NETPA celebrates 93rd convention in Tyler

Sales training, contest awards, fellowship and fun were all on tap when the North and East Texas Press Association hosted its annual conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tyler April 4-6.
The conference featured sales training by Ryan Dohrn in an all-day seminar on Friday. In addition, Lou Ann Sornson with Metro Creative Graphics shared new products to improve sales and ad content. 
Several special awards and recognitions were presented at the conference. Metro Regional Sales Manager Lou Ann Sornson received the Tom Mooney Memorial Friend of the Newspaper Award in recognition of her years of dedication and friendship to the association and to the newspaper industry. Nelson Clyde, former publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, received the Sam C. Holloway Award for lifetime achievement in the newspaper industry. NETPA also recognized Jessica and Bill Woodall, former owners of Bluebonnet Publishing, for their service to the newspaper industry and NETPA. 
NETPA Better Newspaper Contest awards were presented in five divisions and 13 categories, plus special recognitions for community service, journalist of the year and photographer of the year. Sweepstakes award winners were Tyler Morning Telegraph, Hood County News, The Gladewater Mirror, The Sachse News and The Farmersville Times. Results are available in the Winners Circle on the NETPA website, http://www.netpa.us/winners-circle/2019-newspaper-contest-winners/.
Attendees enjoyed spending time with fellow journalists while raising funds for scholarships. At each convention, NETPA raises money with bingo games and a live auction, including the “Robert Burns Memorial Bag of Air,” named for a long-time corporate supporter of the NETPA and TPA. This year, 15 individuals contributed to the total $1,920 raised for the bag of air, bringing the auction’s grand total up to $3,400.
This year’s high school scholarship recipient is Maddie Smith, an intern with C&S Media Publications who attends Wylie East High School. She plans to major in photojournalism once graduating from high school. The collegiate scholarship winner is Nicole Hawkins, a student at Texas Christian University.
Brad Blakemore of Van Zandt Newspapers won first place and Lange Svehlak of Athens Daily Review won second place in the annual NETPA golf tournament. The teams donated their winnings back to the association.
New NETPA officers and directors for 2019-20 include Rick Craig, chairman; Blakemore, president; Wyndi Veigel, vice president; Dan Moore, second vice president; Cher Thompson, secretary-treasurer; and directors Jake Mienk, Lange Svehlak, Kim Ware and Jim Bardwell. Moore and Blakemore will chair the finance committee and Suzanne Bardwell chairs the scholarship committee. Karen Wissing, SWEPCO, serves as corporate sponsor director.