Journalist Kathleen O'Dell To Receive
Writers Hall of Fame Quill Award April 19, 2011
For more information, contact president Linda Benson at lindabmimi@gmail.com or Jeanne Duffey at j-duffey@sbcglobal.net.
Springfield, Missouri--Veteran reporter and award-winning writer Kathleen O'Dell will receive the 2011 Quill Award from the Writers Hall of Fame at a Gala at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2011, at the Tower Club on the top floor of the Hammons Tower, 901 St. Louis Street. O'Dell, a Gannett Co. Inc. reporter for 33 years, will also be a special guest at a Writers Hall of Fame-sponsored Banquet and Student Awards Ceremony to be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at the Crystal Room in Kentwood Hall, 700 East St. Louis Street.
O'Dell, a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia with a bachelor's degree in journalism, helped launch the national publication, USA Today, as a member of the original staff from 1982 until 1984. Currently community relations director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District and a 417 Magazine free-lancer, she worked at the Springfield News-Leader from 1977 until 1982 and from 1984 until 2009. A columnist and general assignment reporter, she wrote feature, education, business and medical stories. During her stint at the daily newspaper, she also served as copy, city and executive metro editors.
O'Dell has received writing awards from Gannett Co. Inc., Associated Press, Missouri Press Association, Advocates for a Healthy Community and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Salute to Health Care. She also received a 2008-2009 medical writers fellowship from the Association of Health Care Journalists. O'Dell has served on numerous civic boards including Ozarks Fighting Back Citizens Advisory Board, BancorpSouth Citizens Advisory Council, Alzheimer's Association, Springfield Rotary Club and Board of Directors, Gannett Foundation, Family Voices committee, Missouri Literary Festival, Writers Hall of Fame and The Health Commission citizens board.
O'Dell and her husband, Jim, have two grown daughters, Katherine and Hannah. She enjoys spending time with them and her sister, Teresa, and likes to hike, camp, cook over an open fire, float the Buffalo National River in northwest Arkansas and boat on Table Rock Lake.
The mission of the Writers Hall of Fame, a local nonprofit organization founded in 1994, is to encourage, inspire and celebrate the joy of writing in students, to promote lifelong reading and writing and to recognize those who have made major contrubtions to the field. In 14 years, the board of the Writers Hall of Fame has awarded writing scholarships to more than 100 area senior school students. Recent Quill Award inductees have included Jack Stack, Patricia and Frederick McKissack, Daniel Woodrell, Kate Klise and Gary Blackwood.
Tickets to the Gala on March 19 are $35 each and to the Banquet and Student Awards Ceremony on April 19 are $20 each. To buy tickets, e-mail lindabmimi@gmail.com.
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Springfield, Missouri--Veteran reporter and award-winning writer Kathleen O'Dell will receive the 2011 Quill Award from the Writers Hall of Fame at a Gala at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2011, at the Tower Club on the top floor of the Hammons Tower, 901 St. Louis Street. O'Dell, a Gannett Co. Inc. reporter for 33 years, will also be a special guest at a Writers Hall of Fame-sponsored Banquet and Student Awards Ceremony to be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at the Crystal Room in Kentwood Hall, 700 East St. Louis Street.
O'Dell, a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia with a bachelor's degree in journalism, helped launch the national publication, USA Today, as a member of the original staff from 1982 until 1984. Currently community relations director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District and a 417 Magazine free-lancer, she worked at the Springfield News-Leader from 1977 until 1982 and from 1984 until 2009. A columnist and general assignment reporter, she wrote feature, education, business and medical stories. During her stint at the daily newspaper, she also served as copy, city and executive metro editors.
O'Dell has received writing awards from Gannett Co. Inc., Associated Press, Missouri Press Association, Advocates for a Healthy Community and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Salute to Health Care. She also received a 2008-2009 medical writers fellowship from the Association of Health Care Journalists. O'Dell has served on numerous civic boards including Ozarks Fighting Back Citizens Advisory Board, BancorpSouth Citizens Advisory Council, Alzheimer's Association, Springfield Rotary Club and Board of Directors, Gannett Foundation, Family Voices committee, Missouri Literary Festival, Writers Hall of Fame and The Health Commission citizens board.
O'Dell and her husband, Jim, have two grown daughters, Katherine and Hannah. She enjoys spending time with them and her sister, Teresa, and likes to hike, camp, cook over an open fire, float the Buffalo National River in northwest Arkansas and boat on Table Rock Lake.
The mission of the Writers Hall of Fame, a local nonprofit organization founded in 1994, is to encourage, inspire and celebrate the joy of writing in students, to promote lifelong reading and writing and to recognize those who have made major contrubtions to the field. In 14 years, the board of the Writers Hall of Fame has awarded writing scholarships to more than 100 area senior school students. Recent Quill Award inductees have included Jack Stack, Patricia and Frederick McKissack, Daniel Woodrell, Kate Klise and Gary Blackwood.
Tickets to the Gala on March 19 are $35 each and to the Banquet and Student Awards Ceremony on April 19 are $20 each. To buy tickets, e-mail lindabmimi@gmail.com.
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