Distinguished Alumni-Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Distinguished Alumni

Each fall, ACU’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication celebrates the careers of three alumni with the Gutenberg Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement. These alumni exemplify excellence in media and strategic communication, embodying ACU’s mission of service and Christian leadership.

Get to know our 2024 honorees:

Ryan Cantrell (’11)

Digital and Social Media Director for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, recognized for his innovative storytelling and fan engagement strategies.

Joel Weckerly (’04)

Director of Communication for Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, leading a team that shapes the district’s multimedia and public relations efforts.

Marjon Zabihi Henderson (’04)

Vice President of Brand Experience and Special Events at Neiman Marcus, overseeing digital marketing, social media, and digital accessibility initiatives.

Previous Honorees

2024	Marjon Zabihi Henderson	VP, Brand Experience and Special Events	Neiman Marcus Group
2024	Joel Weckerly	Director for Communication	Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
2024	Ryan Cantrell	Director, Social Media	Texas Rangers Baseball Club
2023	Preston Watkins	Director, Strategic Accounts	WebMD
2023	Jordan Echols	AVP Digital Marketing Operations	HCA Health Care
2023	Julie Hays	Anchor and Reporter	KWTX
2022	Charlie Marler	Professor and Chair	JMC
2022	Shelby Coates	Evening Anchor/Executive Producer	41NBC/WMGT
2022	Jay Duty	Vice President of Strategy	Enhabit Home Health & Hospice and Encompass Health
2022	Chris Seidman	Lead Minister and Author	The Branch Church
2021	Dominique Garza Anderson	Owner	Blissful Sky Studio
2021	Jay Barton	Vice President and General Manager	WCAX-TV / Gray Television
2021	Scott Biggers	Creative Director	Texas Rangers
2020	Daniel Johnson-Kim	Head of Media Liaison	72Point
2020	Taylor Hemness	Morning Anchor	KSHB-TV
2020	Chelsea Buchholtz	Executive Director	Texas Real Estate Commission
2019	April Ward Farris	Appellate Partner	Yetter Coleman LLP
2019	Michael Hagerty	Senior Producer	Houston Public Media
2019	John Scaggs	President/CEO	WAY Media \| WAY-FM
2018	Jonathan Smith	copyeditor	Washington Post
2018	Kim Sanders Lewis	VP, Digital Strategies	Sonic Drive-In
2018	Ben Mankin	President	Mankin Media Systems
2017	Blake Farmer	News Director	WPLN
2017	Scott F. Parker	Founder and Sr. VP of Creative	Heart's Bluff Music
2017	Jan Taylor	Director of Corporate Communications	UK HealthCare
2016	Alicia Phillips Pierce	director of communications	Texas Secretary of State
2016	Luke Hejl	Principal & General Manager	Social Factor
2016	Jennifer England Allen	Aspergers advocate	Aspergers101
2015	Jason McArthur	VP A&R	Sony Music Entertainment/Provident Label Group
2015	LaCanas Tucker	Internal Communications Lead, Regulatory Center at KPMG USA	KPMG
2015	Dr. Michelle Morris	Owner	GideonStone
2014	Randy Brewer	President	Revolution Pictures
2014	Cindy Leeper Shields	Director, Human Resources	Cracker Barrel
2014	Steve Cantrell	Director of Client Services, Media Specialist	The Balcom Agency
2013	Gary Hamilton	On-Camera Host, Senior Producer	New York Yankees
2013	Kate Vein	Vice President	Elevate Studios
2013	Elvin Ong	Head of Marketing Communications	ASEAN Pacific for Philips Lighting Growth Markets
2012	Lovey Chin	Deputy Managing Director	Marketing Strategy Institute, Daehong Communications, Lotte Group
2012	Victoria Ahlen	Digital Strategist, Scream, CEO	Awoque Social Media Agency
2012	Tracey M. Ferguson	Founder and editor-in-chief	Jones Magazine
2011	Tasha French Lemley	Director	The Contributor
2011	Ken Smalling	VP, Global Communications	Kimberly-Clark
2011	Dr. Mimi Barnard	past VP for Professional Development & Research	Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
2010	Derek Sciba	marketing manager	World Concern
2010	Dr. Teresa Lamsam	associate professor	School of Communication at University of Nebraska at Omaha
