Tag: Grady Salutes

Alumni Award Profile: George L. Daniels (MA ’99, PhD ’02)

Posted on by Jackson Schroeder

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

  • Group picture from 2001 of the research assistants in the Cox International Center, where Daniels worked as a graduate research associate.


Congratulations to George L. Daniels (MA ’99, PhD ’02), recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. 

Daniels is an associate professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of Journalism and Creative Media at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is also currently the president of the Alabama Communication Association and serves as the Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion for the Broadcast Education Association.

Recently, he received the U.S./U.K. Fulbright Global Challenge Teaching Award for Racial Justice. He’s the co-editor of “Teaching Race: Struggles, Strategies and Scholarship for the Mass Communication Classroom.” 

Daniels is currently completing his first sole-authored book entitled “Barrier Breakers: Media Educators Meeting the Diversity Challenge Across the Decades.”

Previously, Daniels worked for eight years as a local television news producer in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and then in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Atlanta.

Following are answers from an interview with Daniels, which have been edited for length and clarity.

Grady College: What experience during your time at Grady College had the biggest influence on where you are today?

In March 2023, Daniels joined two of his students in his Spring 2023 service learning class in presenting a panel at the Discerning Diverse Voices Symposium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

George L. Daniels: By far, the experiences as a graduate research associate in two of Grady’s research projects have had the biggest influence on where I am today. As a master’s student, I was fortunate to be the research associate in the Michael J. Faherty Broadcast Management Laboratory.

When I arrived in 1997, the lab was just in its second year of operation. I learned how to do research projects by being directly involved in them. Additionally, the lab was tied to my teaching media management and programming course in what was then the Department of Telecommunications. 

After completing my master’s degree, as a Ph.D. student, I was given a graduate research assistant assignment in the Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research. Working for two years in the Cox International Center, I assisted with the Annual Surveys for Mass Communication Enrollments and Graduates. This placed me on the team to not only do data collection, but also participate in the presentations at national conferences. Even though the national surveys have moved to another institution, the reports we produced as a research team are still ones to which I refer in my research today. 

GC: What skills and/or values and/or circumstances do you attribute to your success?

GD: The three skills or values that I most attribute to my success are, one, research project development, two, team leadership and, three, understanding higher education. 

Thanks to the research assistant roles, I gained valuable knowledge as a Grady graduate student on how to put together a research project and use whatever method best answers my question. 

The second skill/value would be team leadership. Over the years, I’ve found myself in leadership roles and draw on the skills I learned in the television news industry and in graduate school to influence others to follow my direction. 

Last but not least, I developed skills in understanding the arena of academe. This is quite different from the television news industry, where I worked for eight years. Not all higher education institutions have the same mission, and the dynamics of committees and departments differ. 

GC: What advice do you have for today’s Grady College students?

GD: Take advantage of the Grady alumni network. There are so many of us everywhere.  We’re working in all areas of the mass media and journalism and mass communication education.  Don’t take for granted the top-notch learning facilities and world class faculty you find in Grady College. It’s second to none. Appreciate it and know that with that opportunity comes an expectation to excel when you graduate. There is nothing you can’t accomplish as a Grady graduate.   

GC: What advice do you have for today’s young professionals?

GD: Be flexible and teachable. Even though you have all of your training from Grady, our media workplaces are changing so rapidly, one has to be in a posture of readiness to adapt quickly to change. 

GC: What do you miss the most about being at UGA?

GD: I miss many of the people with whom I worked and lived there in Athens. Except for my first year as a master’s student, I spent four of the five years in the master’s and Ph.D. programs living on campus. I was there around-the-clock and struck up so many informal conversations in the graduate student carrels of Grady or in the Main Library. I have fond memories of the Bible study groups on Friday night and the outreach to schools in the Clarke County School District. At UGA, we were truly a part of a much larger community than our own campus.

GC: What does this recognition mean to you?

GD: While I have been blessed to receive many research and teaching awards over the years, this recognition by Grady College is the highest honor I’ve received as a scholar.   

