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2001
Communicator of Achievement
Jane Brandt, publisher
of The Hebron Herald and The Richardton Merchant, was named communicator
of achievement by the National Federation of Press Women Sept.
13 at the 2001 NFPW conference in Indianapolis.
Brandt is the first
North Dakotan to be awarded NFPW communicator of achievement.
Brandt was nominated
for this national honor by the North Dakota Professional Communicators.
She was selected for the award among the 19 nominees from state
communications organizations based on professional achievements
(60 percent), contributions to NFPW an NDPC (20 percent) and community
service (20 percent).
Because of the events
of Sept. 11, Brandt was unable to be in Indianapolis to accept
the award in person. In a written response, Brandt said, "When
I read the information describing the lives, accomplishments and
professions of the other nominees, I was in total awe. It made
me realize, once again, that NFPW is a strong and meaningful organization
because of members who are dedicated, hardworking women and men
who have chosen the field of communications as their profession."
Brandt moved to Hebron
from California in 1965 trained as a medical secretary and with
no writing experience. But when on his third day as publisher
of The Herald, Brandt's husband said he couldn't do this alone,
her life changed forever.
Seven years later,
Brandt was alone at The Herald with a pressman, his high school
brother and a friend who helped set type. Despite hot lead, no
air conditioning and hand-wrapping newspapers, Brandt continued
to have success with The Herald and The Richardton Merchant she
started. When their press died, she scrambled with a hand-me-down
Justowriter. Weeks later, Compuwriter machines arrived and a closer
printer cut travel from 210 to 60 miles per trip. Today, The Hebron
Herald even has a Web page Brandt developed.
Brandt has been a
leader in North Dakota Professional Communicators, the National
and North Dakota Newspaper associations, the Hebron Business Club
and several other groups.
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