COA is the highest honor bestowed by Colorado Press Women upon members who have distinguished themselves within and beyond their profession. The recipient is then entered into competition with COA’s from other states for recognition as the NFPW Communicator of Achievement. This honor recognizes exceptional achievement in the communications field, service to CPW and NFPW and to the community.
Kathleen Spring, 2026 Colorado Communicator of Achievement
Kathleen Spring, Colorado Press Women’s 2026 Communicator of Achievement, was honored at our 85th Anniversary celebration in April. A born storyteller, Kathleen would invent stories for her two younger brothers when they were doing yard [...]
Donna Bryson, 2025 National & Colorado Communicator of Achievement
A descendant of storytellers and story lovers, Donna Bryson first discovered her affinity for journalism in high school, where she edited her school magazine, the Serrandipity after school namesake, 18th century missionary Junipero Serra. Her adviser, Laura [...]
Sharon Almirall — 2024 Colorado Communicator of Achievement & National Runner-up
Perseverance, service and courage are the hallmarks of Sharon Almirall’s 55-year career in journalism and communications. With perseverance and courage, Sharon has suffered many “scrapes and scars” in her career, as she writes in her [...]
Marilyn Saltzman – 2023 National & Colorado Communicator of Achievement
The morning of April 20, 1999, Colorado Communicator of Achievement Marilyn Saltzman’s life changed forever. Two armed teenagers strode into Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado, and shot and killed 12 fellow students [...]
Karen Pochert Petersen, Colorado 2021 Communicator of Achievement
When the highest level of government was intent on suppressing the truth about the environmental damage inflicted by the actions of humankind, forbidding phrases such as “climate change,” “global warming,” carbon footprint,” and “greenhouse [...]
Sandy Nance, 2020 National & Colorado Communicator of Achievement
At the University of Colorado-Boulder in the mid-1960s, Sandy Michel decided to study advertising in the journalism school. First, though, she was required to take an introductory newswriting class. Her focus changed: Newswriting was more [...]