2009 Communicator of Achievement Denise Pinkney

Denise Pinkney, Fargo, editor/project leader with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, has been named 2009 North Dakota Communicator of Achievement by NDPC. The Communicator of Achievement award honors its recipients for accomplishments in the communications field, service to the community and contributions to NDPC and NFPW.

Prior to BCBSND, Pinkney served as assistant director of communications at Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative in Wahpeton for 13 years and had been a freelance writer and columnist. She is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Pinkney has extensive service with the National Federation of Press Women and NDPC. She is currently co-director of the national high school contest, has coordinated speakers for national conventions and has served in several leadership positions including state president for two years. Pinkney has also won more than 110 state and national writing awards.

“In all of her writing, she is creative, thorough, fair and accurate, and she regularly displays a flair for writing award-winning stories, eatures, captions and headlines,” said Patricia Wallace, BCBSND editorial team leader.

In the community, Pinkney has tutored refugee families, performed in community theater, planned festivals, mentored students and volunteered at the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.

NDPC honored Pinkney at the annual convention in Minot, N.D. In September, she will compete for the 2009 NFPWCommunicator of Achievement in San Antonio, Texas.

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