January 27, 2004 -- (by WTT contributing Editor, Patrick Henry) -- Two printers, two supplier executives, and a publication production director will be the recipients of this year’s "Power of Communications" awards from the Association of Graphic Communications (AGC). AGC, an affiliate of Printing Industries of America and the largest trade association for graphics in the Northeast, announced the selections at the headquarters of Time Inc. in New York City on Jan. 21. Formal presentation to the winners will take place at AGC’s 2004 "Franklin Event" in New York City on April 27. The association also announced the creation of a special honor, the "Franklin Medal of Recognition," for exceptional achievement related to printing. AGC said the first recipient is to be Walter Isaacson, the author of a best-selling biography of Benjamin Franklin. Diane Romano (AGT o seven), chairman of the board of AGC, described the "Power of Communications" honors as the "Academy Awards of the printing industry in the metro area." They are presented annually by AGC to salute exemplary service by representatives of its member companies. The 2004 designees are Donald A. Berkowitz, president, Central Lewmar (paper merchant); J. Randolph Colahan, chairman and co-chief executive officer, Colahan Saunders Corp. (commercial printer); Stanley E. Freimuth, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. (graphic arts supplier); Barry R. Meinerth, senior vice president-production and fulfillment, Time Inc. (publisher); and Frank L. Misischia, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer, FLM Graphics Corp. (commercial printer). Berkowitz and Misischia are members of AGC’s board of directors. Susan G. Greenwood, president of AGC, noted that the newly created Franklin Medal would not be an annual award, but an occasional tribute reserved for unusually deserving individuals. Isaacson, its first recipient, is the president of the Aspen Institute and has been the chairman of CNN and the managing editor of Time magazine. His Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (Simon & Schuster) has been on The New York Times Best Sellers list since its publication last July. He also is the author of a biography of Henry Kissinger and the co-author of a study of U.S. foreign policy makers during the Cold War. Isaacson and the "Power of Communications" recipients will be recognized at the Franklin Event, which is being held earlier than usual this year to accommodate drupa, the international printing trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany (May 6-19). For more information, contact AGC at (212) 279-2100. === Patrick Henry, WTT contributing editor, is the director of Liberty or Death Communications, a consultancy specializing in research, education, and promotional services for the graphic communications industry. E-mail [email protected] or telephone (718) 847-9430.