Yes, I am the recipient most recently of an award from the U.S./U.K. Fulbright Commission. But, even a Fulbright award pales in comparison to one from my beloved Grady College. It means you view what I’ve become is worthy of recognition. It means what I’ve done so far in my research, teaching and professional leadership is on the right track—representing the highest standard of quality that comes with being a production of the Grady College.  

GC: What motivates you?

GD: Of course, first and foremost, my actions are directly by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God put me on this earth to make a difference with every encounter, activity, project or accomplishment. Thus, I am motivated by the knowledge that I’m always fulfilling a God-given purpose.  

I’m using my spiritual gift of teaching in an awesome way. I know that God so ordained and directed my steps to the Atlanta Metro area where, in the late 1990s, I discovered Grady College while working in the television news arena. 

GC: Are there any books or podcasts that you would recommend to our students?

GD: Definitely every Grady student must read “In My Place” by Charlayne Hunter-Gault. As a master’s student in my first year, I read that 1992 book by the woman who was one of the two students to integrate the University of Georgia.

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.  

Fellowship Profile: Susan Percy

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

Congratulations to Susan Percy (ABJ ’66) who has been named to this year’s class of Grady Fellowship inductees.

Percy is a journalist based in Atlanta and although she is now retired, she spent several years at Georgia Trend Magazine, serving 12 years as executive editor and editor and eight years as editor-at-large. She wrote an award-winning monthly opinion column for more than 20 years and remains a regular contributor.

Her work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Alliance of Area Business Publications, the Atlanta Press Club, and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. She was inducted into the MAGS Hall of Fame in 2008 for her contributions to magazine journalism.

Susan Percy interviews Jimmy Carter.
Susan Percy has interviewed many public figures throughout her career including President Jimmy Carter. (Photo: courtesy of Susan Percy)

Prior to Georgia Trend, she spent eight years at Atlanta Magazine as senior editor and managing editor and worked a brief time as managing editor of Arthritis Today. She has worked for newspapers in Louisiana and California, and her freelance work has appeared in numerous publications including USA Today, The Reader’s Digest and Georgia Magazine.

Percy has served on the Grady Alumni Board, and is a member of the Atlanta Press Club and the Emory University Ethics Center Media Advisory Council.

She was married to the late author Paul Hemphill who served as a Grady Journalist-in-Residence in the early 1970s. She lives in Decatur, conveniently close to her daughter, Martha Hemphill Barbieri, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Some of Percy’s writing can be found on her website.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Percy which have been minimally edited for length and clarity.

Grady College: What experience at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your career?

 Susan Percy: The whole package. The combination of classes and professors and opportunities, including working on the Red & Black, which was under Grady’s auspices when I was there, but is an independent publication now. I learned how to be a journalist, and even though the profession has changed in ways I could never have imagined, the basic writing, reporting, and interviewing skills I developed and refined taught me to think like a journalist and provided the foundation for accommodating and adapting to the changes—and, in many cases, welcoming them.

When I started college, the conventional wisdom was that young women, whatever their course of study, should get a teaching certificate, “just in case,” even if you weren’t interested in being a teacher. But I never heard that at Grady. I was treated as a serious journalist from Day One and encouraged and supported in my choice of a profession.

GC: What advice do you have for today’s Grady College students?

Susan Percy wrote a feature about the Peabody Awards for Georgia Trend in 2016 and covered the awards ceremony in New York. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

SP: Take advantage of everything that is here. You may never again have such ready access to so many opportunities—publications, labs, technology, innovative projects, mentorships, internships, and dedicated faculty members and fellow students to advise and support you.

Embrace the diversity and inclusion that is now part of Grady and will continue to be; it is enriching the offerings and areas of study available to you as well as the journalism profession itself.

Take a risk. Try something that intimidates you a little and draw on all the people who are ready to help you.

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

SP: Breathe. Benefit from and learn from all your professional experiences, but try to take the long view, as well. Throughout your career, you will have some disappointments and setbacks. That’s part of it. Even your dream job will have some tough days, but don’t give up and don’t doubt yourself. If you need to make a change, in your job or your career trajectory or even the way you approach your work, do it thoughtfully and gracefully.

GC: What does this recognition mean to you?

