Wendy S. Myers was installed as the fourth female president of the Society of Professional Journalists Oct. 24 at the Society’s national convention in Los Angeles, CA. Myers served as president-elect of the Society in 1997-98 and is editor of Veterinary Economics, a monthly business and management magazine published by Medical Economics, a Thomson subsidiary.

Leading a strategic planning process will be Myer’s primary objective. “SPJ leaders and members will develop a long-range plan that helps us grow membership and finances,” says Myers. “We’ll identify new opportunities and stay focused on our core values.” Myers follows the presidency of Fred Brown, political editor for The Denver Post. Also, ending his tenure this year as immediate past president is Steve Geimann, senior editor of Communications Daily in Washington, DC.

Indianapolis Star-News environmental reporter Kyle Niederpruem was elected president-elect and will become president at the 1999 convention in Indianapolis as the Society celebrates its 90th anniversary. Ray Marcano, metro editor at the Dayton Daily News, was elected secretary/treasurer. Other board members elected at the 1998 convention are:

At-Large Director Melanie Busch, transportation and projects reporter for the Arlington Morning
News, Arlington, Texas.

Campus Adviser At-Large Director Elizabeth Fraas, journalism professor at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky.

Campus Representative At-Large Lisa Rollins, student at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Campus Representative At-Large Michelle Swafford, student at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.

Region I Director Irwin Gratz, anchor, Maine Public Radio in Portland, Maine.

Region IV Director Ginny Frizzi, director of public relations at Point Park College in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Region V Director Patrick McKeand, publisher of the IUPUI Sagamore at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana.

Region VI Director Anita Weier of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin.

Region VII Director Robert Leger, editorial page editor of the Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri.

Region VIII Director Todd Gillman, political reporter and columnist of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas.

Region IX Director Jay Evensen, editorial page editor of the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The 1998 convention also hosted the board meeting of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the SPJ’s educational and fund raising arm. Recommended and elected for new three-year terms were:

Paul Davis, senior vice president of FACS, Los Angeles, California.

Paul K. McMasters, First Amendment ombudsman, The Freedom Forum, Washington, DC.

Russell B. Pulliam, editor, Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Paul Steinle, director, Masters in Journalism Program, Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Connecticut and current SDX president.

Sue Porter, vice president and development director of the Scripps Howard Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio, takes over for Max Heath of Landmark Community Newspapers in Shelbyville, Kentucky after his years of service on the SDX board. Porter is also a member of The E.W. Scripps Company’s corporate communications staff, where she is editor/executive producer of Scripps Howard News. In that capacity, she hosts and produces regular video magazines and edits a bi-monthly publication for employees. She joined Scripps corporate staff from The Cincinnati Post, where she worked first as a reporter and later as editor of an edition. She came to the Cincinnati area from The Crescent-News in Defiance, Ohio and Defiance College.