STPA members honor past presidents, contest winners

CORPUS CHRISTI — Honors, contest awards and informational sessions were on the agenda when the South Texas Press Association gathered for the group’s 96th annual convention.
Speakers included Bradley Wilson, associate professor at Midwestern State University, where he teaches reporting and mass communication classes; and Robert Muilenburg, associate professor of journalism at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. They gave sessions on photography and working with student and young reporters.
STPA members also enjoyed a program by Greg Stunz, also known as “the Shark Guy.” Stunz is professor of marine biology and is director of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
During the awards program, the group honored Sue Brown with the Red Gibson Award, formerly known as the Friend of STPA award. Active in the regional press association for many years, Brown served in many capacities, including as president in 2002-03, during her award-winning career with the Pleasanton Express. As a staff member of the Texas Press Association, Brown continues her involvement with STPA and the other regional groups.
STPA honored two more past presidents - Bud and Sarah Buckner - with the Chester Evans Award for longtime and dedicated service to STPA. Bud Buckner served as president in 1976-77 when he was with the Uvade Leader-News and Sarah was president in 1992-93, after the couple purchased the Llano News.
Bud Buckner grew up in the newspaper business in San Marcos, where his family owned and operated the San Marcos Record and the Daily Record for more than 60 years. He attended the University of Texas and has a journalism degree from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, now known as Texas State University.
He and the former Sarah Jane Haby of Uvalde married in 1956.
He continued to work with the Record as a student and after serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he took over as advertising director in 1959 and assumed the same position when the newspaper went daily in 1973.
After his family sold the Record in 1975, Bud was hired as news editor and associate publisher of the Uvalde Leader-News in 1976.
In 1983, the couple purchased the Llano News from Hal and Hazel Cunningham and moved to Llano.
Bud has been active in all areas of small-town newspapers: advertising, news reporting, editorial writing and photography. He especially enjoys editorial writing and sports photography.
In addition to STPA, Bud has been active as an officer and director of the Texas Press Association. He attended his first TPA meeting with his parents in 1932, when he was only six months old. His father Walter Buckner served as TPA president in 1939.
Results of the 2022 STPA newspaper contest were also announced at the convention. Sweepstakes winners were the Frio-Nueces Current in Division 1 for small weeklies; The Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post in Division 2 for large weeklies; and the Uvalde Leader-News in Division 3 for semiweeklies. Full contest results are available on the TPA website under News and Events/Texas Press Messenger and by clicking here.
New officers installed for the regional group include Board Chairman Manuel Azocar III, Frio-Nueces Current, Pearsall; President Melissa Perner, Ozona Stockman; First Vice President Rhonda Chancellor, Pleasanton Express; Second Vice President Terry Fitzwater, Kingsville Record; and Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Berger, Hondo Anvil Herald. Assistants to the president are Mary Judson, Port Aransas South Jetty, and Larry Jackson, Fayette County Record, La Grange (Ret.)
STPA will meet for their 97th annual convention April 20-22, 2023 in Boerne.