SP: It is the most significant—and surprising—professional honor I have ever had.

I have been a working journalist, with a couple of brief detours, for more than 50 years; and I am happy to say I am not done yet. I am still working. I have had an interesting and varied career, with ups and downs and some successes. But I am not a big name. I’ve never won a Pulitzer. I’ve never owned a publication or a media company. I’ve always answered to someone else.

I think there are a lot of working journalists like me—we work hard, but we don’t call all the shots. We care about what we are doing. We do it with dedication and resolve and integrity; we believe our work is important. Yet there are times when we wonder if it matters, if anyone notices.  This recognition from Grady tells me that it does matter, that people notice the effort that so many journalists make. That every fact you triple-check, every word choice you agonize over, every extra effort you make is important. And it does count.

I am very grateful to Grady College for this honor.

GC: What motivates you?

SP: I’ve reached the age where I should probably be knitting afghans or baking cookies for my grandchildren, but I value the opportunity to continue to do the work I love—at a slower pace, perhaps.

I believe the work of journalists and communicators is more important than ever. The changes that have come to our profession have been both challenging and exciting; but the work we do is crucial. And it is so important for us to do it well, to use all the resources we have to communicate with accuracy, honesty, intelligence, and integrity. And to enjoy doing it.

Susan Percy shows her College spirit for the Grady College Centennial celebration in 2015, while Dean John Drewry looks on from a framed portrait. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.  

 

New Grady Fellowship inductees announced; Dean’s Medal to be awarded

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College proudly announces four honorees who will be inducted into the Grady Fellowship this year.

Grady Fellowship honorees for 2023 include:

  • Regina Hicks (ABJ ’85, MFA ’90)
  • Robin Hommel (ABJ ’96)
  • Susan Percy (ABJ ’66)
  • Randy Travis (ABJ ’82)

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 2023 recipient of the John Holliman Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award, Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ’79), will be inducted into the Fellowship, as well.

Caroline Edwards (ABJ ’12), a U.S. Capitol police officer who responded to the Jan. 6 attacks, has been named the Dean’s Medal for Leadership Excellence recipient, the College’s highest honor.

Private First Class Officer Caroline Edwards, a public relations major and current U.S. Capitol Police Officer, will be awarded the Dean’s Medal at Grady Salutes.

The induction of Fellows and recognition of Edwards takes place along with the presentation of 2023 Alumni Awards on April 28 at Grady Salutes.

Grady College looks forward to celebrating the Fellowship inductees:

Regina Hicks has spent her career writing for television. She is currently an executive producer and showrunner for “The Upshaws,” a sitcom on Netflix that she created. She is also a writer and co-executive producer of “The LWord – Next Generation” on Showtime, and “Insecure,” on HBO. Other writing credits include “The Mayor,” “Marlon,” Girlfriends,” and several made-for-TV movies including Jump In and Camp Rock for the Disney Channel.

Robin Hommel is a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and showrunner whose career spans network news, daytime talk and primetime programming. She currently serves as the executive broadcast producer of the ABC News daytime talk show, “The View,” where she has worked since 2015. Prior to “The View,” Robin served as co-executive producer of VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz Live.” Hommel was the creator and executive producer of “Grady Greats,” a panel series in collaboration with ABC News featuring Grady College alumni, ABC talent and media leaders offering insight and analysis into and decisions made behind the scenes.

Susan Percy is a Metro Atlanta-based journalist who has spent most of her career in magazine journalism. She was executive editor and editor of Georgia Trend Magazine from 2001 through 2013 and editor-at-large from 2014 through 2022. She wrote an award-winning monthly opinion column for more than 20 years and remains a regular contributor.

Randy Travis is a Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter for FOX 5 Atlanta. Randy joined WAGA in 1990. In 1994 he moved to the station’s distinguished investigative unit, the FOX 5 I-Team.  In addition to the Peabody Award, Randy’s investigative work has earned him two national Edward R. Murrow awards, plus more than 20 regional Emmy awards.  Travis is also the recipient of the 2005 Mid-Career Alumni Award from Grady College.

