March 10th-12th, 2022 Historian’s Report by Robert Flinkman, Historian
New Mexico Press Women officers for the year 2021-2022:
President Sherri Burr; Vice-President Damien Willis;
Secretary Sharon Niederman and Treasurer Loretta Hall
The Board of Directors are: Broadsheet Editor Damien Willis; Communications Contest Chair Carolyn Carlson; Zia Book Award Chair Leonie Rosenstiel; Communicator of
Achievement Chair Adam Biederwolf; Scholarship Chair Colleen Keane; High School Contest Coordinator Margaret Cheasebro; Social Media Chair and Facebook Editor Ludella Awad; Public Relations Chair Leonie Rosenstiel; Historian Robert Flinkman; Website Editor: Loretta Hall; Abq.Press Women Steering Committee Karen Wentworth
Chapter presidents are : Las Cruces Damien Willis; Albuquerque Karen Wentworth; Northern New Mexico Anne Hillerman
Concerning the Communications Contest in 2021, there were 72 entrants submitting 173 individual entries. Of those, 20 went to the national communications contest.
Communications Awards contest in 2021 the individual sweepstakes winners are:
1st Place : Claudette Sutton
2nd Place : Diane Joy Schmidt
3rd Place : Colleen Keane
The Organization Sweepstake winners are:
1st Place : Tumbleweeds Newspaper of Santa Fe Families
2ndPlace : (tie) Southwest Writers, Corrales Writing Group
3rd Place : (tie) KUNM Radio, Navajo Times
The Doris Gregory Award winners are:
1st Place: Xavier Dominguez. student at NMSU
Runner Up : Sarah Roderick, student at NMSU
For Giving Tuesday in November, $1,000 was raised thus far for scholarship donations. Thanks to NMPW and friends for their support! Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Annual Meeting and State Conference was held via Zoom on March 12th and 13th. Speakers included Doug Preston, noted fiction and non-fiction author, and Susan Holloway Scott, author of over 50 historical novels and novellas. Panel and workshop topics included Finding Stories Across Multiple Genres and Mystery Writing.
The 2021 NMPW’s Communicator of Achievement winner was Sherri Burr. The Committee
recognized her many accomplishments as President of the NMPW, and her contributions to the community and her achievements in both academic and in writing. Loretta Hall presented Sherri Burr with a beautiful plaque recognizing this award.
In June 2021, Sherri Burr was named National Communicator of Achievement by the National Federation of Press Women. This is the NFPW’s highest honor. Only four other members of the NMPW have been named NFPW’s Communicator of Achievement. This award is bestowed upon members who have distinguished themselves within and beyond their field. Sherri Burr was a law professor for almost 30 years, a columnist for the Albuquerque Tribune, received a Monticello Fellowship to work on her book, Complicated Lives Free Blacks in Virginia, 1619-1865, which in turn was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in History. Sherri was also a talk show host and Chair of the Art Commitee at the UNM School of Law. She also compiled and organized a ground-breaking exhibit at the African-American Performing Arts Center, entitled 400 Years of Freedom, Restrictions and Survival, documenting the history of the Afro-American people in this country from 1619 -Civil War.
We congratulate Sherri Burr on receiving this award.
NMPW President Sherri Burr attended the Colorado Press Women Conference, July 30th-31st. Sherri presented them with a plaque, stating NMPW congratulates the Colorado Press Women on the occasion of its 80th anniversary.
Nebraska Press Women celebrated its 75th anniversary on Oct.8th-9th, and its president invited Sherri Burr to be a key note speaker. Sherri Burr also presented them with a plaque congratulating them on that anniversary.
The 2021 Zia Book Award winner was Jennifer Hull’s work, Shook : An Earthquake, A Legendary Mountain Guide and Everest’s Deadly Day, UNM Press
Concerning membership for 2021, the New Mexico Press Women has 109 members and who have paid their dues for 2021.
