Print This Post Print This Post

May

15

Speech about Wendy Hoke, recipient of SPJ’s Distinguished Service Award


Today, I had one of the greatest honors anyone has ever given me: a chance to speak about someone who has had a life-altering impact on me, Wendy Hoke.  Here is the text of my speech.  And again, congratulations, Wendy. 

Wendy Hoke is the kind of person who could receive a distinguished service award for every role she’s ever embraced or that has been thrust upon her.  Daughter, student, wife, mother, friend.  Reporter, freelancer, editor, blogger, spokesperson.  Member, coordinator, president, chair, staffer.

What makes this assertion true is the fact that Wendy never applies only her skill set to a task. Rather, Wendy succeeds and excels unlike most everyone else because her efforts combine what she knows with what she feels: an innate talent and love for living life and telling stories.

It’s difficult for me to honor Wendy without slipping in even one story about how she has encouraged, mentored and nurtured me in the few years since I first wrote “Ms. Hoke” and asked her to tell me why I should join SPJ.

But you aren’t here to listen to how Wendy stood sentinel, laughing out loud over our carryon luggage, when we traveled to the 2005 SPJ annual convention in Las Vegas, while I raced madly on and off the plane from which we’d just disembarked because I thought I’d lost my cell phone, while, all the time, she could hear the phone ringing from inside the middle of my suitcase.

Yet, it is the way in which Wendy acts as this stalwart sentinel and caretaker, as she takes on every role – regardless of its importance – that distinguishes her and has permanently affected the local and national SPJ organizations for the better, and for all of us.

Wendy’s involvement in SPJ has spanned three decades. She joined the organization in 1986 during her sophomore year at Ohio University.  Although she claims that she was not “real active” if you know Wendy, her version of not real active could shame most of us.

Wendy remained only slightly more dormant until shortly after her oldest son was born.  Then, in early 1993, she learned that SPJ had held its national convention in Cleveland the previous fall but, even though she worked at one of the city’s major news organizations, she didn’t know a thing about the event’s existence.  In Wendy’s words, which I’m sure you can hear her saying, she became “incensed” because she’d been yearning, as she always has, to become a better journalist, but had been feeling that there were few local opportunities to learn.

As a result of this experience, Wendy went to her first Cleveland chapter board meeting, with her then eight week-old firstborn in tow.  Her intention? To give them a piece of her mind.  Instead, in typical Wendy fashion, she found herself “volunteering at the tender age of 25 to chair the 1996 regional convention in Cleveland.

This story of Wendy’s foray into SPJ Cleveland Pro activities underscores her self-perception as a cheerleader and idealist who only wants the best things to happen.

The spectrum of roles Wendy has played in SPJ over the last fifteen years is testimony to her mantra:

LOCALLY, Wendy has:  Chaired the regional convention twice and has been a panelist.  She has served on the SPJ local board for a total of 11 years, since 1993 and as president from July 2002 to July 2004.

NATIONALLY, Wendy was a Delegate twice to National SPJ Conventions and moderated numerous freelance panels at several subsequent conventions.

In October 2003, as a direct result of Wendy’s observation at that year’s convention that freelancers who had paid their own way had no freelance-oriented sessions to attend, she was appointed by the SPJ national president to co-chair the National Freelance Committee, a position that she held from Oct. 2003 to Aug. 2006. Wendy considers the formation and growth of this group, to nearly 500 members by the time she stepped down, as one about which she is most proud.  Why? “Because we gave them a voice when they felt that they weren’t being listened to or felt that the national didn’t have room for them.  We got SPJ to listen.”

SPJ National also utilized Wendy in numerous leadership capacities.  She was a Participant in the Ted Scripps Leadership Training Conference in June 2003 and a Speaker and/or coordinator of the program every year from 2004 through 2007.

One of Wendy’s most personally gratifying experiences, directly related to her hard work and unique contributions to SPJ came when she traveled as One of nine U.S. delegates to the East Asia Journalism Forum in Seoul, South Korea in November of 2004 where she gave a presentation on “How Blogging is Shaping News Coverage.”