Dean Charles Davis is also pleased to recognize Caroline Edwards as a Dean’s Medalist. The last Dean’s Medal was presented to Loran Smith (ABJ ’62) in 2017.

Caroline Edwards is a Private First Class Officer with the U.S. Capitol Police. Her law enforcement career started in 2017 and she has served for six years on the Department’s First Responders Unit. On January 6, 2021, Officer Edwards was the first police officer injured by the rioters while stationed on the West Front of the Capitol. She was knocked unconscious and suffered a traumatic brain injury. On June 9, 2022, Officer Edwards testified to the January 6th House Select Committee. She graduated from Grady College with a degree in public relations.

More information about the Grady Fellowship and a list of past inductees can be viewed on the Grady Fellowship webpage.

The registration link for the Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023, will be available in early March. 

Grady College announces 2023 Alumni Award recipients

Posted on by Jackson Schroeder

Grady College is proud to announce honorees for its annual Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni who have established a tradition of service and achievement in their careers.

Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the College’s annual recognition event, Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Leadership and Commitment, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Inductees into the Grady Fellowship also will be recognized at Grady Salutes.

The 2023 Alumni Award recipients include: 

Maura Friedman (ABJ ‘13), a senior photo editor at National Geographic, will receive the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. Friedman previously worked as the lead photo editor and projects photographer at the Urban Institute, a multimedia reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and an independent visual journalist producing photo and video stories across the Southeast United States. The Young Alumni Award recognizes a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.

Yolanda Taylor Brignoni (ABJ ‘98), the vice president of external affairs and communications at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), will receive the Mid-Career Award. Prior to joining EGPAF, she was the head of communications for Axios Media. The Mid-Career Award is presented to a graduate for professional achievements, influence and success.

Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ‘79), who retired in November 2022 after a career spanning four decades, will receive the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for sustained contributions to the profession throughout a career. Gentzler anchored the news on WRC/NBC4 in Washington, D.C. for 33 years. She spent several years honing her journalism skills in Chattanooga, Charlotte and Cleveland, then Philadelphia, before joining NBC4 in 1989. Doreen also filled in on “The Today Show” and “NBC at Sunrise.” Grady College has recognized its Lifetime Achievement recipient for more than 45 years.

George Daniels (MA ‘99, PhD ‘02), an associate professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of journalism and creative media at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. Daniels previously served as assistant dean for administration in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. The Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award honors a graduate for excellence and sustained contributions to scholarship in journalism and mass communication education. 

More information about the Alumni Awards and a list of past recipients can be viewed on the Alumni Awards webpage.

Register here for the for the Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Grady Salutes 2022 honorees celebrated at in-person event

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

There was laughter and tears, but mostly a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to come together for an in-person Grady Salutes celebration April 29, 2022.

The event attracted nearly 125 Grady College alumni and friends to the Athens Cotton Press for the annual recognition of Alumni Award recipients and Fellowship inductees.

Alumni Award recipients included:

Video screen picture of Julie Wolfe
Julie Wolfe accepted her Mid-Career Alumni Award via a pre-recorded taped message. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)
  • Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13), a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, who received the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award.
  • Julie Wolfe (ABJ ’03), a news director for King 5 Media Group in Seattle, who received the Mid-Career Award.
  • Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (MA ’96, PhD ’99), professor of public relations at Grady College, was named the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
  • Pat Curtin (MA ’91, PhD ’96), professor and endowed chair of public relations at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar award.

Wolfe was not able to attend the ceremony, but sent a video greeting noting her appreciation for the award and reflecting on lessons that David Hazinski, emeritus professor, taught her.

“Journalism is a relentless pursuit of facts, a commitment to always do the next right thing and an unwavering belief in the ethical principles of journalism,” Wolfe said in her video acceptance.

Fellowship inductees included:

  • Susan Goodenow (ABJ ’90), executive vice president, marketing & communications for the Chicago Bulls
  • Reggie Hicks (ABJ ’80), president and executive producer of Straight Street Media, Inc.
  • Bob Houghton, president, Georgia Association of Broadcasters
  • Alan Massengale (MA ’80), retired sports broadcaster

As the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Acosta-Alzuru was also inducted into the Grady Fellowship.

