HONOR MANU RAJU, TOMMY THOMPSON WITH THE MILWAUKEE PRESS CLUB
The Milwaukee Press Club, one of the oldest continuously operating press clubs in the world, will host its annual Gridiron Awards Dinner on Friday, May 6 at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. This year’s event will be timely, poignant, and not-to-be missed.
We are pleased to welcome this year’s Sacred Cat award winner, Manu Raju and headliner, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson.
Raju is a journalist who serves as the Chief Congressional Correspondent at the news network CNN, covering the United States Congress and campaign politics. Raju was a top Capitol Hill reporter at Politico and The Hill newspaper. He also is a frequent guest on political talk shows on TV and radio. He has won multiple journalism awards including the White House Correspondents Association’s Merriman Smith award for presidential reporting in 2012, and first prize in beat reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists in D.C. for his coverage of the 2014 midterm elections. In 2017, Raju was honored with the Joan Shorenstein Barone award, given annually for best congressional reporting by the Radio and Televisions Correspondent Association. In 2021, Raju was part of a team of CNN journalists who were selected as winners of the David Bloom Award by the Radio-Television Correspondents Association for their coverage of the January 6 Capitol attack.
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson will receive the 2022 Headliner Award, presented annually to those who have made significant, positive contributions to Wisconsin and its residents.
A native of Elroy, Wisconsin, Thompson earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from UW-Madison. He first was elected to the state’s Assembly in 1966 and became minority leader in 1981. He won election as governor in 1986 and was re-elected three times, making him the longest-serving governor in Wisconsin history. He stepped down during his fourth term to become United States Health and Human Services secretary under President George W. Bush, a role in which he oversaw an increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health and enhanced local public health preparedness.
Thompson, who was appointed in July 2020 as interim UW system president, in January announced he would step down March 18. Earlier this month, the UW Board of Regents removed the interim designation in recognition of Thompson’s contributions during his tenure.
There are three ways to get involved with the Gridiron Awards event and support the Milwaukee Press Club’s journalistic mission, and students pursuing careers in journalism:
This event also recognizes the Press Club Endowment’s Annual Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism award winners. Most importantly, proceeds from this event help to ensure the quality of Southeastern Wisconsin’s journalistic community for years to come through college scholarships, mentoring, professional development and industry advocacy.
Click here for more information and forms on the sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Ad and sponsorship deadline, Friday, March 25, 2022.
For more information, contact Joette Richards with your questions at joette@milwaukeepressclub.org or (262) 894-2224.