While these achievements testify to Wendy’s dedication and extraordinary management skills, the real evidence of how distinguished Wendy’s service has been is best reflected by the recollections shared by others in response to learning that Wendy has received this honor:

THE PERSONAL:

She’s been known to wake up in the middle of the night to work on something.
She’s no pushover and look out if she’s on a mission.
Wendy is not afraid to rock the boat. But if she’s passionate and truly believes in something she isn’t going to hold her tongue. Sometimes she can give a person heartburn when she gets that look in her eye, but there’s no stopping her when she’s determined.
Most of all, what I’m grateful for is that SPJ brought her to Avenues, which eventually gave us the opportunity to work together.
[DANNY HOKE]

My mom is an example of someone who truly loves what she does even if she doesn’t get paid for it, which doesn’t always please my dad.
[RYAN HOKE]

THE PEERS:

There are journalists and writers who do their work independent of who they are and there are others who bring their whole selves to their work, and Wendy is a great example of the latter.
JACK RICCHIUTTO

Wendy is one of the most welcoming journalists I’ve met since moving to Cleveland. Extremely open-hearted, and one who thinks big on your behalf — what you can be, where you can go, what you can do.
CHARU GUPTA

Wendy has always been a valuable resource and sounding board. I first met her working on the 1997 SPJ Regional Conference Program guide; I remember after reading a lot of Wendy’s work, I wished for my own to flow that well.  She’s a sweet, cool person and a great writer… and let’s face it, just about everything she does is distinguished.
PETER CHAKERIAN

THE CLEVELAND PROS

Wendy always finds time to encourage up-and-coming journalists. Wendy, who is a frequent guest speaker in journalism class at CSU, offers students tips on becoming successful freelancers.
CLIFF ANTHONY

Wendy has been a great role model since I met her the summer before my senior year in college. (2003) We were both on our way to the SPJ leadership convention in Indianapolis and ended up chatting at Hopkins airport. We immediately clicked…and she has been a blessing since then…being there as a friend…and guiding me in aspects of my career. I am so thankful for all she has done for me and thrilled she is receiving this incredible recognition.
JEN BORESZ

I was President when Wendy joined the Board. We had just taken a vote and agreed to host the Region 4 convention the following year. After the excitement wore off, I asked for volunteers to chair the event. There was a long, long silence, and then Wendy spoke up.
“I can do that.”
That would soon become her mantra. Whenever she said, “I can do that,” we knew she would. Her smile and her energy brightened up Board meetings.
Journalism needs people who are passionate, and Wendy certainly is. Her service to journalism, and to SPJ, has indeed been distinguished.
JERRY MASEK

NATIONAL

I had the pleasure of serving with Wendy on the SPJ Board for several years.  She is a true professional, and she is one of those persons who lights up a room when she is there.  She has an engaging way of bringing great ideas to the table without pressure or self-aggrandizement. Her enthusiasm is infectious.
BUZ BUZOGANY

Wendy was my ever-cheerful and always hard-working pal on the SPJ board for several years. What struck me during that time was her commitment to career and a growing passion for SPJ. When she became a freelance journalist, she fashioned the perfect balance for her life: time to be with husband and children, plus time to write on her own schedule. She soon learned ways to market her work and then share her hard-earned wisdom. Who else but Wendy could get the National SPJ (a group that always prized its affiliations with prestigious organizations) to recognize the contribution made by freelance writers? Who else but Wendy could talk them into giving her a national forum to discuss the trials and tribulations of the unaffiliated?
I didn’t know about her meeting with the Korean journalists, but if I had to think of an ambassador to represent what is good in American journalism, I’d have picked her, too.
FAYE SHOLITON

I can think of no one more deserving of this award than Wendy. She is a talented writer who strives to perfect each question, each word in her pieces. More importantly she is a person with a passion for life that spills over to anyone who encounters her, and for the last few years, anyone who reads her blog. She has a passion for justice, for understanding the world around us, for her family, for others’ families, friends, etc. She doesn’t know it, but I look forward to going to creativeink.blogspot.com each day and enjoy her well-thought insight and general updates. In fact, I’m actually disappointed when her workload is such that she isn’t able to post as frequently.