During the Fellowship acceptances, Goodenow reflected on how sports is more than a final score and talked about an experience a few weeks where the Chicago Bulls was able to offer Justin Hardy, a 22-year-old basketball player with cancer, an opportunity to attend a playoff game. Hardy claimed the day was one of the best of his life, and Goodenow reflected on how moments like that reminds her and all involved with sports what a privileged spot they hold.

“I want to thank Georgia and I want to thank Grady for putting me on a path that allowed me to have amazing experiences and meet incredible people, like Justin and his family,” Goodenow said.

Stevie Joe Massengale
Stevie Joe Massengale accepts the Fellowship honor on behalf of her father, Alan Massengale, as Alan’s wife, Elizabeth, looks on. Alan died March 12, 2022. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Perhaps the most moving acceptance of the night was by Stevie Joe Massengale, Alan’s teenage daughter who was accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth. Alan died of cancer on March 12, after learning he would be inducted into the Fellowship, and his daughter commented about how excited he was about the honor.

“He inspired many and of course, he inspired me,” she said.  “Your legacy lives on because you are larger than life.”

The Rollin “Pete” McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism was presented to Larry Hobbs, a reporter for The Brunswick News. The award, recognizing work in 2020, was presented to Hobbs for his dedicated reporting about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, starting the day after his murder, and continuing throughout the trial.

“Truth more often thrives in communities where newspapers abide,” Hobbs said as he accepted the award. “Those in positions of public trust are held accountable when newspapers simply do their jobs. When an ugly truth hid behind the senseless killing of Ahmaud Arbery, The Brunswick News did its job. We covered this sad story relentlessly from the day it occurred right up until justice was served in both state and federal courts. We owed that to our community, and to Ahmaud and to his family.”

Nominations for next year’s class of Alumni Awards recipients are now accepted and can be submitted on the Alumni Awards nomination form.

  • Larry Hobbs of The Brunswick News accepted the McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism. (Photo: Sydney Fordice)
See our Grady Salutes 2022 Flickr album for more pictures.

Larry Hobbs receives 2020 McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism

Posted on by Jackson Schroeder

Larry Hobbs, a feature writer and reporter at The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Georgia) has been named the recipient of the 2020 Rollin M. “Pete” McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism.

This award, presented during Grady Salutes on Friday, April 29, recognizes Hobbs for his initial and subsequent reporting on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. 

“I am thrilled that Larry Hobbs is this year’s recipient of the local journalism award endowed in my name by Grady Thrasher and Kathy Prescott,” said Pete McCommons, the publisher and editor of Flagpole Magazine in Athens. “Larry is a great example of the local reporter who doggedly follows a difficult story in spite of all the other assignments that compete for his time and attention.”

A Lower Alabama native and 1984 graduate of Troy University, Hobbs spent the bulk of his early career working for Florida newspapers, including the Palm Beach Daily News and the Palm Beach Post, among others. He started writing for The Brunswick News in 2014, roughly six years before the Ahmaud Arbery shooting. 

“Larry Hobbs and his colleagues at The Brunswick News did what journalists do: they heard of a potential misjustice, they investigated it, they demanded accountability from those in charge, and they ultimately saw one of Brunswick’s, and Georgia’s, most horrific acts to its conclusion. They performed journalism, at its finest,” said Charles Davis, dean of Grady College. 

Larry Hobbs accepts the 2020 Pete McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism on the stage next to Charles Davis, dean of Grady College.
Larry Hobbs (left) accepts the 2020 Pete McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism on the stage next to Charles Davis (right), dean of Grady College. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Each year, the McCommons Award, sponsored by Grady College, honors outstanding leadership, innovation and entrepreneurism in community journalism. It highlights the substantial contributions of community journalism to civic life and inspires students to pursue careers in community journalism.

In this case, Hobbs began reporting on the Amhaud Arbery shooting the day Arbery died. Hobbs’ relentless reporting was picked up by national media organizations, including Time, CNN and Poynter, among others, and depicted as a catalyst for the Amhaud Arbery trial. 

