I am very pleased to announce that AWRT-DFW Chapter has won 3 National AWRT BELL (Bringing Excellence to the Local Level) Awards!  Receiving these awards is a great honor and it allows our chapter to send one person for each award to the National AWRT Women’s Media Forum in Washington D.C. this coming March!  Our chapter was recognized for:

Outstanding Community Outreach/Social Responsibility for our Student Media Tour

Outstanding Fundraising – Financial for our Awards of Excellence Charity Gala

Outstanding Local Member – South Central Area:  Veronica Willingham

Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming luncheons:

Research Luncheon - Thurs. Feb. 11^th at The Movie Studio Grill on 75 @ Royal Lane.  We will have representatives from Arbitron, Rentrak, The Dallas Marketing Group and Scarborough to tell you about the upcoming trends in the industry.  You do not want to miss this one!  RSVP and pay now to reserve your spot at:

http://www.awrt-dfw.org/upcoming_events.htm  Also, please email me your questions for these companies at vwillingham@wfaa.com.  They will be able to answer them at the luncheon.

Mayor Luncheon - Thurs. March 25^th at Dallas Music Hall at Fair Park.  Come see Mayor Tom Leppert give us the details on our own DFW market!

Awards of Excellence Charity Gala - Thurs. April 8^th at Lakewood Theatre – Come cheer on your peers as they accept their awards for being top in the industry!  (Anyone can nominate someone for Gala; however, you must be a member to vote!  So, members, please make sure to vote when you receive your ballots!!)

We have lots of exciting things happening at AWRT-DFW!  If you are not a member, I encourage you to enroll today!  Benefits of membership include:  discounts on the luncheons/events, a great way to network with your peers , plus it helps you stay involved and receive vital information to keep you at the top of your game!!  Just go to www.awrt-dfw.org and click on the membership tab to join.  If you are already a member and would like to join a committee, please email me at vwillingham@wfaa.com.

It is time to call for nominations for the 2009 Silver Award of Excellence.  The Silver Award of Excellence is a lifetime achievement award that can only be received once.  It is the most prestigious award that the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television awards any individual.  Please nominate an individual you believe meets the following criteria:

• Above reproach in regard to the hiring and promoting of women
• Above reproach in regard to promoting and helping the broadcast business
• Directly contributes to the community at large
• Has made a direct, positive impact on our broadcast community
• Solely represents a commitment to excellence and whose accomplishments are an example to others in our business and community

Please call Karen Coffey at Camelot Communications, 214-373-5427 or Christi Swanner at Asher Media, Inc., 972-738-8164 to submit your nominee by Friday, January 22nd, 2010.  Each nominee’s nomination form will then be due by Friday, January 29th, 2010 and must be obtained without the knowledge of the nominee.  If you have further questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to call. 

ALL NOMINATIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL 

Congratulations to Steve McDonald of KDAF-TV, he is this month’s Member Spotlight!   Please take a moment to learn more about him below. 

Changing jobs or getting a promotion, have a job posting?  Let us know about it!  We want to get you on our website.  Please email Gina Roach, our Website Chair, at ginaroach@verizon.net with the details.  Also, look for us on Twitter and click this link to become a fan of AWRT-DFW on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/AWRT-DFW/120387580831?v=wall&viewas=1583972313