2011 Eugene Meyer Award winners
View photos from the eventHENIRETTA COOK: Heniretta Cook started her Post career in Circulation in 1991. Eight months later, she migrated to Accounting. In 1995, Heniretta joined Advertising, where she has been ever since. Heniretta was a star performer in each of her roles and remains a star today. She became the true example of what a partnership with sales was all about.
In 1998, Heniretta Cook joined the Classifieds Sales Team as an Inside Sales Representative. She became the Top Performing Inside Sales Representative across all products. Heniretta has achieved every one of her goals. Over her many years in Jobs, Heniretta , at various points in her career, has been the recipient of nearly every award created for her group from “Highest Revenue” producer, to “Most Online” Sales, to “Top Performer of the Year “for Jobs Inside Sales, just to scratch the surface. Even this year she has received two “Sales Excellence” awards and “Top Achiever."
Outside The Post, Heniretta’s passion extends to her family. Heniretta is a dedicated aunt and great aunt to a lucky group of girls.
What makes Heniretta such a phenomenal employee for the Post is that she has excelled in EVERY role she has held in this organization. Heniretta operates her desk as if it was her own company. Never has she arrived at work with the unwillingness to conquer all that is placed before her. Advertisers recognize the impact that Heniretta has on their business and they are honored to work with her. For all of these reasons, Heniretta is receiving the Eugene Meyer award.
STEPHEN ERNEST: Steve is the Renovations and Alterations Manager at the NW Facility and has been an exemplary employee of the Washington Post for over 37 years. Steve joined The Washington Post family on April 29, 1974 as a carpenter in the Building Operations team.
The work that Steve has performed and been responsible for over the years has always been carried out in a professional and superior manner. Some of the larger projects that he has been responsible for in the earlier days of his career still stand as shining examples of his superior workmanship. One of these projects include the opportunity to actually work on the design and to build the office furniture, bookcases and built-in shelving in Don Graham’s office. He was also instrumental in the removal of all of the large windows and framing in the cafeteria to allow a large printing press to be craned into the building and set up on second floor print shop. Steve has also been involved in the renovation of the cafeteria, photo department, and the construction of on-site marketing displays for outside promotional events for the Post.
Steve was quickly recognized as a shining star at The Washington Post and has been elevated to positions of greater responsibility, which included Shop Foreman and then to his current position of Alterations and Renovation Manager. Steve’s dedication to excellence transcends to his entire team and those that have the opportunity to work with him on the myriad of projects that he manages. He truly embodies the principals of excellence that are at the core of this company with his work ethic, positive attitude, integrity and spirit of service.
Steve takes his greatest pride in being a caring and devoted husband to his wife, Kathy, and a terrific and involved father to his three sons, Brian, Brandon, and Bradley.
ANNE FERGUSON-ROHRER: Anne started at The Washington Post in March 1998 as a copy editor for Metro. Six months later, she was running the desk after the chief left the paper. The Tab Desk expanded to 14 sections a week – and countless special sports, education, voters guide and community guide sections – and brought on more than two dozen copy editors. And one year turned into five.
Anne was then appointed chief of the Metro copy desk and the unofficial deputy to the new position of assistant managing editor for copy desks. Anne also became a newsroom-wide advocate for The Post’s copy editors, involved in hiring and training, working to improve procedures and communication, maintaining the stylebook and ensuring that this mostly unsung group of editors received proper recognition.
For her accomplishments, Anne was rewarded in November 2009 with the job of running all the copy desks, except Sports, when the newsroom was reorganized. As the multi-platform Editing Chief, Anne supervises a group of 40 editors who represent the last line of defense in upholding The Post’s standards in print, online and on mobile platforms. She has transformed what was a print-only desk into an operation versed in the high arts of search-engine optimization, linking and all manner of digital publishing.
And all of this only begins to get at how tireless and dedicated Anne is. She shows a kind of equanimity amid chaos that epitomizes the best of our newsroom culture. She is smart, careful and generous with her time and wisdom.
Anne has served on the executive board of the American Copy Editors Society for many years. She was also a volunteer with the Everybody Wins! reading partnership with D.C.’s Ross Elementary. Animal rescue and social and community service are very close to her heart, and she spends a good deal of time volunteering and fundraising for rescue groups, delivering meals to the homebound and driving cancer patients to treatments. And she’ll usually take time to brag about the accomplishments of her husband, Scott, and her son, Josh.
HEIDI WALLACE: Heidi began her career in the Circulation department on 10/04/1978 as a part time Junior Clerk answering phones in the Customer Contact Center. In 1980, she joined Renee Harris and Jan Dahl as the original members of the Special Services Unit, responsible for handling escalated customer service issues. A short time later, Heidi was promoted to Senior Clerk with her primary responsibility being the handling of circulation wholesalers, and ten percent of her time devoted to systems issues.
In 1983, John Lipp created the Circulation Systems Group where Heidi was moved as a T5 programmer. Heidi has remained in this role since 1983 and very quickly became the key programmer responsible for developing and maintaining Circulation’s technology related initiatives. She has implemented more than a dozen business-critical applications for the Circulation department over the last 20 years, most of which are still being used to this day.
Heidi is a master of quality orientation and is extremely efficient in everything she gets her hands on. Her ability to produce quality work in an efficient manner has made her a vital contributor in the Circulation Department. She has a strong understanding of the technology being supported by the Circulation Systems group, allowing her to leverage ways to use technology in an effort to improve Circulation business processes. In the past couple of years, she has flawlessly and almost single handedly completed complex projects – at times simultaneously.
Heidi possesses the ability to build strong cross-departmental relationships spanning from Accounting, IT, Advertising and of course Circulation’s Independent Agents. Heidi’s willingness to help others accomplish their goals is second to none.
Heidi always makes it a point to understand each issue/challenge that comes her way, and follows through until it's resolved. Not only is Heidi great at handling systems related issues, she's also pro-active in identifying potential problems before they occur. She's extremely organized and efficient in dealing with any Systems related support tasks.
Heidi has shown through her years of excellent work and commitment that she is deserving of the company’s highest honor.