“Larry’s reporting was important in many ways, and we are glad to have this opportunity to honor him for the work he did,” explained Kyser Lough, the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism.

“Even before this award, I have been using Larry’s reporting on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in my classes as an example of the importance of local, community journalism, and I know other journalism professors have been too,” Lough added. “While this year the award went to a reporter in our home state, it’s important to remember that this is a national award and we accept nominations from across the country.”

Larry Hobbs (right) stands nest to Kyser Lough (left), the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism.
Larry Hobbs (right) stands next to Kyser Lough (left), the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

In Hobbs’ comments accepting the award, he gave credit to his team at The Brunswick News for fueling their publication. He also made a point that he doesn’t consider himself or his colleagues heroes — just people “doing their jobs.”

“Truth more often thrives in communities where newspapers abide,” Hobbs continued. “Those in positions of public trust are held accountable when newspapers simply do their jobs. When an ugly truth hid behind the senseless killing of Ahmaud Arbery, The Brunswick News did its job. We covered this sad story relentlessly from the day it occurred right up until justice was served in both state and federal courts. We owed that to our community, and to Ahmaud and to his family.”

This sentiment was also expressed by Janice Hume, the head of the Department of Journalism, while introducing Hobbs. 

“It was Mr. Hobbs’ attention to detail and dogged reporting that brought the story of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder first to local and then national attention,” said Hume. “Without the work of a local journalist who understood and cared about his community, there would have been no justice for Mr. Arbery’s family. Local journalism matters, and Mr. Hobbs’ work is a fine example of why. We are grateful for his service to the Brunswick community and beyond.” 

More details and a form to nominate a community journalist for a future McCommons Award can be found on the McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism webpage.

2022 Fellowship Profile: Susan Goodenow

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Congratulations to Susan Goodenow (ABJ ’90), a 2022 Fellowship inductee.

Goodenow is executive vice president of marketing & communications for the Chicago Bulls, where she is responsible for developing and managing the team’s marketing efforts, directing and integrating all team content and communication and overseeing the team’s community engagement efforts.  

Goodenow graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in public relations (ABJ ’90) and continued her education at Georgetown University with a master’s degree in American studies. She also earned an Executive Scholar Certificate in General Management from the Kellogg Executive Education program at Northwestern University.  

Before joining the Bulls in 2012, Goodenow spent four years with the Boston Red Sox as the senior vice president of public affairs and marketing.  She has also worked for Major League Baseball/Office of the Commissioner, the American Red Cross and public affairs firms in Washington, D.C. 

Goodenow continues to serve UGA as a member of the AdPR Executive Committee and the Alumni Sports Industry Council. A resident of Chicago, Goodenow is also a member of the Gilda’s Club Chicago Governing Board, American Red Cross of Greater Chicago Tiffany Circle and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Goodenow:

Grady College: What is it about your field that appeals the most to you?  Why did you decide to enter that field? 

Susan Goodenow: My choice to enter PR was made, in part, after contemplating a role in broadcasting as a sports reporter. Soon after I started down that path, I realized being in front of a camera is not for me – I break out in hives and cold sweats! – so I decided a role behind the camera was a much better fit. I have always loved words, and it oddly brings me joy when someone lands on the perfect word choice or sentence structure. Growing up I was also intrigued by marketing – more specifically advertising – along with business news and current events, so the combination of those interests with my love of words and my aversion to being in front of the camera made PR a good fit.  

GC:  What do you miss the most about being at UGA? 

SG: Ah, that’s easy – walking through North Campus.

Goodenow, pictured at a work-related event, has always had a passion for words.
GC:  What does this recognition mean to you? 

SG: I am a very proud Georgia Bulldog – just ask anyone who knows me, particularly during football season. I’ve been going to games since I was four years old. My sister and I both graduated from Georgia, as did my brother-in-law. My niece is a junior, and my nephew will be a freshman in the fall.  It is an incredible honor to be recognized by an institution that is so much a part of my family and helped shape who I am.  

GC:  What are your best strategies for keeping up to date with industry advancements? 

