Press Club of Toledo also announced a new scholarship named in memory of former Blade president and general manager Kurt G. Franck
Members of the media and public relations professionals gathered at The Valentine Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 for the Press Club of Toledo’s annual Touchstone Awards ceremony. Throughout the evening, guests paid their respects to media groundbreakers who had passed in 2024, celebrated the best in local journalism from the past year, honored leaders in the community and awarded scholarships to area journalism students.
Shaun Hegarty, investigative reporter with 13abc, served as master of ceremonies for the event.
The program began with a remembrance of several individuals who made an indelible mark on Toledo’s media landscape: Kurt G. Franck, former president and general manager of The Blade; Rico Neller, founder and editor of La Prensa, Ohio’s longest-running bilingual newspaper; Jim Weber, Toledo Mud Hens longtime play-by-play announcer; and W. Charles “Charlie Chuck” Welch, creator of The Juice FM 107.3 (WJUC), Ohio’s first radio station to be founded by an African American.
“While the Press Club takes this moment to recognize the considerable contributions Kurt, Rico, Jim and Chuck each made to the Toledo community,” said Press Club of Toledo Board President Stephanie Elton, “we can find comfort knowing that their legacies continue in newsrooms and recording studios across the Toledo region.”
Twenty-two Touchstone Awards were given throughout the evening across print, digital, television, radio, photojournalism, social media and public relations categories. This year’s award categories were judged by a panel of journalists and media professionals from the Denver and South Texas areas.
The Press Club also presented its Community Awards to four individuals who exemplify public service, dedication to the field of journalism and the principles of the Press Club. The 2024 Community Award honorees were Barbara Hendel, Ambrea Mikolajczyk, Debbie Monagan and Mark Zaborney.
The evening concluded with the Press Club announcing that one of its two scholarships had been renamed in honor of Kurt G. Franck.
“Kurt was a staunch advocate for journalism and an avid supporter of the Press Club of Toledo,” said Elton. “Naming a college scholarship in his honor is one way the Press Club can show its appreciation of Kurt and his contributions to journalism and to Toledo.”
The Kurt G. Franck and Bernard F. Judy Scholarships are awarded annually to students from The University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University who epitomize service and dedication to the profession of journalism. This year’s scholarship recipients are Autumn Vasquez, a media communications student at the University of Toledo and Allison McVicker, a journalism and photography student from Bowling Green State University.
The 2024 Touchstone Awards were supported in part by The Blade, Adams Street Publishing, Communica, Nuestra Gente Community Projects, Owens Corning, SSOE Group, the Toledo Free Press and media sponsor BCAN/BCSN.
2024 Touchstone Award Winners
- Digital/Print (Daily) Hard News: Melissa Burden and Luke Ramseth, The Blade
- Digital/Print (Daily) Feature: Maddie Coppel, The Blade
- Digital/Print (Daily) Sports: Andy Wolf, The Blade
- Digital/Print (Daily) Arts and Entertainment: Jason Webber, The Blade
- Digital/Print (Non Daily) Hard News: Leslie Anne Shore, MLiving News
- Digital/Print (Non Daily) Feature: Riley Runnels, MLiving News
- Digital/Print (Non Daily) Sports: Jason Buchanan, MLiving News
- Digital/Print (Non Daily) Arts and Entertainment: Tanner Wertz, MLiving News
- Photojournalism Videography: Philip Kaplan, The Blade
- Photojournalism Digital/Print: Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
- Radio Daily: Brad Cresswell, WGTE
- Radio Long Form: Mary Claire Murphy, WGTE
- Digital Video/Television Hard News: WTOL
- Digital Video/Television Feature: BCAN
- Digital Video/Television Sports: Joel Sebastianelli, BCSN
- Digital Video/Television Arts and Entertainment: Shane Potgieter, WGTE
- Use of Social Media: Thread Connected Marketing
- Blog/Website: Kendahl Plank, Destination Toledo
- Podcast: Chris Peiffer, WGTE
- Public Relations Campaign: Kelsey Rader, Toledo Lucas County Public Library
- Student Digital Video/Television: Autumn Vasquez, University of Toledo
- Student Digital/Print: Autumn Vasquez, University of Toledo
2024 Community Award Winners
- Barbara Hendel, society editor at The Blade, is the recipient of the Norm Cartwright Award, which is named after a founding member of the Press Club of Toledo and honors outstanding efforts to promote the Press Club’s principles.
- Ambrea Mikolajczyk, real estate developer and owner of ARK Restoration and Construction, is the recipient of the Contributor Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the community, specifically someone who has made a significant impact on the quality of life in Northwest Ohio over the past year.
- Debbie Monagan, president ex officio of Communica, is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the community in all aspects, including business, public service and philanthropy.
- Mark Zaborney, retired reporter from The Blade, is the recipient of the Golden Touchstone Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement in the field of journalism in Northwest Ohio.
2024 Scholarship Recipients
- Kurt G. Franck Scholarship: Autumn Vasquez, University of Toledo
- Bernard F. Judy Scholarship: Allison McVicker, Bowling Green State University