Wendy’s passion for freelancers and her passion for SPJ dovetailed well when she accepted the national freelance chair position and took on the part-time job of membership for the national organization. She believes strongly in the need for people to work together, share their insights and unite together for the betterment of whatever the cause or mission. That’s why I know how conflicted she was when two of her passions (SPJ and freelancer rights) came into conflict. Wendy took the high road (something no one who knows her would be surprised to know) — she worked internally first, took her case publicly after that didn’t work and ultimately made the decision that she personally could not continue to champion the organization that she felt had betrayed the very people she was representing. She didn’t get down into a knock-down, drag-out, name-calling battle — her eloquence said it all in such a brilliant way.
ANN GYN

My description of Wendy is simple: If I could build the archetypal SPJ member from a kit, it would be her.
She is everything to which an SPJ member should aspire: dedication to journalism, adherence to high ethical principles, a talent for leadership, and all the other flag-waving stuff, to be sure.
But Wendy also has another wonderful quality: It is of service to others, that is, helping other journalists achieve their goals is among her most important goals for herself.
Our society’s watchwords are truth, talent and energy. Our society’s motto is “He serves best who serves the truth.”
She, among hundreds of others I’ve known in many years of national and local leadership, embodies SPJ’s most cherished values and traditions the most.
If I ruled SPJ, I’d declare that under “SPJ” in the dictionary would be Wendy’s picture. I’m honored and blessed to be her friend and colleague, and I deeply regret not being there to help celebrate this wonderful honor you are giving her.
MARK SCARP

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:52 pm May 15th, 2008 in Announcements, Blogging, Media, Ohio, Women, Writing 

Comments

4 Responses to “Speech about Wendy Hoke, recipient of SPJ’s Distinguished Service Award”

  1. 1 Meg on May 15th, 2008 8:35 pm

    I hear Ms. Hoke writes a pretty mean story on small school reform as well!

    Wonderful speech. I love the quotes you added. Sorry I couldn’t be there (I only attend evening functions where alcohol is served).

    And OK, this is petty, but I have a huge rejection complex and I kind of noticed that Goat Bomb is linked under Media/Journal writing. I was looking for my blog link and I didn’t see it and well, seeing as how I joined “Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” and I actually blogged about human rights in a Meg sort of way, well…

    and then there’s my feminist poetry and my song, “Blame it on Your Mother” and the link to my editorial in the Free Press about school funding…

    Anyway stop by and check it out. I even have a new profile pic.

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on May 15th, 2008 8:38 pm

    Definitely there was no alcohol and I DID stop by your blog this morning – saw all the great rankings you are racking up – no surprise. But do try to stay somewhat sober, eh? :)

  3. 3 Steve FitzGerald on May 16th, 2008 1:40 am

    Jill, thanks for being part of our event to honor Wendy Hoke and others. As president of SPJ Cleveland, it was my pleasure to nominate Wendy for a 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award. It was even more a pleasure to finally present her DSA plaque to her. She has always had my respect for all she has done locally and nationally for freelance writers and independent publishers like myself.

    All the Best,
    Steve FitzGerald
    lakewoodbuzz.com

  4. 4 Wendy Hoke on May 16th, 2008 9:26 am

    Jill,
    I don’t know what to say. Reading through your speech this morning made me very emotional. Guess that’s the power of the written word. I was thinking about all the wonderful people I’ve known and worked with and how truly blessed I’ve been.

    I suppose that’s why it was so painful to leave the way I did. But I thank you for reaching out to others the way you did.

    Thank you for all you’ve done. :)

    And Meg–I’m sorry you couldn’t be there, but thank you for the compliment. Right back at ya! I could’ve used a drink before giving my own speech. ;)

Leave a Reply




"));