Thank you to our 2023-2024 Endowed Chairs donors
We want to extend a big and heartfelt THANK YOU to our generous donors who funded a $12,000 replacement of all of the chairs in the Illini Media Company offices. The previous chairs were purchased in 1999, and had moved locations with the company several times. Now, soundly secure in the basement of the University YMCA, the chairs will provide literal support to our students for years to come.
Thank you to these donors:
Diane Amann, John Avelis, Robin Baumgarten, Matt Brickman, Mike Bushman, Richard Cahan, Michael Cetera, Adriana Colindres, Susan Cornwell, Andrea Darlas, Katherine Denny, Geoffrey Dubson, Pat Embry, Ed Epstein, Theo Francis, Laura Gale, Vince Galloro, Aaron Goldman, Todd Gregory, Max Grill, Jon Grubbs, Frank Hackmann, Michael Harring, Robert Hillman, Sarah Hoban, Kevin Horan, Esther Hou, Robin Kaler, Marla Krause, Randy Kulat, Gerry Labedz, Douglas Lee, Will Leitch, Lil Levant, Mark Ludwig, Stephanie Lulay, Gregory Miller, Becky Nicol, Robin Osborne, Ira Pilchen, Sue Polutnik, Cathy Ritter, Andrew Savikas, Jim Schlueter, Matt Silich, Susan Sternberg, Marsha Stoltz, Mary Tallon Hoffman, Carl Walworth, Sher Watts Spooner, Ian Williams, Sabrina Willmer, Pat Wingert Kelly
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Raymond Clamage Memorial Award
in recognition of being the staff member who contributed the most to the progress and quality of The Daily Illini during the year.
Raymond Clamage served on the Daily Illini Staff from 1942-43 and was killed in action in World War II. The award was established by his family to honor his life.
Qaasim dove in headfirst as News Editor, building on a section that has been growing exponentially in quality, content and commitment over the past few years. He led with grace and transformed The Daily Illini’s news section into a well-oiled machine. The impact of his leadership, reporting and editing skills will be felt long past his graduation, and he has set the news section up for unprecedented success.
John C. Trebilcock Memorial Award
in recognition of the Best Piece of Investigative Reporting by a member of The Daily Illini staff during the year.
Professor Trebilcock was a member of the College of Journalism faculty teaching reporting and editing from 1948 until his death in 1955.
Ryan thrived in his role as Senior News Reporter, tackling data-driven stories with ease. His piece on Shahid Khan’s honorary degree rejections showed his dedication to and prowess in investigative reporting. The passion he put into his articles shines through, and his news reporting skills were invaluable to The Daily Illini this year.
Jeff Ponczak Memorial Award
in recognition of being the member of The Daily Illini sports staff who has contributed the most to teamwork, the spirit of friendship, and an unabashed love of sports and fun, as well as quality in reporting sports at the paper during the year.
Jeff Ponczak served as a writer and editor on The Daily Illini sports staff from 1987-91. This award was established by Jeff’s friends and family in June 2008 to honor him and support future sports journalists after Jeff lost a long battle with congenital heart problems .
Laura is the human embodiment of a ray of sunshine. Her passion for sports journalism met with her reporting skills impressively as Senior Sports Reporter, but her spirit and “love of the game” made her integral to the sports section’s teamwork and camaraderie. She did a fantastic job of approaching her reporting with skilled professionalism and her section with open, welcoming arms.
Brett H. Lerner Memorial Award
in recognition of being the staff member who contributed the most to the progress and quality of Illini Drive during the year.
Brett Lerner was a DI sports reporter and the co-host of WPGU’s Illini Drive. He was killed in a tragic car accident on his way to cover a sporting event in October, 2015. This award was established by Brett’s father in recognition of Brett’s dedication and contributions to WPGU and The Daily Illini. You can read more about Brett here.
As head of the sports department, O’Kelly brought a new sense of enthusiasm for athletics within WPGU, and channeled that momentum into strengthening the beloved ‘Illini Drive’ talk show. O’Kelly brought in new voices and dynamic personalities to enhance the show’s content and energy. He interviewed a variety of influential voices in athletics, giving listeners a unique listening experience. As head host of the show, O’Kelly has trained developing hosts and prepared another generation of students to continue providing vibrant content for the C-U community and beyond.
Tom Thomas, Jr. Memorial Award
in recognition of being the member of the WPGU-FM 107.1 staff who made the greatest contribution to the quality and the betterment of the radio station during the year.
Tom Thomas, Jr. worked at WPGU from 1974-76, and in later years was one of Illini Media’s most active alumni. This award was established by his friends and family, in recognition of his dedication and contributions to WPGU and Illini Media after his sudden death in May of 2008.
After joining WPGU her freshman year, Benson quickly performed above and beyond within the company. She rose to News Director where she updated and restructured the department into an up-to-date, outstanding news outlet. Benson expanded the department’s news output and compelled her team to seek out breaking headlines. From there she continued to excel in managing teams and facilitating a community atmosphere throughout the station, moving up to Program Director. In this position Benson quickly broke barriers for the radio and brought a new level of engagement not seen in years.
Gerald S. Cohen Memorial Award
in recognition of being the member of the business staff who made the greatest contribution to the betterment of The Daily Illini during the year.
Gerald S. Cohen worked on The Daily Illini business staff and this award was established by his parents after his untimely death in 1956 in memory of his contributions and dedication to The Daily Illini business staff.
Safa Shakir is one of the most adaptable and versatile members of the Illini Media Company business staff. Whether it’s organizing tablings on the Quad or in the Union, orchestrating flyering campaigns or promoting the brand of The Daily Illini, Safa takes on her work with grace and confidence and ultimately drives the company forward.
Thomas J. Costello Memorial Award
in recognition of outstanding service to Illini Media and loyalty to its mission to provide students with a professional learning experience.
Thomas Costello served on the Illini Media Board of Directors from 1995 until his death in 2020. The award was established by Illini Media to honor his outstanding service to the company.
Chris Harlan, president and chief executive officer of the University of Illinois Community Credit Union, served as the president of the Illini Media Company Board of Directors from 2020 to 2024, and successfully led the company through its darkest financial and operational days to its current financial and operational health and stability.
Harlan joined the Illini Media Board representing the greater Champaign-Urbana community in 2015, and took over board leadership after the sudden passing of long-time board president Tom Costello in 2020. Harlan’s financial leadership and steady hands were indispensable as the company dealt with the severe financial challenges facing newspaper and radio outlets, and then the crippling effects of the COVID pandemic. He was the right person at the right time to lead us to a sustainable future!
A native of Champaign, Chris holds an MBA from Illinois and is proud of the Illini — and proud of what our Illini Media brands have accomplished. He is a most worthy recipient for all he has done for Illini Media!