The Syracuse Press Club is thrilled to announce the third of our 2022 special club honors.
We congratulate Deanna Ryan for winning the 2022 Philip A. Hofmann Transparency Award!
Deanna is the supervising public health administrator and the public information officer for the Cayuga County Health Department. 2022 marks her fifteenth year working for the department. Over the years, she has held different titles, but she has consistently served as PIO for the department.
The Transparency Award was formerly known as the President’s Award for Best News Source. It is given to those who provide access, information, and insight to journalists covering stories important to the citizens of Central New York.
In his nomination of Deanna Ryan for the Transparency Award, The Citizen’s reporter Robert Harding wrote:
“While the COVID pandemic began in 2020, it really hit Cayuga County hard in 2021. As The Citizen’s lead reporter covering all things COVID, I was in constant contact with Deanna throughout the year. She was always helpful, from giving tours of the health department’s vaccination clinics to getting important data and other information to help tell stories about our surges. Sources have been and continue to be important in telling the stories of the pandemic. Deanna has represented the health department well in ensuring the public has the best information possible to educate them about the pandemic. She is a great example of how public information officers can help journalists do their jobs.”
Deanna also helped coordinate coverage of vaccination efforts to local schools, and provided important information about the clinics.
Thank you to Deanna, for setting a stellar example for news sources and public information experts across Central New York. SPC will be proud to present you with the Transparency Award at our awards banquet on May 7, 2022.
Meet past winners:
• The 2021 News Source of the Year was Kathleen Paice Froio.
• The 2020 News Source of the Year was the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office.