SG: The world evolves and changes, so it is important to stay current and adapt. While you may be an expert in something right now, some of your go-to knowledge and skills could someday become funny “do you remember when we did that?” topics, so always stay curious and never stop learning. PR is a profession where you provide strategy and counsel to people and organizations spanning industries and interests that can be affected by a number of internal and external factors. Staying up to date on current events and emerging trends prepares you to be ready in a crisis or when an opportunity to create value comes up. It’s easy to scroll through social and feel like you know what’s going on, but that’s just a surface look. Go beyond the “what” and find ways to dig deeper to learn the “why” and “how” by reading articles and books, listening to podcasts and seeking out interesting people and have conversations with them.  

GC:  Is there anything else you would like to share?

SG: Being in PR can mean you’re always on call, so take time for yourself when you can. Develop interests and hobbies that make you happy. Learn this lesson now, not later. It is something I only recently started to practice and am still not very good at it.  I even bought a sign that reads “Don’t forget to go outside and play” that hangs in my house to serve as a constant reminder.  

This is one in a series of profiles about our 2022 Alumni Award honorees and Fellowship inductees.
All our honorees and inductees will be honored at Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 29, 2022 at Athens Cotton Press. 

 

Alumni Award Profile: Julia Carpenter

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13) is this year’s recipient of the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award, honoring a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.

Carpenter is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. She previously worked at both CNN and The Washington Post, and has also written for publications including Glamour, Vogue and New York Magazine.

Covering stories on gender, culture, finance, technology and everything in between, Carpenter has received several awards for her reporting. In 2019, she was honored with the Excellence in Business Coverage Award from The Association of LGBTQ Journalists for her story “When Work Puts You Back in the Closet,” published in CNN Business. In 2020, she received a Front Page Award in the Personal Service category from the Newswomen’s Club of New York for her reporting in WSJ’s “The New Rules of Money” series.

In addition to reporting, Carpenter also publishes a daily newsletter, “A Woman to Know,” and mentors aspiring writers through Girls Write Now.

Following is a brief interview with Carpenter:

GC: What is it about your field that appeals the most to you? Why did you decide to enter that field?

JC: I’m a big talker and an obsessive journaler. As soon as teachers saw those two things, they started recommending I think about studying journalism. In my career now, those two things — my chattiness and my note-taking — are huge strengths of mine. As a student, I loved the idea that journalists could ask anyone about anything and spend all day learning about everything. Even today, I’m still marveled that I will think “I wonder how that’s going to work?” and then I’ll call someone and say, “You’re the expert, and I’m a journalist — can you tell me how that’s going to work?”

Carpenter is currently based in New York City, where she reports for The Wall Street Journal (Photo: submitted).
GC: Looking back at your time at Grady, is there anything you wish you had done (classes you had taken, skills you would have liked to have learned, clubs to be involved with) that would help you with what you are doing today?

JC: As a college student, I was so intent on double-majoring (in English and in journalism) and excelling at the student newspaper. I wish I had taken more classes just for fun! Looking back on my time at UGA, I can truly think of only a handful of classes I took that weren’t fulfilling a requirement or adding to some other part of resume. If I could go back, I like to think I would do that differently. I know I would be a better writer for it, that’s for sure. 

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

JC: There’s no “right way” to build a career and a creative life. Stop trying to find it! Go to Marti’s and eat some pita chips.

Carpenter graduated In 2013 with a degree in journalism (Photo: submitted).
GC: What motivates you?

JC: The day after I publish a piece, I set aside time to read all the tweets, emails and comments responding to it. Sure, some of them are negative, and many require an eye roll or, in bad cases, a block and report. But I save all the emails that say, “you put words to what I was experiencing” or “thank God someone finally said this!” or — this one most of all — “I thought I was the only one.” Those motivate me. 

GC: Is there anything else you would like to share?

JC: I have spent countless hours, therapy sessions and fat baby tears stressing over finding a mentor. Everyone kept telling me “Do you have a mentor? You need a mentor!” and at all these different points in my career, I resolved to find a mentor who (I presumed) could shepherd me to career enlightenment. But here’s the thing: my strongest advocates and best advice-givers and most generous sounding boards have always been people at the same level as me. Some of them I met at The Red & Black, some of them I met at internships and some of them I met during my early days at my first job. But we’ve all come up together, and grown together, and I want future students to know that building those connections is enough. Now, these peers are worth more to me than any idea I had of some “Fairy GodMentor.”

