Denise Reagan to receive 2025 SND Lifetime Achievement Award
From energized coach and teacher, tireless volunteer, to karaoke fundraiser extraordinaire, the University of Florida grad has been a relentless champion of the Society for decades.
By Steve Dorsey
SND Past President and Lifetime Achievement Award honoree
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Denise M. Reagan, an award-winning journalist, designer, educator and volunteer, will be honored with the Society for News Design’s Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony Friday, April 18, in Minneapolis, MN.
For more than three decades, Reagan has been a driving force in visual storytelling, innovation, and mentorship. A longtime advocate for creativity and alternative storytelling formats, she has helped shape both the profession and the Society itself.
An SND powerhouse
Reagan has worn many hats within SND—each one with excellence. Her contributions include:
- Region 6 Director
- Quick Course Director
- Education & Training Director
- Update Newsletter Editor
- SND Foundation President
- Awards Competition Judge & Facilitator (numerous years)
- News Desk Contributor
- Awards Banquet Organizer (San Jose, Houston)
- Minneapolis Workshop Organizer
- Dear Update Columnist & Design Magazine Contributor
Bill Gaspard, retired design director of China Daily, former SND president, and fellow Lifetime Achievement honoree, said:
“For SND, she wasn’t just a jack of all trades, she was a master of all trades. Whatever aspect of SND that needed help, Denise stepped in and crushed it. She was the gold standard for what chairing the Education and Training committee meant. But it was much more than that. Whether it was nudging judges at the competition to clarify their reasoning on medal awards, fundraising for or mentoring students, bringing alternative views and reason to board deliberations, conducting smaller workshops in the US or overseas or planning for the main SND workshop, she did everything with passion, insight and a profound sense of fun. This is a most deserved honor for one of the Society’s best. Congratulations, Denise!”
Energy, excellence and impact
Reagan made her mark early as a creative designer and visuals leader in newsrooms across the Midwest and South. But beyond her professional influence, she left a lasting impact on her teams and colleagues.
Patrick Garvin, former graphic artist and now a front-end developer and accessibility consultant, shared:
“When I left the [Jacksonville, FL] Times-Union and moved to Boston in November 2010, she and her daughter Reagan stopped by my apartment as my dad and I were packing up the moving truck. Reagan, who was 5 at the time, made a card for me, which I kept in the same place that I kept tax documents, because I never wanted to lose it. Dad said something to Denise that I never forgot: ‘He might have better jobs in the future, but he’s never going to have a better boss.’ I did go on to have some good bosses, to be sure. And yet Dad’s words rang true. I never had a better boss.”
A lasting legacy
Matt Mansfield, Partner at MG Strategy + Design, past SND president, and Lifetime Achievement honoree, said:
“Denise Reagan is a force—her passion, creativity, and leadership have shaped visual storytelling in ways that continue to inspire. Whether she’s pushing all of us forward or lighting up a room with her energy, she makes an indelible mark. This honor is more than deserved.”
Kris Viesselman, consultant and past SND president, added:
“For several decades, Denise was a generous and dedicated volunteer who supported the Society in many capacities. She also contributed enthusiastically to countless karaoke efforts.”
Melissa Angle, designer, digital strategist, team builder, longtime SND member, past board member, and past Foundation President, said:
“When it comes to the Society for News Design (‘it’s FOR not OF,’ she often reminds folks), Denise’s volunteerism and dedication is infectious. She makes others want to become involved, want to do more, want to inspire students, want to help others learn. The times when life got in the way or work was too busy, that’s when Denise would remind us that professionals and young designers – and the industry itself – need SND and the work she so often leads. For many people, myself included, Denise is more than an awarded designer or Lifetime Achiever or boss or colleague. She’s a coach and mentor and dear friend. There is no SND without Denise Reagan.”
David Kordalski, past SND president, said:
“One of the best things about SND is that you meet people like Denise Reagan — smart, capable, funny and genuine. She defines Lifetime Achievement with her willingness to step up and apply her vast talents to whatever task she tackles. Good on the Society in awarding her its highest honor.”
From lessons to lyrics
Jon Wile, VP of design for American City Business Journals and current SND president, said:
“When I think of SND, I think of Denise Reagan. When I first started coming to SND events, she was always there – workshops, quick courses, karaoke, the competition. And beyond just being there, she was always willing to help in any capacity. She’s done so much to help SND grow in the U.S. and internationally over the years. This Lifetime Achievement Award is both well-deserved and long overdue.”
Reagan has taught generations of aspiring designers—from Nashua, NH to Hangzhou, China—through SND’s Quick Courses and partnerships with numerous journalism organizations.
She recalls how her early inspiration took hold:
“I was accepted for the 1989 Poynter design fellowship with Pegie Stark and Mario Garcia, where Deborah Withey, Mike Campbell, and John Bodette were the visiting faculty. Pegie Stark was a professor at the University of Florida at the time, and she encouraged me to apply. She’s also the reason I attended the workshop in Fort Lauderdale.”
“At the end of my first semester in Pegie’s design class, she took me aside and said that this is what I should be doing. I guess I believed her. I didn’t realize that you could get a job doing design. The Poynter fellowship is when I first fell in love with Detroit (and Deborah!) and made it my goal to work there.”
Reagan, ever humble, adds:
“I’m gobsmacked by this news. I kind of thought my SND contributions were long forgotten in a world that seems to have mostly dismissed the kind of work I did. But the long-standing relationships built over years of service to SND’s mission have withstood the test of time, and those are the most durable proof of time well spent.”
About the award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is SND’s highest individual honor, presented for:
- A significant body of work with a lasting influence on journalism
- Extraordinary service to SND and its members
- Or a combination of both
The award was first bestowed upon visual journalism pioneer Mario Garcia in 1993. Past honorees and their citations can be found here.
Join us to celebrate Denise
Denise Reagan will be honored at SND’s Annual Workshop on April 18 in Minneapolis.
- Date: April 18, 2025
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Venue: Capella Tower, 225 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402
- Tickets: $100
For more details, contact SND president Jon Wile at jwile@bizjournals.com