Thursday March 16 to Saturday March 18
Holiday Inn Express, 411 E. Industrial Dr., Sulphur Springs, Texas

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Registration Desk

4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Board of Directors Meeting – Chandler Room
Jessica Woodall, Chairman of the Board

6:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Welcome Reception/Bingo
Sponsored by Texas Press Association

Plain and Fancy, Downtown Sulphur Springs
Transportation Provided. Trolley departs at 6:15 p.m. Bring your BINGO money!

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

7:30 A.M.
Past Presidents’ Breakfast – Chandler Room
Sponsored by The Winnsboro News in memory of Tom Pendergast, past NETPA President.

8:00 A.M. – Noon
Registration Desk

7:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 A.M.
Welcome to Sulphur Springs
Mark Maxwell, City Manager
Suzanne Bardwell President, NETPA

9:00-9:30 A.M.
Stephanie Taylor/Executive Director at Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County
“County Health Rankings”
Bridging the gap between Public Relations and Local newspapers.

9:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
Coffee/Cookie Break
Sponsored by SWEPCO

10:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M.
Bobby Rigues/CEO of Make Education a Priority
Mr. Rigues will be speaking about the roles of local school boards in the community. He is a master trustee and an advocate of transparency on local school boards.

11:00 A.M. – 11:45 A.M.
Kasi Geraci
Kasi is Advertising and Marketing Manager at Universal Hunting Magazine. She is the guest host on Universal Huntress TV show on the Pursuit channel and co-host of Sportsmen Tank. Kasi will talk about Media and the outdoors and her recent adventure.

Noon – 1:00 P.M.
Awards Luncheon – Chandler Room
Sponsored by TPA

Sam C. Holloway Award
The Sam Holloway Award has been given by the North and East Texas Press Association since 1958, when it was presented to its namesake, Mr. Sam Holloway, at the convention in Tyler. Holloway was one of the founding members of the NETPA in 1926 and served as its second president in 1927. It has been awarded each year since 1958 to an outstanding NETPA member and journalist who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in support of the association while also upholding high standards of journalistic integrity and service to the community.

Tom Mooney Memorial Friend of the Newspaper Award
The Tom Mooney Memorial Friend of the Newspaper Award has been award in 1995 following the death of Tom Mooney, longtime publisher of the McGregor Mirror and a past NETPA president and 1986 Holloway award winner. Dubbed the “Friend of the Newspaper” award, it signifies support of the association at the highest level, and may be awarded either to persons working within the newspaper industry, or to an associate member who faithfully upholds the efforts, goals and ideals of the association.

1:15 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.
Gary Edwards/Retired sportswriter and photographer for the Mineola Monitor
Gary has won Photographer of the Year awards and Sports Photo awards and a Pulitzer Prize nominee. He will be sharing about covering sports photography and writing.

2:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.
Lee Little and Karl Arnst/Bar-Z
“Why Mobile Is Important Now”

5:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Main Street Experience
The Venue at Two Fifteen
Sponsored by SWEPCO
Transportation Provided – Trolley departs at 4:45 P.M.
Come see why Sulphur Springs is also known as “The Celebration City”. Sulphur Springs has completed a revitalization effort downtown where over 300 events and public activities are hosted in Celebration Plaza each year. Sulphur Springs also now has a new attraction that is both whimsical and practical; the only see through public restrooms in the United States – built with one way mirrors so people inside can see out, but those outside cannot see in.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

7:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
Registration Desk

7:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.
Continental Breakfast

8:00 A.M. – 8:15 A.M.
General Membership Business Meeting
Texas Press Association Report – Donnis Baggett
Committee Reports:
Financial – Cher Thompson
Scholarship – Suzanne Bardwell
Memorial – Jim Bardwell
Membership – Bill Woodall
Election of Officers – Suzanne Bardwell

8:15 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.
Donnis Baggett, TPA Executive
Vice President Legislative Affairs
Update on Legislative Issues Affecting Newspapers

9:15 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
George Getschow/Co-Founder of The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference and Professor at the University of North Texas
Pulitzer Prize Finalist for “A Dam Called Trouble” shares investigative report.

10:00 A.M.
Scholarship Auction
Bring your Mad Money 🙂

10:30 A.M.
Better Newspaper Contest Awards Brunch
Sponsored by SWEPCO
Todd Griffith, BNC Chairman