Left to right: Mary Lawrence, Julia Farrell, and Mary Jo Johnson.

PEWAUKEE, WI – The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural Women in Print Leadership Award.

The new Women in Print Leadership Awards supports GLGA’s ongoing quest to recognize the contributions of women in the Midwest print, graphic arts, finishing and print packaging community as well as those women who support the print industry in a vendor or supplier capacity.

Any woman working directly in print or in a vendor role supporting print who was in good standing with her company in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin was eligible to be nominated. The nominations were reviewed by a panel of female print professionals outside of the Midwest, who selected one recipient per state.

Honored as the recipient for the State of Illinois is Mary Lawrence, President of Richards Graphic Communications, Bellwood, Illinois.

Honored as the recipient for the State of Indiana is Julia Farrell, Vice President of The National Group, Lafayette, Indiana.

Honored as the recipient for the State of Wisconsin is Mary Jo Johnson, CEO/Owner of EO Johnson Business Technologies, Wausau, Wisconsin.

Selection criteria included

• Passion for print and anything resembling print. This might include activities like recruiting new females into the print industry, volunteering for training, etc. Include examples if appropriate.
• Mentoring – a focus on helping other women grow in their organization or advance their career goals. Those who are making an impact in the lives of women in print.
• Experience in a print organization or in a vendor/supplier who supports print.
• Community Advocacy – how does she support and/or advocate for print away from work (designing sports flyers, volunteering in service organizations, supporting sustainability, etc.)

In addition to the top recipients, this year’s class of exceptional nominees represents a wide spectrum of roles in which women make contributions to print:

Lynn Buck, Production Manager, Copresco
Stacy Buening, President/Corporation Counsel, Philipp Lithographing Company
Donna Covannon, Director of Marketing, Xeikon, The Flint Group
Donna Esser, CFO/Co-Owner, Special Editions
Pamela Fernholz, VP Finance/HR, Supreme Graphics
Cheryl Galloway, CIO/CFO, CE Printed Products
Wendy Hunjadi, Director of Client Experience, Arandell Corporation
Jodi Laughery, Art Director, Supreme Graphics
Kara Lineal, President & Chief Marketing Officer, Plum Grove, Inc
Julie Newhouse, General Manager, Walsworth
Stacy Salzman, Senior Account Manager, Walsworth
Lisa Sulma, Executive Assistant to the CEO/CS Supervisor, H.S. Crocker, Co., Inc.
Michelle Talko, Customer and Pre-Press Manager, Prairie State Impressions
Kim Ziebell, Customer Service Manager, Specialty Print Communications

“The printing industry continues to emerge as an industry that welcomes gender equality, and we are immensely proud of all the nominees for the Women in Print Leadership Awards," said Joseph Lyman, president of GLGA. "A special congratulations goes to the winners of the awards in each of the states we represent. Midwestern printers continue to lead the way, especially those led by women who are blazing the trail of progress.”

The recipients and nominees will be honored at GLGA’s simultaneous Graphics Excellence Awards (GEA) Celebrations on Thursday, September 30, 2021, in Addison, IL, and Milwaukee, WI.

For more information about the Women in Print Leadership Award, visit www.glga.info.