Because balloting for APSE second vice president ended in a tie, a runoff election between John Bednarowski of the Marietta Daily Journal and Ed Guzman of the The Seattle Times is underway.
Voting runs through Friday (April 8).
Each member news organization gets one (1) vote.
To vote, reply to this e-mail or send an e-mail to Executive Director Jack Berninger at jackapse@aol.com .
Bios of Bednarowski and Guzman are below in alphabetical order.
John Bednarowski
News organization: Marietta Daily Journal
Background: Became sports editor of the Marietta Daily Journal in 2006. Since then took high school sports, especially high school football to the next level.
Cobb Football Friday, our high school football franchise, along with Kickoff, our annual football preview issues have become a driving force and the advertising revenue they generate have allowed us to build our section and department.
Now, we get to prepare for Kennesaw State’s drive toward becoming a Division I FCS power and the eventual arrival of the Atlanta Braves in our county in 2017.
I began my career while still in college at UAB and worked as a stringer for former APSE president Tim Stephens at the now-defunct Birmingham Post Herald. From there I went to the St. Clair News-Aegis in Pell City, Ala., where I received the true taste of what it is like to work for a small city newspaper. In addition to being a one-man sports department, I got my fill of local government, community features and advertorials.
After leaving the News-Aegis in the summer of 2003, I worked as a freelance writer for the Birmingham News and then was hired as a sports writer at the Gadsden Times in Gadsden, Ala. I was the final reporter hired by Alabama sports writing legend Jimmy Smothers.
APSE experience: I joined APSE in 2007. I was Southeast Region vice chair from 2008-10 and then region chair from 2010-12.
I was elected APSE Third Vice President in 2014 and will conclude my two-year term at the summer convention in Charlotte.
I have been a contest judge the past eight years and will attend my eighth national convention in June.
At the annual conventions, I have had the privilege of serving on panels and moderating different workshops.
Objective: As our industry continues to evolve, we have to make sure that APSE evolves with it. As a group, we need foresee current trends and share the ideas that come from them. We need to make sure our organization maximizes its membership opportunities by finding new members, recruit former members back into the fold, and reach out to the younger generations that are joining our profession.
Quotable: “Make it easy for the readers.”
Ed Guzman
News organization: The Seattle Times
Background: Currently an Assistant Sports Editor at The Seattle Times, where I’ve been since March 2013. Previously worked at The Washington Post for seven-plus years (2006-13) in a variety of roles, including Night Sports Editor, Sports Copy Chief and Assistant High School Sports Editor. Also worked at The New York Times (2002-05) as a Staff Editor and at The Oregonian (1999-2002) as a sports reporter and editor. Graduated from Stanford in 1999 with a degree in history. Originally from Los Angeles. Fluent in Spanish.
APSE experience: Was part of the inaugural class of APSE’s Diversity Fellowship in 2011-12. Took part in winter conference judging in 2012 and helped lead a workshop at the 2012 APSE convention in Chicago. Served as Northwest Region Chair from 2014-16. Part of an organization that won an APSE “triple crown” in 2014 and our first-ever “grand slam” in 2015.
Objective: To help APSE maintain its place as an essential journalistic organization by successfully leading and navigating amidst the change and evolution in our industry. And doing so with great integrity, inclusiveness and joy.
Quotable: “APSE has always been a source of great inspiration for me, dating to my participation in the Sports Journalism Institute in 1998 while still an undergraduate, to my time as a Diversity Fellow in 2011-12, through to the present day. It’s opened doors for me throughout my career. And in doing so, I’ve developed relationships and friendships that I hold near and dear to my heart. I want to give back to the organization that has given me so much. Thank you for your consideration.”
