Athens, Ga. – Ten alumni and friends of the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will be inducted into the 2011 Grady Fellowship on Nov. 17 at the UGA Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
The tribute gala for the honorees will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner program at 7 p.m. Inductions will take place at 7:45 p.m.
Being recognized for their influence, achievements and service to the media professions are David Adelman, Singapore; Ed Bastian, Atlanta; Conrad Fink, Athens; Julie Moran, Santa Monica, Calif.; Arnold Punaro, McLean, Va.; Bill Simpson, Athens; and Julie Winskie, New York.
Three individuals—Jesse Outlar, Lamar Trotti and Robert VanLandingham—will be inducted posthumously into the fellowship’s Sanford Circle, which honors absent friends whose achievements and generosity of spirit remain with Grady.
“Our 2011 inductees represent achievement in academia, journalism, politics, business, broadcasting, public relations, film, the military, entrepreneurship and more. We are pleased and honored to receive them into this year’s class,” said Grady College Dean Cully Clark. “These individuals inspire students and alumni.”
David Adelman (ABJ ’86) is the current U.S. ambassador to Singapore. Adelman served as a state senator in the Georgia General Assembly from 2002 to 2010 and as an assistant attorney general. A former partner with the national law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Adelman has taught many political science classes for the UGA Honors Program and keynoted UGA’s 2010 summer commencement ceremony.
Ed Bastian is president of Delta Air Lines and was the keynote speaker at Grady’s 2011 spring and summer convocation. Joining Delta in 1998 as vice president of finance and controller, he was promoted to senior vice president in 2000 and named president in 2005. He has also held top positions with Pepsi Cola International, Frito-Lay International and Price Waterhouse.
Conrad Fink is a beloved professor of journalism and head of the media management program in the Grady College. Since 1983, he has taught courses in media ethics, opinion writing, sports writing, business reporting and introduction to print journalism. The author of nine textbooks has shepherded hundreds of students, known as “Finksters,” through the program, making them better writers with liberal use of his infamous red pen.
Julie Moran (ABJ ’84) was the first woman to anchor the Emmy-Award winning ABC’s Wide World of Sports where she covered high-profile sporting events. From 1994-2001, Moran was a correspondent on the entertainment news show, Entertainment Tonight. She currently hosts The Insider’s List with Julie Moran on the Fine Living TV channel.
Jesse Outlar (ABJ ’43) was a popular sports writer who first served as sports editor of The Red and Black before stints with The Globe at Camp Lejeune, the Waycross Journal-Herald, the Atlanta Constitution and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He remained with the AJC for 41 years, serving the last 30 as sports editor and sports columnist.
Arnold Punaro (MA ’76), a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general, is now chief executive officer of the Washington-based Punaro Group, LLC. The group offers government relations, strategic planning, federal budget and market analysis, communications, crisis and emergency management, business development and sensitive operations consulting.
Bill Simpson (ABJ ’50) worked as sports director for Athens’ WRFC Radio, in banking public relations and in advertising for the Atlanta Paper Company. In 1956, he was named UGA’s director of public relations, initiating innovative programs and concepts for his alma mater. Currently, he owns Simpson and Associates.
Lamar Trotti (ABJ ’21) was a screenwriter, producer and motion picture executive in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was also the first graduate of the Grady School of Journalism in 1921. As an executive at Fox Film Corporation (which later became 20th Century Fox), he wrote and produced many films. In 1945 he won an Academy Award for Wilson.
Robert VanLandingham (ABJ ’42) joined the U.S. Coast Guard after graduation, serving in the southwest Pacific. After working as a principal and seventh grade teacher, the Phi Beta Kappa graduate joined his family in the operation of their Grady County auto dealership. After the dealership closed in 1982, he began a 20-year career as a journalist at the Cairo Messenger, retiring in 2002.
Julie Winskie (ABJ ’84) has served as Porter Novelli’s head of brand marketing and, since 2008, as the Americas president of Porter Novelli International. She is also managing director of its New York office and president of global clients. Her experience includes industry award-winning work for clients like Gillette and Timberland. In addition, she served as a jurist for the Clio Awards and Cannes Lions Awards.
The evening will also spotlight Grady’s global outreach, illustrated by the efforts of the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research and Grady study abroad programs including the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Lions Festival, Grady at Oxford and Travel Writing in Cambodia.
Tickets for the tribute are $75 and include the cocktail reception and dinner. To purchase tickets, see www.grady.uga.edu/tribute. The deadline to RSVP is Nov. 9.
Established in 1915, the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers undergraduate majors in journalism, advertising, public relations, digital and broadcast journalism and mass media arts. The college offers two graduate degrees and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu or follow @UGAGrady on Twitter.
