The California Press Foundation will present its Philip N. McCombs Achievement Award for lifetime service to William J. Brehm, Jr., a former executive at news companies across California and the Midwest.
The award honors distinguished publishers who are no longer fully active in the industry but who have served their communities well for an extended period and have made lasting contributions to the industry and its traditions. Qualifications include: a living person who has been an exemplar of ethical conduct, leadership and service to the newspaper industry and their community; one who has been a newspaper leader on the local, state or national level; and one who has been a community leader and has contributed, through the newspaper, to the enhancement of community life.
As longtime CEO and then chairman of Brehm Communications, Inc., Brehm oversaw a family-owned company that included dozens of newspaper properties across the West and Midwest. Prior to their eventual sale in 2022, BCI's California holdings included a dozen newspapers.
Brehm was a longtime member of the CNPA Board of Directors and also was a sustaining supporter of Cal Press and its mission to support journalism education.
In his retirement, Brehm and wife Sandy have traveled and hosted family, including a growing brood of grandchildren. Brehm himself remains active in Rotary and is an avid nature photographer.
The 146th Annual Cal Press Winter Meeting will be held in person on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Berkeley. Cal Press membership is free and donations are encouraged.