Grady College names 2025 fellowship inductees

Grady College is proud to announce the class of 2025 Fellowship inductees: Malena Cunningham Anderson (ABJ ’80), David Chandley (ABJ ’84), Bill Crane (ABJ ’84), Sanders Hickey and Parker Middleton (Ph.D. ‘ 00, MFA ’21). Eric Baker (ABJ ’90) will also be inducted into the Grady Fellowship as the recipient of the John Holliman Lifetime Achievement Award.

Established in 2008, the Grady Fellowship honors friends of the college whose accomplishments, friendship and service to the industries they serve have made a positive impact on Grady College.

The Fellows will be inducted and recognized along with the 2025 Alumni Award recipients during the annual Grady Salutes luncheon on Friday, April 25.

Malena Cunningham Anderson (ABJ ’80) is an Emmy-award winning television news anchor and reporter. She began her career working behind the scenes at CNN in Atlanta in 1982 and went on to work as a reporter in Lexington, Kentucky and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Malena later became a 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. weekday news co-anchor in Savannah, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. While working in Birmingham, Anderson won the Edward R. Murrow award, the National Association of Black Journalists Award of Excellence and the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists Excellence Award. Since retiring from a 23-year career in television news, Anderson founded Strategic Media Relations, started the award-winning Newslady Productions and began her career in acting. In addition to her professional career, Anderson is also a life-time member of the National Association of Black Journalists, the International Documentary Association, Women in Film &Television and multiple other organizations.

David Chandley (ABJ ’84) is the FOX 5 Storm Team chief meteorologist. Since joining the team in 2015, Chandley delivers the forecast at 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. every weeknight. Chandley holds the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation from the American Meteorological Society, which is the highest mark of distinction and recognition available in broadcast meteorology. Additionally, he is an 11-time Southeast Emmy Award recipient and 13-time Associated Press Best Weather Reporting Award recipient. In addition to his professional career, Chandley is a DoorHolder at Passion City Church and has worked with numerous Atlanta organizations including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Gwinnett County Schools and multiple others.

Bill Crane (ABJ ’84) is nearing 30 years as a senior communications strategist. He began his career in broadcasting, later serving in senior communications staff positions under Georgia’s Gold Dome as well as on Capitol Hill, working for two U.S. Senators and one Governor, in both major political parties. He opened his own firm, CSI Crane, LLC, in 2009, providing a full-range of marketing, public affairs and communications services to individuals and corporations. Crane specializes in crisis management, corporate reputation and executive visibility, as well as communications and governmental challenges of highly regulated industries.

Sanders Hickey is a 51-year broadcast veteran, having successfully owned and/or managed nearly 23 radio stations in Georgia, Texas, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina. He is a managing partner of the Brunswick, Georgia-based Golden Isles Broadcasting, LLC, which owns and operates four FM Radio stations; and the Huntsville, Texas-based HEH Communications, LLC, licensee of four radio stations, serving Huntsville and suburban North Houston, Texas. During his career, Hickey has served as the president and chief operating officer of Southern Broadcasting Companies, Inc. and as the southeastern regional vice president of Radio Station Services for the Arbitron Company. In addition to his professional career, Hickey was instrumental in establishing the GAB’s Radio Talent Institute held annually at the Grady College. Hickey served as the board chair of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters (1997-1998), and he continues to serve on the board in an emeritus capacity. Additionally, Hickey is a 2019 inductee into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame, a 2020 inductee into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and Founder of the Friends of Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.

Parker Middleton (Ph.D. ’00, MFA ’21) came to the University of Georgia in 1991 after a career in advertising and public relations marked by award-winning work for local, regional and international clients in Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. While at the University of Georgia, Middleton served as a decorated teacher, founding associate director of the Writing Intensive Program in Franklin College, director of Grady’s undergraduate advising and admissions programs, senior director of development of Grady’s philanthropic program and creator of Career Explorations in Journalism and Mass Communication course that Middleton developed and co-taught with Dean Charles Davis featuring alumni talent. Middleton has developed many legacy programs at Grady and mentored countless students prior to stepping down in 2021 to devote herself to writing screenplays and advocating for non-profit causes. She is a grateful champion of all things Grady and its alumni, whom she is honored to count herself among.

Eric Baker (ABJ ’90) is the senior creative director on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic™ at Universal’s Epic Universe™. His career spans almost three decades and includes not only multi award-winning theme park worlds at Universal Creative and Disney World, but also more than 20 years in film and television production. In addition to his work managing the props teams for Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade™ and The Wizard World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley™, Baker has also served as creative director for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He has won numerous Themed Entertainment Association Awards for his work. He graduated with a degree in telecom arts from Grady College in 1990.

Sponsorship information and reservations to Grady Salutes can be found at https://gail.uga.edu/events/jrnl/grady-salutes-2025.

Author: Lauren A. Pike, lauren.pike@uga.edu