William R. Burleigh Award Winners 2000-2007
2007
Winners
Julie Chin
Meteorologist
KJRH-TV, Tulsa
In the mornings and early afternoons, Julie Chin is often found in front of a camera, reporting on the weather in the heart of Tornado Alley. But once the cameras are off, Chin is quick to log countless hours spending time with her favorite people: the children of her community.
Chin joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green Country more than a year and a half ago as a mentor to a young girl named Keke, but her contributions in that short period of time are numerous. When the organization’s biggest fundraiser, a bowl-a-thon called “Bowl for Kids Sake,” rolled around this year, Chin captained not one, but two teams, helping to raise thousands of dollars for the organization.
This summer, Chin created a weather-related summer reading list to get kids excited about the weather and reading. At the Tulsa City-County Public Library, Chin also delivers books to the elderly and disabled as a Homebound Volunteer. She frequently gives station tours to scout groups, visits at least three local schools a week for weather talks, career talks and to read to local children, and serves as a board member of the Adoption Center of Northeastern Oklahoma.
Sarah Copeland
Recipe Tester
Food Network, New York
As a child, Sarah Copeland was taught there were 35 million people in the world living with nutrient-deficient diets. She worked to lower that number by volunteering at a local soup kitchen. Now that she’s grown, she helps fight the malnutrition battle on a much larger scale.
For the past five years, Copeland has volunteered as a chef instructor with Share our Strength, a national hunger-relief organization. Her volunteer work is part of the organization’s Operation Frontline program, and includes teaching cooking and nutrition to young children, parents, women who have been rehabilitated from substance abuse and prison, teens at high risk for malnutrition and, most recently, teens and young adults living with HIV and AIDS.
“She was wonderful and fit into the situation and setting with grace, ease and confidence, greeting each challenge openly and facing it powerfully and successfully,” wrote one program manager.
Anthony Trowbridge
News Presentation Editor
Rocky Mountain News, Denver
Anthony Trowbridge has never been one to look the other way when he sees a neighbor in need. Sometimes, his neighbors need jobs or child care; other times, they need marriage counseling or health insurance. As a volunteer advocate at the Mountain Resource Center, Trowbridge has the tools to help meet those needs.
Each Monday, he speaks with families and individuals who are struggling with financial or emotional problems. If the Mountain Resource Center doesn’t have the money to help everyone, Trowbridge doesn’t give up, but instead calls on nearby agencies like the Salvation Army.
In addition to his work at the Mountain Resource Center, Trowbridge also devotes time to the Native American Journalists Association. This year, he spent a week helping students learn what it takes to produce a 12-page newspaper.
“I believe in volunteer work. I always have,” says Trowbridge. “It’s something my parents instilled in me at a young age when I was growing up in New Orleans.”
Kaydee Tuff
Editor
Collier Citizen, Naples, Fla.
In addition to putting out three community newspapers each week, Kaydee Tuff devotes numerous hours to charitable and civic causes, working as a county-certified “odor detector” at the local landfill and coordinating the Christmas home decorating contest.
But it’s her creative activism that sets her apart.
When members of her community donned hard hats and chanted anti-crime protests outside the residences of documented drug dealers, Tuff built on the idea and came up with a more peaceful one: a lemonade stand.
Erecting umbrellas and yellow banners reading, “When Your Neighborhood has Lemons, Make Lemonade,” Tuff and other volunteers began serving free lemonade close to the homes of known drug dealers. The effort diminished dealing in the area and also gave people in the community an opportunity to get involved.
John Vissman
Director of Community Services
The Cincinnati Post and The Kentucky Post
John Vissman would like to leave the world better than he found it.
To accomplish that goal, he has devoted the past 20 years of his life serving his community.
Vissman began his service work at a local YMCA. From there, he began taking on other responsibilities: volunteering his time and insight to a community planning effort called Vision 2015, serving meals to the homeless at the Parish Kitchen, and encouraging young people to vote through his work with Kids Voting Northern Kentucky.
In the past few years, Vissman has also chaired numerous arts and cultural events for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and has helped organize various fundraising events like pancake breakfasts and golf outings for the Covington Rotary Club.
“I believe that as a result of my volunteer work and leadership, life is better for the residents of our region,” wrote Vissman.
2006
Nick Jimenez, editorial page editor, Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times
Sydney Liebman, assistant editor, Luminaries, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Fla.
Preston Mitchum Jr., news photographer, WMAR-TV, Baltimore
Michael Vrabac,
vice president/general manager, KJRH-TV, Tulsa
Del Walters, news anchor, WMAR-TV, Baltimore
2005
Beth Gooch, copy editor, The
Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
Bruce Hartmann, president and CEO,
Knoxville News Sentinel
Annette
Neeson, tear sheet clerk, Daily Camera, Boulder,
Colo.
Deorah Smiddy,
president a dn publisher, Redding (Calif.) Record
Searchlight
Donna
Stinnett, features editor and Chuck
Stinnett, business editor, The Gleaner, Henderson,
Ky.
2004
Daniel A. Frye, art director, Scripps
Networks, Knoxville
Paul Gottbrath, night
city editor, The Kentucky Post, Covington
Vickijo
Letchworth, customer service representative, Naples
(Fla.) Daily News
Susan Packard, president
of affiliate sales and international development, Scripps
Networks, Knoxville
Bill Wagner,
information systems director, Redding (Calif.) Record
Searchlight
2003
Cheryl Ferrara, publisher, Marco
Island (Fla.) Eagle
Hagit Limor Sunberg,
I-Team reporter, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati
Peter
ONeal, videographer, WMAR-TV,
Baltimore
John Sherman, manager of
collaborative systems, The E.W. Scripps Company,
Cincinnati
Jim Willis, editor and
president,
Birmingham (Ala.) Post-Herald
2002
Fred Foster, president and
publisher, Anderson
(S.C.) Independent-Mail
Rod Liggons,
planning editor, WXYZ-TV, Detroit
Susan J.
Porter, editor, Scripps Howard News,
Cincinnati
Jean Sagendorph, licensing
executive, United Media, New York
Leroy
Smith, manager in street sales, The Commercial
Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
2001
Cynthia Gunn, weekend anchor,
KSHB-TV, Kansas City
Harry R. Kakel Jr.,
production manager, WMAR-TV, Baltimore
Tom
McCarter, graphic designer, The Knoxville
(Tenn.) News-Sentinel
Thomas E. Weber
Jr., editor and president, Scripps Treasure Coast
Publishing, Stuart, Fla.
Carroll Wilson,
editor, Wichita Falls (Texas) Times Record
News
2000
Colleen C. Conant, executive
editor and publisher, Daily Camera, Boulder,
Colo.
Richard L.
Geyser, photographer, WEWS-TV,
Cleveland
Otis Sanford, deputy
managing edtior, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis,
Tenn.
Nancy Tretter, executive
assistant, The E.W. Scripps Company,
Cincinnati
Corbin A. Wyant, president and
publisher, Naples (Fla.) Daily News