CONTACT: Velma Sykes, Marketing Director
The OBSERVER Media Group
(916) 452-4781 |
OBSERVER Publisher Saluted As 'Exemplary
Employer'
(April 12, 2005) - Dr. William H. Lee, founder
and publisher of The OBSERVER Newspapers, nationally recognized
for its media coverage of the African American community,
received the 2004 “Exemplary Leader Award” from
the American Leadership Forum, Mountain Valley Chapter, March
18, 2005 at the organization’s annual dinner held at
the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento.
Dr. Lee became the first African American to be honored
with the ALF Chapter’s most prestigious award.
More than 500 of the area’s most influential business,
political, educational and social leaders were on hand to
salute Dr. Lee for his more than four decades of service and
leadership in to Sacramento and throughout the nation.
The event featured a video tribute and awards presentation
in honor of the highly regarded publisher.
Dana Howard, local television anchor at KTXL News10, acted
as emcee for the event. Funds raised at the dinner will be
used to provide scholarships to ensure diverse representation
in the ALF fellows program.
Previous winners of the annual coveted ALF award include
Congressman Robert Matsui; former California Secretary of
Health and Human Services Sandy Smoley; the late Sacramento
Mayor Joe Serna; and, retired president of California State
University at Sacramento Dr. Don Gerth.
Dr. Lee founded The OBSERVER in November 1962. The paper
has gained national prominence as one of the nation’s
top African American newspapers under Dr. Lee’s leadership.
In addition to The OBSERVER, Dr. Lee’s leadership
has also been shown in his professional, business and community
services, both nationally and locally.
He served as an officer and board member of the National
Newspaper Publishers Association for over a dozen years; he
was the founding president of the West Coast Black Publishers
Association; he has been a member of the journalism Pulitzer
Prize jury; a “publisher of the year” by a number
of Associations; and a six-time winner of the coveted John
B. Russwurm Trophy, the highest award given (by NNPA) in Black
Newspaper Publishing.
Dr. Lee was also recognized by the ALF for being a pioneer
in civil rights and social justice for African Americans and
others in Sacramento County.
“Through his leadership, he has opened doors for m
any of today’s leaders,” said ALF Chair Attorney
Joe Genshlea, during the awards ceremonies.
Dr. Lee's bio can be accessed here.
ABOUT THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
THE OBSERVER NEWSPAPERS is comprised of three media
divisions: SacObserver.com, the company’s award-winning
Web site, which received over 1.1 million visitors each month;
the Community Connections division, responsible for producing
exceptional community outreach events and activities, such
as the nationally prominent Capital City Black Expo; and,
The OBSERVER Newspaper weekly publication and special editions,
offering news and information about African Americans for
readers in Sacramento and throughout the nation. Over the
past 40 years, The OBSERVER has been named the nation’s
No. 1 African American newspaper six times and has won over
500 awards for journalism excellence and community service.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM
Since 1981, the American Leadership Forum, a national
nonprofit organization, has dedicated its work to revitalizing
leadership within communities across the nation. Established
in 1997, the Mountain Valley Chapter brings together established
leaders from Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Northern Solano
and Yolo counties. Each year the American Leadership Forum’s
board of directors selects 20-24 ethnically, geographically
and professionally diverse candidates to participate in a
yearlong program. Those selected, called Fellows, come from
the public, private and nonprofit sectors as well as neighborhood
and diversity groups.
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