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Texas Gulf Coast Press Association celebrates 80th convention

Texas Gulf Coast Press Association members celebrated their 80th annual convention this spring at the Sam Houston Hotel in Houston.
The conference included sessions on use of social media, use of Facebook Live for in-house promotion and revenue production, as well as a talk on the threat to transparency in Texas government by Joseph Larsen, longtime director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and an attorney with Gregor Cassidy, PLLC, in Houston.
Ashley Kontnier received a plaque commemorating her year as president as she and other 2017-18 officers completed their terms.
Leaders for the 2018-19 term include Kontnier, Port Lavaca Wave, as chairman of the board; Janet Reneau, Silsbee Bee, as president; Jeff Wick, The Fayette County Record, as first vice president; Tania French, Port Lavaca Wave, as second vice president; Nonnie Barton, The Fayette County Record, as treasurer; and Sonya Timpone, The Cuero Record, as secretary. Serving on the board of directors are London Ferguson Webb, The Banner Press Newspaper, Columbus; Jay Strasner, Brenham Banner-Press; Norma Martinez, Aransas Pass Progress/Ingleside Index; Ramona (Belo) Ferguson, The Banner Press Newspaper, Columbus; Paul Prause, The Flatonia Argus; and Becky Weise, The Fayette County Record.
Danny Reneau, Silsbee Bee, chairs the Nick West Memorial Internship committee and Sue Brown, Pleasanton Express, is scholarship chairman. Serving as assistants to the president are Chad Ferguson, The Banner Press Newspaper, Columbus, and Mary Henkel Judson, Port Aransas South Jetty.
Awards ceremony for the group’s Better Newspaper Contest concluded the event. Journalists from the Louisiana Press Association judged the entries.
Sweepstakes winners were:
Division I: Yorktown News-View, first place; Mathis News, second place; and Alvin Sun, third place.
Division II: Pleasanton Express, first place; Port Aransas South Jetty, second place; and Jewish Herald Voice, third place.
Division III: Fayette County Record, first place; Beeville Bee-Picayune, second place; and El Campo Leader-News, third place.
Complete results are featured on the group’s website, www.txgulfcoastpress.com.