HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association (PNA) is pleased to honor two long-time Pennsylvania newspaper veterans with the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. Willis W. Shenk of Lancaster and Harold F. Marion of Scranton will be honored on Oct. 28, 2010, during the PNA Annual Convention held at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, Lancaster, Pa.
Established in 1998, the award recognizes individuals with a track record of excellence and service to newspapers and journalism.
Shenk began his career with Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. in 1939 as an accountant in the business office. He became secretary-controller in 1950, vice president in 1961 and president in 1977. During his tenure as president, Lancaster Newspapers evolved from hot-lead type to cold type and computers. In 1978, Shenk participated in the decision to expand Lancaster Newspapers’ operations in downtown Lancaster City, which has greatly contributed to the downtown renewal.
In 1983, Shenk was elected Chairman of the Board of Steinman Enterprises, which includes Lancaster Newspapers, Inc., Intelligencer Printing Company and Delmarva Broadcasting. In this role, Shenk guided the interests of the Steinman family and was a key player in many Lancaster County institutions, lending his expertise and fundraising prowess to such causes as the Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision-Impaired, Millersville University, Linden Hall School for Girls and the Salvation Army. Shenk retired in 2004 from his role of chairman, but continues to play a guiding role in both the James Hale Steinman Foundation and the John Fredrick Steinman Foundation. He has served as a trustee of both foundations since their inception in 1951.
Marion has worked for Times-Shamrock Communications for more than 50 years. He joined The Scranton Times in 1958 as a helper on the papers’ delivery trucks. Three years later, he joined the classified advertising department, where he advanced through both classified and display advertising to become advertising director in 1980. He was named general manager of The Scranton Times in 1991 and retired as chief operating officer of Times-Shamrock Communications in December 2008. Marion is currently serving the company and the Lynett and Haggerty families as corporate projects director.
Among his notable accomplishments are Marion’s work leading Times-Tribune employees in their United Way campaigns as well as being one of United Way’s top givers. The Times-Tribune received national and international recognition for quality under his leadership and received hundreds of PNA and Associated Press Managing Editors awards. Marion has become a trusted friend and mentor to the Lynett-Haggerty families, as well as to many Pennsylvania publishers.
The PNA, founded in 1925, is the nonprofit trade association for print and online media in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its mission is to advance the interests of Pennsylvania newspapers, promote the importance of a free and independent press and provide a forum for critical and innovative thinking about the future of journalism and the newspaper industry. It has more than 300 newspaper and media members, including daily, weekly, and college newspapers and online publications.