SCHAUMBURG, IL - The Illinois Woman's Press Association, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), honored 37 members for their 104 winning entries in the 2008 Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest at its May 17 Awards Luncheon at the Union League Club in Chicago.

Thirty-eight 1st place entries have gone on to NFPW for national judging. Results will be announced at the September 11-13 conference in Idaho Falls, ID. This competition recognizes excellence in communications and covers a wide range of categories in print and electronic media, books, photography, advertising, and public relations. Winners.

Mary T. Wagner, assistant district attorney for Sheboygan County, WI, won the distinguished Silver Feather Award for achieving the highest number of points among all the entrants. She received three 1st place awards, two 2nd place, two 3rd place, and one honorable mention for her entries in the editorial/opinion, web writing, and photography categories. Wagner's recently published book, Running with Stilettos, is a collection of entries from her blog, Running with Stilettos-Living a Balanced Life in Dangerous Shoes (www.runningwithstilettos.com).

A total of 132 entries were submitted for state judging. The most competitive categories were in news and feature writing, web writing, and public relations. Other categories included photography, research, non-fiction books, and short stories.

Judges for the Communications Contest this year were:
o News: Steven Walters is the Madison Bureau Chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin's largest daily newspaper, where he oversees coverage of state politics as well as Capitol politics. He is also a tenured lecturer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism.

o Web Writing: Janice Castro teaches interactive storytelling, reporting, magazine publishing, and media management at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, where she is senior director of graduate education. For more than 20 years, she was a reporter, writer, and editor for Time magazine, and headed interactive operations for five years, managing online news for Time, People, Fortune, Entertainment Weekly, and Sports Illustrated.

o PR/Publicity/Promotion: Cheryl Procter-Rogers is president of A Step Ahead Public Relations in Lincolnshire, IL. She counsels clients in integrated marketing communications, community relations and public affairs, strategic planning, and special events planning.

o Photography: Eric Jamison is the owner of Studio J Inc., a commercial, architectural, advertising, and editorial photography studio based in Las Vegas.

o Books/Short Stories/Research: Russell Primm is president of Editorial Directions, Inc., a book producer and consultant providing editorial services such as concept development and project management, as well as marketing and sales consulting. He is a member of the University of Chicago Publishing Program Advisory Board.
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NFPW and its affiliates are a dynamic nationwide organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum. Its members work in print and electronic journalism, public relations, advertising, freelancing, graphic design, new media, marketing, photography, book publishing, education and more. The organization is dedicated to professional excellence and the highest ethical standards in the communications field, and to the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment. For more information about IWPA, call the Illinois Woman's Press Association Hotline, 312/458-9151, e-mail iwpa@comcast.net or visit the IWPA Web site, www.iwpa.org. Contact NFPW at 800-780-2715, presswomen@aol.com or www.nfpw.org.

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