Category: Class Notes

Allison Gardner Martin has been promoted to Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship and Digital Communications for GE Appliances (GEA).

In this new role, Allison will work to increase awareness, recognition and support for GEA’s Citizenship agenda in its journey to be recognized as the most admired, trusted and respected organization in the industry.

Allison also will lead GEA’s corporate digital communications, which includes the corporate website design, daily digital activations and company-owned social media platforms.

Allison joined the company in 2018 as director of employee communications after more than 20 years of experience working in journalism, communications, community relations and government affairs in the public and private sector.

Prior to joining GEA, Allison worked as Chief Communications Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, Chief of Staff & Communications Director for Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and Deputy Communications Director for Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. Allison also worked for a decade as a broadcast journalist and news anchor.

Allison lives in Louisville, Ky. with her husband and two children. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism where she minored in Spanish and sociology.

Jennifer Trammell has been named the first Managing Director of the NextGen Speaker Series, based in Naples, Fla. The NextGen Speaker Series was created to foster leadership, mentorship, empowerment, and philanthropy. Trammell will expand the platform with an online learning portal where members can access key insights from world renowned entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Joe Frolik has been promoted to the newly created position of executive editor at ideastream, Northeast Ohio’s public media source. In his new role, Frolik is responsible for the planning, creation and supervision of all local news and information content produced or presented for ideastream audiences. He leads content managers and staff across all platforms and develops and maintains ideastream’s partnerships. Previously, Frolik served as ideastream’s managing producer for community affairs, and spent more than 30 years with Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer as a reporter, national correspondent and finally chief editorial writer.

Yvette Walker, assistant dean at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. Walker is among 10 inductees to be honored. “The 50th anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate the many historic accomplishments of journalists who have made an impact in Oklahoma and nationwide,” said Joe Hight, director and Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair of Journalism Ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma. The gala will be at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the Oklahoma History Center.

Amy Buckman, Dir. of School and Community Relations for Lower Merion School District, was recognized by the Phila. Public Relations Assoc. for her work following the deaths of LM alumnus Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. Her statement on behalf of the District at 4:15 p.m. ET the day of the crash was carried live internationally. She coordinated media availabilities with student athletes and alumni, and with Mr. Bryant’s coaches, while balancing the safety and emotional needs of students and staff with the desire of members of the public who wanted to pay homage outside the high school gymnasium.

Sports journalist Christine Brennan was awarded the 2020 Associated Press Sports Editors’ Red Smith Award, presented annually to an individual who has made “major contributions to sports journalism,” on March 4.

“This is such an honor,” said Brennan, who joined USA TODAY in August 1997. “I’ve been so fortunate to know or work with quite a few of the Red Smith Award winners over the years. They have been my role models, my editors and my mentors, so to join them is very humbling.”

Brennan is a sports columnist for USA Today, a commentator on ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour, NPR and a best-selling author.

Karen Entriken recently began a new role as Marketing Manager at Franklin Energy Services. The company designs and implements energy efficiency programs for utility, state, and municipality clients nationwide. Karen manages a team of marketing professionals to support energy companies in the mission to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability goals for industries and households.

Mauricio Pena, a news reporter for Block Club Chicago, was named one of the Chicago Scholars 35 under 35 on March 10.

Mauricio Peña covers Pilsen, Little Village, West Loop and Back of the Yards.  Before joining Block Club Chicago, Peña was an Associate Digital Editor at Chicago magazine. He previously worked as a breaking news reporter at DNAinfo, and an investigative reporter covering immigration and equality at the Desert Sun for the USA Today Network. His investigative, data-driven series on heat deaths and illnesses among farmworkers won state and regional awards for highlighting the plight of California farmworkers.

Peña was a Staff Research Associate at the UCLA School of Nursing where he managed a research laboratory before getting his master’s from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Chicago Scholars 5th annual 35 under 35 Awards recognizes a group of diverse, talented young professionals making an impact in Chicago. Chicago Scholars is a mentoring and leadership development organization that helps first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities navigate the complex transitions into college, through college, and beyond to a career.