Colorado’s bumper crop of At-Large contest winners has yielded two national first place winners, two second places and an honorable mention in the National Federation of Press Women 2019 Communication Contest. Certificates will be presented to national winners at the awards banquet at the NFPW Conference Saturday, June 29, in Baton Rouge, LA.

Colorado’s national winners are:

  • Jane Bock, First: Fiction for Adult Readers, Novels
  • Donna Bryson, Second: Non-fiction Book for Adult Readers, General Non-fiction
  • Judi Buehrer, First: Non-fiction Book for Adult Readers, Biography
  • Jean Lotus, Second: News Story, Online Publication
  • Karen Petersen, First: Brochure-Nonprofit, Government, Education
  • Robin Ruth, Honorable Mention: Children’s Book, Fiction

They qualified for competition in the national NFPW contest by taking first place in NFPW’s At-Large Contest. Following are the At-Large winners from Colorado and their categories:

  • Jane Bock – First place: Fiction for Adult Readers, Novels
  • Donna Bryson – First place: Non-fiction Book for Adult Readers, General Non-fiction
  • Donna Bryson – First place: Feature Story, Print-based Newspaper
  • Donna Bryson – Second place: Specialty Article, Arts and Entertainment
  • Judi Buehrer – First place: Non-fiction Book for Adult Readers, Biography
  • Dala Giffin – First place: for Feature Story, Magazine, Newsletter or Non-newspaper
  • Jean Lotus – First place: News Story, Online Publication
  • Kathryn Mayer – Second place: Feature Story, Online Publication
  • Kathryn Mayer – Second place: Feature Story, Magazine, Newsletter or Non-newspaper
  • Karen Petersen – First place: Brochures, non-profit, government, education (with co-entrants Rachel Sullivan and Stacy Buchanan)
  • Eric Rasmussen – Second place: Columns, Informational
  • Robin Ruth – First place: Children’s Book, Fiction

Contest chair Teri Ehresman says the At-Large contest is increasingly competitive, with 100 entries this year.  Entries come from affiliates that don’t have state contests — Arizona, Louisiana, Oregon, North Carolina, South Dakota and Washington — as well as from At-Large members in states that don’t have an affiliate — Maine, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and Tennessee.

NFPW recruits professional communications experts from throughout the United States to be judges and asks that they make comments to explain their ratings and help writers improve their craft.