The Press Club is proud to honor Dr. Romules Durant with a Touchstone Contributor Award. This award is given to a member of our community who has made a significant contribution to our region in the past year.

Dr. Romules Durant serves as the Superintendent and CEO of Toledo Public Schools, the fourth largest urban school district in the State of Ohio. On the afternoon March 12, Governor Mike DeWine announced the closure of all schools in the state of Ohio beginning on March 16. With just four days to plan, Dr. Durant made the decision to close the schools and pivot to a 100% learning environment. Realizing that TPS has more than 23,000 families, Dr. Durant established many innovative ways to continue to serve the students of TPS while removing barriers to learning. Some examples include using the school bus fleet to park in underserved areas for community use of Wi-Fi, distributing 8,000 Chromebooks to students who had no access to technology, leveraging partnerships to get internet access for students in need and providing grab and go breakfast and lunch daily for all children in need, not just TPS students.

As graduation approached, Dr. Durant expressed that it was important for him to do his best to make this year’s commencements memorable for the class of 2020. Not only did TPS host virtual graduations for all 10 high schools separately, they hosted 10 drive through graduations for families who were comfortable to come out and receive their diploma. Dr. Durant also learned of a graduate that would be deployed on the day of the drive through commencement, he decided to deliver the diploma to his home in a surprise pop-up at his home.

Aside from COVID related innovation, many other accomplishments occurred under Durant’s leadership in the 2019-20 school year.  TPS moved up a letter grade in the state report card, he has led and successfully passed two levy campaigns, opened Escuela Smart Academy- a bilingual school for students and the Aerospace and Natural Science Academy, Jones Leadership Academy of Business, two new STEMM Academies and established countless partnerships for the benefit, growth and development of TPS students.

Dr. Durant is a proud graduate of the Waite High School Class of 1994 and is truly TPS Proud.

The Press Club is proud to honor Wendi Huntley with a Touchstone Contributor Award. This award is given to a member of our community who has made a significant contribution to our region in the past year.

Wendi Huntley is the Executive Director of Connecting Kids to Meals, an organization that provides vital nutrition to children in our region.

On March 12, when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the temporary closure of all K-12 schools, the rug was pulled out from under many kids and families.

For many, lunches that are normally provided during in-person school days were the only meals they would receive all day. These kids count on eating at school.

Under Ms. Huntley’s leadership, Connecting Kids to Meals responded in this hour of need, providing food kits for kids to get them through remote school weeks. Approximately 5,000 students participated in weekend meal pick-ups each week.

The Press Club thanks Wendi Huntley for her contributions to this region.

The Press Club of Toledo is proud to honor Mary Alice Powell with a Golden Touchstone for her contribution to journalism in our region.

Ms. Powell’s career is marked by two qualities that rarely are seen together.  She was a trailblazer who also had a long career.

In other words, she spent 41 years as the Food Editor of The Blade…a job she created.  

Ms. Powell compiled and edited cookbooks, reviewed restaurants, produced food demonstration shows, and food fairs.  She worked without an assistant…any shopping, cooking, baking, plating, and staging was done by her as well.  Her writing ensured that food was part of the area’s conversation–not just as a necessity to life, but for its cultural, historic and aesthetic qualities as well.

Perhaps most importantly of all, though, is that she refers to her career as a “41-year love affair” with the readers of The Blade.

The Press Club thanks Mary Alice Powell for her years of outstanding work in the field of journalism.  She elevated the profession and we are proud to recognize her.

The Press Club of Toledo is proud to honor Dick Berry with a Golden Touchstone–an award given for a lifetime of excellence in journalism.

Dick Berry is well-deserving of this recognition. He spent 40 years as a reporter at WTOL and his work was an essential part of our region’s story over those four decades.

Mr. Berry won an Emmy for his coverage of the all-Ohio space shuttle crew.

In total, it is estimated that Dick Berry covered over 20,000 stories during his career.  It is hard to imagine any reporter covering a wider variety of stories than Mr. Berry did…ranging from roller coasters to a popular “Day Trippin'” series.  He interviewed Jerry Mather and covered the arrest of serial killer Alton Coleman on the same day.  And he is the only known member of the local media to appear on stage with Ozzy Osbourne.

On his retirement, his colleagues remarked on his professionalism and commitment to quality reporting.  The Press Club thanks Dick Berry for his many years of journalistic excellence.

The Press Club of Toledo is proud to announce that Robert “Bob” Savage Sr. has been awarded our 2020 Touchstone for Lifetime Achievement.

Bob Savage has made countless contributions to our region–in business, in public service, and in philanthropy.

Bob is Chairman Emeritus of Savage and Associates—and previously served as the company’s President and CEO for 28 years. 

He served as a member of Toledo City Council., as well Bob as a Trustee for The University of Toledo for 11 years and The University of Toledo Foundation for more than nine years.

Bob received the highest alumni award from the University of Toledo—The Gold T Award—in 2003, and the College of Business Administration and Innovation Pacemaker Award in 2010. He was the key organizer and leader in developing the Savage and Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement for the University’s College of Business. 

He and his wife Sue were awarded the Outstanding Philanthropists Award presented by the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in 2017.  The AFP cited the Imagination Station, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, and Toledo-area Christ Child Society as but a few of their philanthropic initiatives.

Congratulations to Bob, and thanks for so many years of service to our region.