Minutes from the closing meeting at the APSE Summer Conference on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown in Minneapolis.
President Paul Barrett called the meeting to order at 2:51 p.m. and introduced First Vice President Perryn Keys, Second Vice President Erik Hall, Third Vice President Tony Maluso, Executive Director Bill Eichenberger and Conference Coordinator Glen Crevier.
Past presidents in attendance
Dan Spears, USA Today Network (2024-25)
Naila-Jean Meyers, The Minnesota Star Tribune (2023-24)
Jorge Rojas, The Athletic (2022-23)
Gary Potosky, The Philadelphia Inquirer (2021-22)
John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal (2018-19)
Tommy Deas, then-Tuscaloosa News (2016-17)
Mike Sherman, then-The Oklahoman (2014-15)
Phil Kaplan, then-Knoxville News-Sentinel (2010-11)
Glen Crevier, then-Minneapolis Star Tribune(2005-06)
Bill Eichenberger, then-Newsday (2003-04)
Region representatives
Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. — Jim Pignatiello
Southeast: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. — Justin Pelletier
Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. — Aaron Ferguson
West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming — Chris Boan
Representing the Associated Press: Barry Bedlan
Executive Committee Reports
Finances and budget (Bill Eichenberger)
Bill Eichenberger continues as executive director of APSE after having replaced Jack Berninger in that role in 2017.
Conference (Glen Crevier)
Reception has been moved to the foyer. Thanks to Tommy Deas for sponsorships and John Bednarowski for producing signs.
APSE conferences are set for 2026.
Feb. 22-26, 2026: Winter Conference and Judging; South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas
July 16-18, 2026: Summer Conference; Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
Naila Meyers (Host)
Thanks, everyone, for coming to the conference.
Conference update (John Bednarowski)
Shortly after July 4, we will make the link available to make reservations at South Point. Past 2026, some irons in the fire, but nothing firm.
Revenue (Tommy Deas)
No report.
Thai Night/Mini golf (Tommy Deas/Justin Pelletier)
We had a record 46 attendees at Thai Garden Fusion. Our thanks to Naila-Jean Meyers for making sure there was a really good Thai restaurant across the street from our conference HQ.
We look forward to convening next year in Washington, D.C., where the Thai Night tradition was born in 2014.
23 Mini-Golf participants. Jeff Perkins was the winner with a 27-hole total of 64. Justin Pelletier was 2nd, Gary Potosky was 3rd, Ed Reed was 4th, Jim Pigniatello was 5th.
Blind draw team: Jeff Perkins and Emily Horos were the winning pair.
APSE 5K (Dan Spears)
We had a really nice run along the Mississippi River this morning. Amie Just, Shannon Scovel, Phil Kaplan and Dan Spears made it to the lobby after this morning’s rainstorm for our shakeout run to start the day.
Donn Walden Leadership Grant & Naila-Jean Meyers Grant (Dan)
I hope that all of you had a chance to meet our grant winners – Jane Havsy and Olivia Janik – throughout the week. You’ve still got this evening to make up for that if you have not.
APSE Foundation (Jorge Rojas)
The Diversity Fellows class graduates tonight. The silent auction continues through the banquet tonight.
Other summer journalism conferences
NAHJ: July 9-12 in Chicago. https://nahj.org/event/nahj-2025-conference-expo/
AAJA: July 30-August 5 in Seattle. Pre-registration deadline is July 9. https://www.aaja25.org/
NABJ: Aug. 6-10 in Cleveland. https://www.nabjconvention.com/
NLGJA: Sept. 4-7 in Atlanta. https://www.nlgja.org/2025convention/
AWSM: Trying to plan October conference in California, dates TBD.
Committee Reports
Diversity (A. Sherrod Blakely)
No update.
Membership (Jason Murray)
No update. Will meet with Chris and Ed after this meeting
Career Advancement (Lisa Wilson)
No update.
Regions (Dan Spears)
No update.
