The School of Journalism and Mass Communications honored five
graduates at the Annual Alumni Awards Dinner on Nov. 8,
2012.
The awards identify exceptional graduates of the school whose careers
represent significant professional achievement.
The Distinguished Alumni Award honors graduates who have demonstrated
a history of exemplary work in their professional careers and who
have been out of school for at least 10 years. The 2012 Distinguished
Alumni Award recipients are:
Richard D. Elliott ('67, journalism)
Richard Elliott is president of Maverick Southern Kitchens. With
degrees in both journalism and law, Elliott spent 13 years as a
trial lawyer in Atlanta before founding what is now Maverick Southern
Kitchens, which owns five restaurants and a cooking store in Charleston
and Greenville. Elliott is extensively involved with the community
and active in many civic and charitable efforts throughout South
Carolina.
Catherine B. Love ('85, public relations)
Catherine Love is the vice president for marketing and communications
at SCANA in Columbia, S.C. In this role, Love leads the team responsible
for media relations, corporate communications, marketing and philanthropy.
A native of Columbia, Love has 26 years of experience in communications
and marketing management. She served as SCANA's 2011 United Way chair,
and is a member of the SCANA Women's Leadership Group, chairs the
board of Carolina Wildlife Care and is a lunch buddy at C.A. Taylor
Elementary.
Michael “Jeff” Charney ('81, public
relations)
Jeff Charney is the chief marketing officer for Progressive, where
he leads efforts including national advertising, internal and external
communications, new media content initiatives and public relations.
He was named "Brand Genius and Marketer of the Year" by Adweek for
2011. Charney was one of the creative minds behind Progressive's
brand icon "Flo," who was named in Advertising Age Magazine's 2012
"Top Female Icons of All Time."
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors graduates who have been
out of school for 10 years or less but have already demonstrated
great professional accomplishments early in their careers. The 2012
Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipients are:
Jonathan T. Bennett ('06, journalism)
Jonathan Bennett has recently begun a new position as advertising
technology manager for Healthgrades.com. Prior to that, he was the
assistant managing editor for Digital at The Florida Times-Union
and Jacksonville.com, where he oversaw all digital products for the
organization. Bennett started with The Times-Union as a web producer
in 2007, soon after graduating with his journalism degree.
Tracey E. Robinson ('01, advertising)
Tracey Robinson is the senior media buyer and research director
for National Media Research, Planning and Placement in Washington,
D.C., where she develops and executes client media plans based
on statistical analyses. Her research into voters' media habits
have been featured in media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times,
The Atlantic, MSNBC and NPR's The Marketplace. Robinson was instrumental
in the formation of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation, which
has helped more than 100 journalism and advertising undergraduates
from across the country.
