Virginia Business wins seven awards in state contest

Virginia Business captured seven awards Saturday in an annual journalism contest sponsored by the Virginia Press Association.

The honors included one first-place award, five second-place awards and one third-place award in the VPA’s specialty publications category.

Fredericksburg-based writer Robert Burke won first place in general news writing for his story looking at possible changes in the allocation of donated kidneys at the Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Second-place winners included:

• ·         Richmond-based artist Matt Brown for his illustration for “Mud bath,” a cover story examining the mudslinging 2013 Virginia governor’s race.
• ·         Richmond-based writer Richard Foster in health, science and environmental writing for stories about precision farming, innovative apps and new auto technology.
•           Foster and Special Projects Assistant Editor Veronica Garabelli for a multimedia feature report on Tonya Mallory, CEO of Richmond-based Health Diagnostic Laboratory, the magazine’s 2013           Business Person of the Year.
•           Special Projects Editor Jessica Sabbath for her news writing portfolio that included stories about public-private partnership projects, competition facing the Port of Virginia and the sale of            Smithfield Foods.
• ·         Editor Robert Powell for columns about transportation funding, the governor’s race and the possible effects of a growing scandal on the commonwealth’s image.

Publisher Bernie Niemeier won third place for editorial writing for columns about state politics.