Scholarships (Phil Kaplan)
I would like to see if there is a way to increase the amount of scholarships. From Naila-Jean Meyers: If the foundation runs the scholarships, donations can be tax-deductible in efforts to produce more scholarships. Erik Hall agrees it makes a lot of sense and a lot of people on the APSE Foundation board would approve that move.
Commissioners (Hank Winnicki)
No updates.
Legal affairs and ethics (Gerry Ahern and John Cherwa)
Dan Spears: I should have mentioned this at the opening meeting but it got lost in the shuffle. This spring, APSE worked with the US Basketball Writers Association on two fronts.
The first was to put our weight behind changes after a mess at the Big Ten tournaments in Indianapolis, where writers had issues with seating and staying in the arena press area between sessions. The other was co-signing a letter of complaint to Duke University over its decisions to not follow NCAA and ACC tournament guidelines on player access following tournament games.
Olympics (Roxanna Scott)
If you applied for Milan credentials, you should’ve heard back by now. If you need to get on a waiting list because plans have changed, we can help with that.
World Cup (Paul Barrett)
No update.
Red Smith Award (Matt Pepin)
No update.
Website/social (Perryn Keys)
We’ll soon turn it over to Erik Hall, who is forward-thinking and digital-thinking and will do a great job with the website and social. I would also suggest a personal calendar for updates and posts, as well as a website post in 2026 ahead of the D.C. summer conference to invite people to bring silent auction items. I had a few items to bring to this year’s conference and forgot about them until I was on the plane to Minneapolis.
Old business
Contest (Paul Barrett/Perryn Keys)
Lindsay Schnell will be presented with the Billie Jean King Award at tonight’s awards dinner.
Perryn is planning to form a group of people to discuss the contest from 2024 and any other contest thoughts people might have for 2025. If you’re interested in being part of this group, or if you just have some contest thoughts you’d like to share, email Perryn at perrynkeys@gmail.com.
Mandatory date drawing for Print Portfolio from the first six months of 2025, using random.org. Paul Barrett, Tony Maluso and Erik Hall witnessed:
The week of Jan. 6-12, 2025.
You can pick either the Sunday or daily from that week. Remember, you’ll have to pick the opposite for the week in the second half of the year.
The date for the final six months of the year will be drawn in December.
Student Contest (Perryn Keys)
One judge’s results remain out. We’ll get the results tabulated and announced as soon as we can.
Bylaws Changes
Changes to 4I
Current
I. Regional chairs and vice chairs. Chairs serve two-year terms and are succeeded by vice chairs.
Terms of the Southeast and West regional chairs expire in odd-numbered years. Terms of Northeast and Midwest chairs expire in even-numbered years. Time of succession coincides with the succession of organization officers. Duties of regional officers are described below.
The method of selection of vice chairs, which occurs every two years unless it is necessary sooner because of resignation, will be determined by regional membership with the approval of the APSE president.
In the event of a vacancy in a regional chair, the vice chair will succeed immediately. If less than a year remains in the original term of office, the new chair will serve the balance of the term and all of the following two-year term. If more than a year remains in the term, the new chair will serve only until the end of the original term, and an election for a new vice chair will be held, such vice chair to succeed the new chair at the end of the original two-year term.
Proposed:
I. Regional chairs and vice chairs. Chairs serve two-year terms and are succeeded by vice chairs.
Terms of the Midwest and Southeast regional chairs expire in odd-numbered years. Terms of Northeast and West chairs expire in even-numbered years. Time of succession coincides with the succession of organization officers. Duties of regional officers are described below.
The method of selection of vice chairs, which occurs every two years unless it is necessary sooner because of resignation, will be determined by regional membership with the approval of the APSE president.
In the event of a vacancy in a regional chair, the vice chair will succeed immediately. If less than a year remains in the original term of office, the new chair will serve the balance of the term and all of the following two-year term. If more than a year remains in the term, the new chair will serve only until the end of the original term, and a new vice chair will be determined by regional membership with the approval of the APSE president.
In favor: 18
Against: 0
Changes to 6
Current
A. Each APSE region will conduct at least one annual meeting, sites and dates to be determined by the regional chair and vice chair with advice from the regional membership. The APSE president must be notified of all such meetings before they are conducted.
