Larry Effingham Selected as the
Distinguished Service Award Recipient for 2006

Chesapeake Publishing’s Larry Effingham has been named the recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Service Award.

Effingham, publisher of The Star Democrat (Easton, MD), owns one of the longest service records on behalf of MDDC and closely nurtured the association’s advertising placement services from inception to fruition and beyond.

A former president of the association (1997-1998), Larry was already actively involved in the association when the idea of creating an advertising placement service was discussed. He joined other volunteers to establish the mission and the mechanism for what would become the MDDC Ad Placement Service (MAPS) and the Classified Ad Network (CAN) programs. Effingham tended to the advertising networks long beyond their launch, ensuring their success. These programs are still the main revenue generators for the association, funding professional development programs and spurring the work of the Press Foundation, the philanthropic subsidiary that supports the enrichment of newspaper journalism.

After the ad programs were established, Larry continued to work tirelessly for the association in other capacities. He was active on the advertising committee for nearly 10 years, serving as either chairman or co-chairman until 2003. Since then he has also volunteered to serve on various nominating or advisory committees. And when the Advertising Steering Committee was established to refurbish and expand the placement service (now called the Newspaper Impact Network), Effingham graciously accepted the post of interim chairman, getting it off the ground and headed in the right direction until a permanent chairman emerged.

“I count him among the tireless heroes of the press association,” says Jeff Mezzatesta, publisher of the Cecil Whig and president of MDDC in 2004. “He has spirit and enthusiasm for the greater good of the organization. He doesn’t ask for recognition. His loyalty and dedication to MDDC speak loudly for him.”

Effingham will be honored on Nov. 2, at the Maryland–Delaware­–D.C. Press Association’s Annual Meeting at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the award presentation, a $500 contribution will be made to the MDDC Press Foundation in Larry’s name and his photo will be added to the permanent display at the MDDC headquarters in Crofton, MD.

Prior to joining Chesapeake, Mr. Effingham held various management positions with Harte-Hanks Newspapers in Corpus Christi, Texas, and with Gannett Co. in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. He began at Chesapeake Publishing in 1984 as The Star Democrat’s general manager. He was named publisher of the Mid-Shore Division in 1988, vice president in 1994, and president in March 2006.

The Distinguished Service Award was established in 2004 by the MDDC Board of Directors to recognize an MDDC volunteer whose extraordinary effort serving the organization has made a profound and lasting difference to MDDC and its members. Earlier recipients were The Washington Post’s Vice President of Government Affairs Carol Melamed in 2004 and retired Baltimore Sun Editor Jim Keat in 2005.