This is one in a series of profiles about our 2022 Alumni Award honorees and Fellowship inductees. 
All our honorees and inductees will be honored at Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 29, 2022 at Athens Cotton Press. Please visit our Grady Salutes registration webpage for more details. 

 

2022 Fellowship Profile: Reggie Hicks

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Congratulations to Reggie Hicks (ABJ ’80), a 2022 Fellowship inductee.

Hicks is president and executive producer of the non-profit Straight Street Media, Inc. where he produces documentaries, podcasts and digital stories that affect change in the lives of the underserved.  His current project, the documentary film “If You Are My Brothers,” chronicles the journey of a UGA fraternity brother who was diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer.  This documentary hit home when Hicks was also diagnosed three years into filming.

Hicks’ public broadcasting journey began on the campus of UGA at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education while he was a journalism student.  During his junior year, he served as technical director at the Atlanta PBS affiliate WGTV Channel 8.  Since that time, his career has encompassed every facet of public radio and television including roles as general manager and development/fundraising at stations throughout the southeast United States including Georgia, Alabama and Texas, among others.

Hicks created and served as executive producer for “Power Point,” the first weekly national call-in program on public radio addressing issues relevant to the Black community.  The two-hour weekly call-in program aired for seven years on national public radio in 50 markets and on Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM).

Reggie has also served as the associate development director for the UGA Annual Fund, director of membership for Georgia Public Broadcasting and adjunct professor in mass communications at Clark Atlanta University and the University of Tampa, among others.

Reggie Hicks and his wife, Anita, at the National Championship game in 2018.
Reggie Hicks and his wife, Anita, at the National Championship game in 2018.

Hicks, a native of Savannah, Georgia, is married to Anita Stokes-Hicks, and they have one son, Armondi.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Hicks:

Grady College: What lessons learned from your time as a Grady College student have most helped you succeed in your professional life? 

Reggie Hicks: Of course, the excellent academic training I received at Grady College is first and foremost. It was there that I began to understand the importance of being a good writer. From a more practical perspective, the hands-on opportunities I experienced through Grady College’s internships and part-time opportunities helped hone skills that I have used every day of my career.

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self? 

RH: Spend more time learning about what’s on the horizon for the future. Read more about innovations and trends and use that information to become your own boss. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t be scared to fail. I know this sounds a bit cliché but when you fail, learn from it, embrace it and move on. Live your dreams, and don’t be quick to conform to the norm.

GC: What motivates you?
Reggie Hicks wearing headphones at a sound board as he promotes his documentary, You Are My Brothers.
Hicks promoting his documentary, “You Are My Brothers.”

RH: Being the change that I want to see motivates me every day. That’s why I have worked primarily in the non-profit sector with organizations whose mission it is to make this a better place.

GC: Are there any books or podcasts that you would recommend to young professionals?

RH: Yes, there are two books I would recommend to young professionals: Ray Dialo’s “Principles” and “Leader’s Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. These books are about leadership and understanding that the greatest resource of all is the human resource.

Also, I would find something visual that motivates you, especially during challenging times. As a senior at UGA, I found an unknown author’s poem titled “If.”  I remember buying the poster in a small gift shop on Tybee Island, Georgia. I was going through some real challenges at the time, and looking at the poem helped to keep me motivated. I later found the poem on a plaque, and it hangs in my office today.

GC: What are your best strategies for keeping up with industry advancements?

RH: Read, read and read. Devote time during your week dedicated to reading about innovations in your field. Learn about trends and predictions about what’s on the horizon. Subscribe to digital sources like newsletters and podcasts. Join social media groups to connect you with individuals in your field of interest who effect change in real-time.

This is one in a series of profiles about our 2022 Alumni Award honorees and Fellowship inductees.
All our honorees and inductees will be honored at Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 29, 2022 at Athens Cotton Press. Please visit our Grady Salutes registration webpage for more details.