Appreciation Award Recipients – 1979-Present

The Central Ohio SPJ Appreciation Award is presented to an individual or organization that has made a notable contribution to journalism in central Ohio. Award recipients include:

2026 – Eric Lyttle, longtime veteran journalist and friend of the Chapter (posthumous); USA Today Network, for its series on vicious dog attacks; Colleen Marshall, NBC4; Garth Bishop,  former Chapter president and outgoing treasurer

2025 – Mike Wagner, The Columbus Dispatch; Robin Smith, Columbus Business First; the Columbus Metropolitan Library

2024 – Randy Malloy, WWCD; ThisWeek Community News; Linda Deitch, The Columbus Dispatch; Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch; Diana Hill-Kinney, The Columbus Dispatch

2023 – Andy Chow, formerly of The Statehouse News Bureau; Theodore Decker, formerly of The Columbus Dispatch

2022 – Columbus Alive staff, including Andy Downing and Joel Oliphint; and Julie Fulton, former librarian and researcher for The Columbus Dispatch

2021 – Jim Siegel, late reporter for The Columbus Dispatch; Ohio Department of Health for Covid-19 dashboard; Joe Blundo, The Columbus Dispatch columnist; and Doug Haddix, longtime Columbus journalist

2020 – No ceremony due to Covid-19

2019 – Eugene C. “Gene” D’Angelo, former general manager, WBNS-10TV; and Dennis Hetzel, former executive director, Ohio News Media Association

2018 – Todd Jones, former sports reporter/columnist, The Columbus Dispatch

2017 – Dominic Cappa, editor in chief of Columbus Business First from 1999-2017, and Carol Ann Lease, retired city editor of The Columbus Dispatch

2016 – Ben Marrison, editor of The Columbus Dispatch from 1999-2015

2015 – John Long, co-founder and executive director, Main Street Press Museum

2014 – David Marburger, Open Records and Open Meetings attorney for Baker Hostetler

2013 – Tom Griesdorn, WBNS-10TV, and Bill Cohen, Ohio Public Radio and Television

2012 – Sharon West, Ohio State University

2011 – Frank Deaner, Ohio Newspaper Association, past board member

2010 – Jim Toms, former publisher at Suburban News Publications

2009 – Kirk Arnott, Columbus Dispatch, and Dom Cappa, Business First

2008 – Danny Russell, former editor of The Other Paper

2007 – Joe McKnight, Associated Press (retired) and past chapter president

2006 – Robert Ruth, The Columbus Dispatch

2005 – Anne Maher, Suburban News Publications

2004 – Lee Leonard, The Columbus Dispatch

2003 – Dave Richter, retired OSU journalism professor and SPJ board member

2002 – Michael F. Curtin, president and associate publisher of The Columbus Dispatch

2001 – Bruce Cadwallader, national convention chairman

2000 – Mike Mahoney and American Electric Power

1999 – Don Lambert, Ohio University journalism professor

1998 – Ralph Izard, retired director of the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University

1997 – Jerry Revish, WBNS-TV news anchor

1996 – Bob Smith, retired editor of The Columbus Dispatch

1995 – Joe Meyer, Suburban News Publications

1994 – Mary McGarey, longtime chapter and board member

1993 – Jim Underwood, former Plain Dealer bureau chief

1992 – Bill Cohen, Ohio Public Radio/Television

1991 – Martin Yant, The Columbus Dispatch

1990 – Thomas M. Forsythe, publisher of Suburban News Publications

1988 – Dick Otte, Dispatch managing editor

1986 – John J. Clarke, Ohio State University journalism professor

1979 – C. William O’Neill, chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

Other winners: Benson Wolman of the American Civil Liberties Union