2010	Pat Batts	president	Washington State Farm Bureau
2009	Brittany Huckabee	founder	Version One Productions
2009	Skip Dampier	vice president	Rapp
2009	Cynthia Patterson Nellis	fashion editor	About.com
2008	David Stotts	senior editor	Motion Graphics, ColdWater Media
2008	Becky Sundling	user experience manager	Microsoft Corp.
2008	Kenny Wilson	market president	Central and South Texas, Bank of America
2007	C. Gregory Staley	manager, communications	the Travel Industry Association
2007	Steve Wen-Ho Lin	president/CEO-Greater China	Grey Group
2007	Pamela Hamm	anchor/reporter	KWES-TV, NewsWest 9
2006	Serene L. Goh	editor	IN and Little Red Dot, The Straits Times
2006	Byron Harrell	director of operations and program director	WDVD and WDRQ Radio
2006	James H. Batts	senior editor/writer	Communications Department, American Heart Association
2005	Wendell Edwards	general assignments reporter	KHOU-TV
2005	Ron Hadfield	director of creative services	Abilene Christian University
2005	Marcia Prior-Miller	associate professor and Meredith Apprenticeship Professor	Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University
2005	Harold Straughn	author, editor, minister; director	Life Spiral Communications
2004	Loren Halifax	anchor and reporter	WDAF-TV Fox 4
2004	Craig Smith	president	World Bible Translation Center
2004	Lt. Col. Monty Brock	commander	389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Wing
2003	Kenneth Pybus	past editor	Nashville Business Journal
2003	Lilia Santiago	vice president, senior strategic planner and co-founder	DQ Advertising Group
2003	Brown Bannister	2003 Dove Awards Producer of the Year
2002	Mark D. Carver	freelance lighting designer and director
2002	Greg Easterly	vice president of news	WJW-TV
2002	Barbara Mayben	leader, operations public affairs	The Dow Chemical Company
2001	Grant Boone	anchor announcer	The Golf Channel
2001	Amber Lavender	director of business affairs	Wieden and Kennedy
2001	Gary Foster	post-production supervisor	Bill Young Productions
2000	Grant Rampy	correspondent	Tribute Broadcasting
2000	Doug Mendenhall	design editor	Huntsville (Ala.) Times
2000	Yvette Moore-Turner	managing editor	Response, United Methodist Women
2000	Dr. Marilyn S. Roberts	associate professor and assistant dean of graduate studies and research	College of Journalism and Communications
1999	Les Hunter	producer	Pacific Data Images
1999	Doug Ferguson	chief golf writer	The Associated Press
1999	Martin Perry	production manager	Phillips Production
1998	Bonnie Curtis		Amblin Entertainment
1998	Steve L. Green		UpWords
1998	David P. Himes		AB&C Group
1997	Mark L. Shifflet		Journalism Resources Institute, Rutgers University
1997	Robert L. Nutt		Zachry Associates
1997	Brent Magers		Walls Regional Hospital
1997	Susan Rovegno		USA Today
1997	Cecilia H. Morgan	attorney	JAMS / ENDISPUTE
1996	Kevin R. Gwin		Nissan Manufacturing Corp.
1996	Laura Burt Minchew		Word Publishing Inc.
1996	Karen Strong		Texas Association of School Boards
1996	Robert H. Woodroof		Pepperdine University
1995	Mark Cullum	syndicated cartoonist
1995	Kelly Tolson	executive director	Tennessee Bicentennial Celebration
1995	Alan Miller		State Farm Insurance Companies
1995	Perry Flippin		DonRey Media Group
1994	Nelson Coates	cinema production designer	Beverly Hills
1994	Elise Smith Mitchell		Promus Hotels/The Promus Co., Inc.
1994	David Ramsey		Syracuse Herald Journal and Herald American
1994	Lance Barrow	producer	CBS Sports
1993	Regina Gilmore Burns		WGKX-KIX
1993	Kent Hunter		Frankfurt Balkind Partners
1993	David Leeson	photographer	The Dallas Morning News
1993	Gary Thornton	partner	Small, Craig & Werkenthin
1989	Wayne Gurley		Gurley Direct Marketing
1987	Max Lucado	best-selling author of religious books
1986	Michael Blanton		Blanton-Harrell Productions
1985	Ed Bailey	attorney at law
1984	Bob Armistead	managing editor	Lufkin Daily News
1983	Jimmy Parsons		Houston Industries
1982	Lane Cubstead		United States Information Agency