Foundation elects officers, directors

Mrs. Betty Spaar, Odessa Odessan, was elected May 7, as president of the Missouri Press Foundation.  Spaar succeeds Thomas L. Miller, Sr., Washington, MO, who had served as Foundation president since 2001.
            Other officers elected were Wendell Lenhart, Trenton Republican-Times, first vice president; Kirk Powell, Pleasant Hill Times, second vice president; and Doug Crews, Columbia, secretary-treasurer.
            Longtime director and officer Wallace Vernon, Eldon, was named an emeritus director, and he joins Mrs. Wanda A. Brown, Harrisonville, emeritus director.
            Other directors elected include Vicki S. Russell, Columbia Daily Tribune; Dane Vernon, Versailles Leader-Statesman; Prof. James C. Sterling, University of Missouri, Columbia; Thomas L. Miller, Sr.; Rogers Hewitt, Shelbyville; William E. James, Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal; Edward L. Steele, Columbia; William L. Miller, Sr., Washington Missourian; R. B. "Bob" Smith III, Lebanon; Mrs. Avis G. Tucker, Kansas City; and Robert Wilson, The Milan Standard.
            The Missouri Press Foundation, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Columbia at the Missouri Press Association, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
            The Foundation’s activities include the nationally award-winning Missouri Newspapers In Education program; funding annual community newspaper scholarships for college students; providing summer internship grants to college students working at Missouri newspapers; offering workshops for Missouri newspaper employees; sponsoring the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame in Washington, MO; sponsoring the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest; and operating the Missouri newspaper print shop and museum in Arrow Rock, Mo.