B. Financing of regional meetings will be determined by the regional membership, with advice and consent of the president and the Executive Committee.
C. Regional meetings will be devoted to professional development and to regional business. Any other regional business as determined by the regional chair may be conducted at regional meetings. The APSE president may suggest topics for discussion at regional meetings.
D. The regional chair will file a report of each regional meeting to the APSE president. Such reports must be filed within 30 days of the meetings, and excerpts from these reports will appear on the APSE website.
E. The regional chair may make appointments necessary to the conduct of regional meetings.
F. Each region will caucus at the convention. Additional caucuses maybe held as necessary. The purpose of these caucuses is to discuss topics of interest to the region, so that the regional chair or representative will be informed as to the feelings of regional members when such chair votes or participates in discussions at the next Executive Committee meeting.
Proposed
A. Each APSE region will conduct at least one annual meeting, sites and dates to be determined by the regional chair and vice chair with advice from the regional membership. The APSE president must be notified of all such meetings before they are conducted.
B. Financing of regional meetings will be determined by the regional membership, with advice and consent of the president and the Executive Committee.
B. Regional meetings will be devoted to professional development and to regional business. Any other regional business as determined by the regional chair may be conducted at regional meetings. The APSE president may suggest topics for discussion at regional meetings.
D. The regional chair will file a report of each regional meeting to the APSE president. Such reports must be filed within 30 days of the meetings, and excerpts from these reports will appear on the APSE website.
C. The regional chair may make appointments necessary to the conduct of regional meetings.
D. The region chair and vice chair are encouraged to caucus with their membership virtually or through email at least once per year to determine points of interest for region members for future meetings and sessions, including summer conferences.
In favor: 18
Against: 0
New business
Bill Bradley would like to propose we make outreach to 1 new college to become a chapter each year to have a legacy. He also would propose we make more of an effort to get sessions recorded/live-streamed.
Justin Pelletier is in agreement. Feels strongly that those who can’t afford it have the opportunity, especially for smaller organizations. The technology is there, it’s just a matter of how we harnessed it.
Glen says one of the issues is when we negotiate with hotels there are rights issues. Erik Hall says NLGJA tried this, but that it was not cost-beneficial to have a hosting site.
Tommy Deas says it has been brought up in the past and hotels have said “If you record in our hotel, you must pay us.”
Gary Potosky asked Erik if NLGJA saw attendance issues when recorded and Erik says it was not affected.
Mike Sherman finds it strange that we are seeing barriers to publication. Let’s find a way.
Naila Meyers says we should send out an immediate survey to get feedback and/or testimonials from students and younger journalists.
Mike Sherman feels this was one of the best-run conferences in a long time and has heard the same. Barry Bedlan says, let’s market what Mike is saying.
Closing
Motion to adjourn: Chris Boan
Second: Aaron Ferguson
Meeting ended at 3:31 p.m.
Attendance
Jim Pignatiello, MassLive
John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal
Gary Potoskey, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Phil Kaplan, USA Today South Region
Jane Allison Havsy, Daily Record (N.J.)
Jorge Rojas, The Athletic
Glen Crevier, APSE past president
Malcolm Moran, IU Indianapolis
Nate Mink, Syracuse.com
Chris Boan, Gambling.com
Tony Tsoukalas, Tide Illustrated
Matt Pepin, Boston Globe
Oskar Garcia, The Athletic
Maria McIlwain, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Wes Huett, Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star
Bill Eichenberner, executive director
Jeff Maillet, The Athletic
Ralph Walter, Spokesman-Review
Roxanna Scott
Kate Yanchulis, University of Maryland
Bill Bradley, Detroit Free Press
Mike Sherman, USA Today Network
Tommy Deas, USA Today Network
Emily Horos, The Arizona Republic
Justin Pelletier, McClatchy Southeast
Dan Alegria, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Will Kennedy, Des Moines Register
Ed Reed, USA Today Network
Aaron Ferguson, IndyStar
