Class 1 - Writing for newspapers
Outstanding Professional Skill Award Judge for Writing Category

Tom Hallman is a graduate of Clemson, where he was a technical writer with the College of Engineering as an undergraduate student and an editor for the university's combined academic and agricultural information office as a graduate student. He has served as a news editor with the University of Georgia Extension Service; agribusiness reporter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; business editor of the Atlanta Journal; news bureau director for the University of Georgia; director of marketing and media relations for Clark Atlanta University; senior program manager for community relations for the Centennial Olympics; producer, project manager and manager of quality assurance for COXnet, a network of Cox Enterprises newspapers; and a highly valued freelance editor.

Class 2 - Writing for magazines

Karol Crosbie is beginning her ninth year working with alumni magazines. The feature stories she wrote as senior writer and associate editor of Iowa State's VISIONS magazine consistently received CASE awards. She is beginning her third year as editor of The College of Wooster's alumni magazine, a publication that underwent both an editorial and graphic redesign under her direction.

In addition to her work with magazines, she has also worked on textbooks and coffee-table books. She served as copy editor for textbooks for the ISU Music Department and ISU Museums, as editor of the ISU Alumni Association's "Reflections of Iowa State" book of photographs, and as a contributing writer to the book, "Renewing the Countryside," co-published by Iowa State's Leopold Center.

Crosbie has taught a publicity methods course to undergraduates at Iowa State and has served as a guest lecturer in an advanced reporting class. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Iowa State.

Class 3 - Writing within a specialized publication

Diana Pounds began her career as a news reporter, then moved on to Iowa State University, where she has been a writer, news service manager, and most recently, associate director of university relations. She oversees the top levels of the Iowa State Web site and the university newspaper for faculty and staff. She has bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism.

Class 4 - Promotional writing

Angie Ossian is the director of marketing for the Iowa State Center at Iowa State University, where she oversees advertising, promotions, publications, sales and program funds. She has 17 years of marketing and public relations experience in the private sector, including extensive promotional writing for ads, brochures, newsletters and magazines. Ossian spent four years as a marketing communications associate at Principal Residential Mortgage Inc. Other firms include Younkers, Coach House Gifts and the Des Moines Register.

Ossian also served as president of the Advertising Professionals (Ad Pros) of Des Moines. During her term, the club grew by 67 percent. Ossian was instrumental in motivating the Ad Pros to adopt a public service cause, the Iowa Cultural Coalition. The group donated time and resources, assisting with creative concept, logo design, ad design, public relations, and radio and TV scripts, as well as sponsorships for billboards and Web page hosting. Ossian holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.

Class 5 - Script writing for visual media

Jack M. Johns, MSJ, is a retired extension communications specialist and associate professor at West Virginia University. Johns served for 30 years in the production and dissemination of radio, television and teleconference programs throughout his state. His weekly radio program, "Outreach Review," was at one time heard on 52 stations. It was honored in the early 1970s as the nation's best radio program produced by a land-grant university. Johns joined the WVU Extension Service after a career of 15 years in commercial broadcasting at several radio stations. Today, he continues to teach media relations workshops at West Virginia University, where he also serves as the public address voice for Mountaineer basketball and football.

Class 6 - Writing for the Web

Tom Jirik is a graduate of North Dakota State University where he is communications coordinator for the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. He was a communications specialist with the NDSU Extension Service and served in a similar capacity with the Iowa State University College of Agriculture. He began his writing career with the Algona Upper Des Moines newspaper in Algona, IA, and also wrote for the Ames Daily Tribune and the Boone Today newspapers in central Iowa.

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