Contacts:
Matthew Kent, Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, mkent@spj.org
Ashlynn Neumeyer, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-361-4133, aneumeyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to honor Taylor Pomasl with the 2019 Julie Galvan Outstanding Graduate in Journalism Award. Pomasl was the SPJ chapter leader at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and was news director for the WUEC radio station.

As news director, Pomasl wrote, edited and anchored newscasts during WUEC’s Blugold Radio Sunday program, which was named best in the state among student broadcasters by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association for 2017. Additionally, she oversaw the team of reporters who also contributed to the newscast.

Pomasl later was promoted to station manager. Under her leadership, she increased spoken-word programming by one-third, recruited and directed students throughout tasks, helped her peers reach early success within the organization, developed a budget proposal that significantly increased station funding from student segregated fees and oversaw fundraising events that allowed the station to extend its promotional reach.

“…Taylor has a warm, outgoing and engaging personality that invites collaboration. With her credentials, one might expect Taylor to look ahead to her bound-to-be successful career rather than building a team of less experienced journalists and broadcasters into a powerful and relevant radio program,” said Dean Kallenbach, senior regional manager at Wisconsin Public Radio.

The station’s programming continued to see more listeners, and fall 2018 programming received a record number of awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and the Midwest Broadcast Journalism Association.

Pomasl has much experience in the professional journalism field, both as an intern and reporter, and has been an active participant in SPJ and the student television station. She previously won an award from the MBJA for a hard news story on illegal immigrants in the professional category and was the recipient of the communication and journalism department’s Lippold Fellowship.

In addition to this, Pomasl planned programming for the UW-Eau Claire SPJ chapter and implemented the idea of having one topic that would interest entry-level journalists for discussion at nearly every chapter meeting. This helped to personalize the experience for many SPJ students.

“Ms. Pomasl is the most organized chapter leader I have seen in the nearly 20 years I have served as co-adviser to the UW-Eau Claire SPJ chapter, and that includes all four of our previous Julie Galvan Award winners,” said David Gordon, professor emeritus with the UW-Eau Claire communication and journalism department. “She works hard – and reliably – to ensure that the chapter functions well, including the ability to delegate assignments and make sure they’re carried out.”

When talk of joining forces with another department came up due to lack of efficient support for the SPJ chapter, Pomasl advocated to maintain its identity and developed programs that would help keep the chapter functioning as an independent organization.

Pomasl will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism 2019 conference Sept. 5-7 in San Antonio.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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