NETPA introduces new scholarship memorial

FAIRFIELD – A new scholarship memorial fundraiser honoring the late Suzanne Bardwell was unveiled at the North and East Texas Press Association 98th annual convention.

The memorial was announced by NETPA Chair Lange Svehlak and Cher Thompson during the group’s annual banquet and scholarship benefit auction. The memorial is symbolized by a coffee mug encased in a glass case. The mug, from Suzanne Bardwell’s collection of journalism-related coffee ware, bears the slogan “First Amendment Warrior.” All in attendance were invited to contribute to the initial memorial.

Also during the banquet, NETPA honored outgoing President Kim Ware, the Azle News, and longtime officer and supporter Cher Thompson with Sam Holloway Awards for outstanding service to the association and to the newspaper industry in East Texas. Rick Craig, Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel and Abigail Allen, Pilot Point Post-Signal, presented the awards.

The group also honored Gary Stallard of Lufkin, English instructor and sports information director for Angelina College, with the Tom Mooney Friend of the Newspaper Award. Greg Weatherbee, Lufkin Daily News, presented the award, outlining Stallard’s contributions to the Lufkin Daily News.

NETPA members enjoyed interacting with a group of students from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor, accompanied by their professor and student publications director Paul Carr. 

Given the opportunity to attend the collegiate convention later in April or the NETPA meeting, Carr said the students felt they would benefit more from interacting with professionals at the NETPA meeting.

The UMHB students also contributed to the Bardwell Memorial. During the auction, the students pooled their money to bid on two cases of soda from Dublin Bottling Works, a cane sugar product they said was like caviar in their home area. Others attending the banquet contributed cash to the students’ bids, bringing the final bid to a winning $300.

Phil and Lesa Major of the Wood County Monitor covered students’ bid in the scholarship fund and told the students to keep their $300 to cover some of their travel expenses. The students later donated a portion of the money to the memorial honoring Suzanne Bardwell, who was a state-recognized journalism teacher at both the high school and college level.

The students also participated in bingo games with the membership as well as general sessions. They answered many members’ questions about social media trends during the session on Social Media Success, presented by Austin Lewter of the Texas Center for Community Journalism.

Other sessions covered sales training, a roundtable discussion of revenue generating ideas, community service outreach and a headline writing contest. In addition, the group saw the PBS documentary about Laurie Ezzell-Brown and her family’s newspaper, the Canadian Record. A panel discussion followed.

NETPA Better Newspaper Contest Awards were presented at the closing luncheon. Sweepstakes winners were the Tyler Morning Telegraph in Division 1; the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel in Division 2; Cleburne Times-Review in Division 3; Pilot Point Post-Signal in Division 4; and the Dublin Citizen in Division 5.

Paul Gaudette of the Dublin Citizen was named Journalist of the Year and Brendon Marchand was named Photographer of the year.

The NETPA Winners’ Circle featuring all the winners is available online at netpa.org.

New officers serving NETPA in the coming year include Richard Nelson, The Media News, president; Abigail Allen, Pilot Point Post-Signal, first Vice President and convention chair; James Draper, Gladewater Mirror, second Vice President and contest chair; Wyndi Veigel-Gaudette, secretary-treasurer; and directors Lange Svehlak, Athens Daily News; Paul Gaudette, Dublin Citizen, Sam Houston, Hood County News; and Hugh Lewis, Jefferson Jimplecute. Greg Weatherbee, Lufkin Daily News, is sponsorship chair.

The NETPA will meet for its 99th annual convention April 9-11, 2026, in Pilot Point.