Dallas Press Club announces new strategy to help group recover from scandal involving judging of awards, financial management
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| Dallas Voice theater and dining critic and special sections editor Arnold Wayne Jones says he looks forward to helping the Press Club of Dallas restore its image. |
Arnold Wayne Jones, theater and dining critic and special sections editor for Dallas Voice, has been elected to the board of the Press Club of Dallas.
Jones has been a member of the Dallas Voice staff since 2003. He began contributing to the publication in 2001.
Jones said the members of the board are all dedicated to restoring the image of the Press Club of Dallas to its previous stature.
“In light of the controversies surrounding the board in the last six months, I am looking forward to the opportunity to help rehabilitate its image,” Jones said.
Jones started writing in Dallas in 1994. He was the lead film critic at the Dallas Observer for two years. He has also contributed to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the Met, TV Guide and other publications. Until 2001, he was a practicing lawyer in commercial litigation.
Hugh Aynesworth, journalist, author, teacher and recently retired Dallas bureau chief of the Washington Times, was elected president of the 300-member organization.
Other new board members are Michael Patterson, public relations manager for Haynes and Boone law firm, as president-elect; Durhl Caussey, columnist and part owner of several community newspapers; Tony Pederson, journalism professor at Southern Methodist University; Jeff Whittington, producer and host at KERA; David Dunnigan, The Harrell Group; Tony Fay, publicity vice president for Triton Sports Management; and Deborah Marine, marketing and communications for The Sixth Floor Museum.
They join returning board members John Browning, freelance journalist; Jason Philyaw, the Bond Buyer; Bob Morrison, USA Radio; Mark Willis, ABC Radio Networks; Jo Ann Holt, Holt & Associates PR; and Janet Ragland, LeTourneau University.
Outgoing president Tom Stewart announced the new president and board members at the group’s annual meeting on Aug. 3.
At the same time, Stewart announced the adoption of a new strategic plan to help the club recover from the turmoil of the past six months. The Press Club has been shaken recently by the discovery that former president Elizabeth Albanese had apparently appointed herself the only judge for the club’s prestigious Katie Awards from 2004-6, and also used the club’s credit card for personal expenses.
Following a board orientation to be held Aug. 22 at KERA, Aynesworth said a fundraising roast, possibly in November, would honor Troy Dungan, recently retired weather anchor for WFAA TV.
There are currently no plans for a Katie Awards in 2007, but a 50-year anniversary event is being planned for 2008.
The Katie Awards draw entries from six states for excellence in journalism and corporate communications.
The Press Club Foundation sponsors the Katie Awards to raise money for journalism scholarships.
This article appeared in the August 17 edition of the Dallas Voice.