mission within the LaValley Foundation. The Foundation generously
continues to help many community organizations, schools, and faith-based
interests, financially and through their volunteer time and leadership.
Due to public health recommendations related to indoor events, we have decided to move the Touchstone awards to a virtual format. They will be held on October 21, at 7 pm, and will be free for members and non-members alike. RSVP to pressclub@bex.net for login instructions
We are happy to announce that Meg Ressner and Richard Hylant are being honored with Touchstone Contributor Awards for their work bringing the Solheim Cup to Toledo.
Meg Ressner and Richard Hylant
Meg Ressner
Meg Ressner specializes in leading initiatives that optimize organizational performance. From Human Resources, Sales, Customer Service, to Supply Chain Operations, she has a proven track record helping both for-profit and nonprofit organizations achieve and exceed their objectives.
Meg is a recognized change leader with
experience in organizational re-design, strategic planning, succession
planning, complex project implementations and process re-engineering … all centered
around the integration of people, process and technology.
Meg formerly held the position of vice
president, Human Resources Enterprise Organizations at Owens Corning. She was a
member of the Global HR Executive Team, reporting to the Senior Vice President
of Human Resources. Prior to that, Meg
served as vice president of HR for the Composites business, a 1 billion dollar
division of Owens Corning.
Meg earned her
undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Rhode Island in 1981.
Meg and her husband Dick met in Chicago and relocated with Owens Corning to Toledo in 1989. They fell hard for Toledo, in part because they knew they could have a real impact here. Together they support youth initiatives such as the Growing Futures Together project and the Western Golf Association Evans Scholar’s Foundation for young golf caddies. Making a difference in the community is important to Meg. She previously served on the Owens Corning Foundation, the Board of David’s House Compassion, the Arts Commission Board and as Chair of the Women’s Initiative of the United Way. Through December 2020, she served as President of the ProMedica Metro Foundation Board and as Chair of Avenues for Autism. She remains active in the autism community as an advocate and participant in the Autism Provider Network of Northwest Ohio and served as the Volunteer Co-Chair for the 2021 Solheim Cup.
Richard Hylant
As President of Sales and Innovation, Richard oversees the recruitment and development of new and existing client executives in partnership with each of Hylant’s offices. In addition, he supports strategic sales, the PE/MA team and Hylant Global Captive Solutions. Hylant joined a group of privately-owned peer brokers in a technology fund called Broker-Tech Ventures, and he is working with the Hylant IT team in support.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Hylant Board of Directors, & principal owner, Richard also works with the core team and office heads to assess potential acquisitions, industry focused teams; and targeted individuals to build out sales & support services for all Hylant offices.
Prior to current duties, Richard was a client executive for several years, sales manager and President of Hylant –Toledo. He has also had oversight of IT, marketing, carrier contracts and relationships, Hylant Administrative Services, Chicago and several other operations within Hylant.
Richard has served on several community boards and has led multiple fund-raising campaigns. He was an Ohio Cancer Research honoree (2007), a United Way board member and 2009 campaign chair, a Toledo Club board chair (2009), a March of Dimes campaign chair (2021), & a Marathon Classic board chair (2013 & 2014). In addition, he served as the Chamber of Commerce Board Chair (2015 & 2016), was a 10-year trustee for the Ohio Nature Conservancy, past trustee for ProMedica Health System, & ConnecToledo. Richard is currently a MetroParks Toledo Foundation board vice-chair and a Governor DeWine appointee representing Ohio for the Great Lakes Protection Fund & Ohio Lake Erie Commission.
He chaired Inverness Club’s successful bid for the 2021 Solheim Cup, the LPGA’s largest event, on behalf of the community and is currently co-chair of the event which is expected to draw over 150,00 local and international spectators.
Richard was a six-year board member for the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, the industry’s largest trade organization, and was active in Washington, D.C. on several issues affecting customers and brokers. He also served on many insurance company advisory boards.
The 2021 Touchstone Awards are coming up on October 21. We’ll reveal the winners of our journalism awards that night, but we are happy to begin announcing the community winners now.
We are pleased to announce that we are honoring Fletcher Word with the Golden Touchstone for lifetime service to journalism and communications.
Due to public health recommendations related to indoor events, we have decided to move the Touchstone awards to a virtual format. They will be held on October 21, at 7 pm, and will be free for members and non-members alike. RSVP to pressclub@bex.net for login instructions
Fletcher Word
Fletcher Word is the owner and publisher of The Sojourner’s Truth, a weekly newspaper that serves the northwest Ohio area and brings its readers information about the local, state and national African-American community.
The Truth has been publishing in Toledo for 20 years and has
expanded its readership during that time to over 70,000.
In 2008 the newspaper opened The Truth Art Gallery in its
offices in the downtown area. The 2,000 square-foot gallery features the works
of local and African artists.
The father of two, Fletcher Word has been a resident of Ohio
for more than 35 years.
Fletcher Word is a native of New York City and was reared in
the Washington, D.C. area. He attended Harvard College graduating with a degree
in government.
He currently serves on the boards of the Toledo Urban Federal
Credit Union and the Center of Hope Family Services.
In addition to his duties with The Truth, Word is also a
frequent contributor on local television shows as a political analyst.
