The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader collected 37 awards at the 2025 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA) Better Newspaper Contest, held Oct. 3-4 in Wenatchee.

The WNPA, now in its 139th year, recognizes excellence in reporting, photography, design and advertising among community newspapers across Washington. This year’s ceremony featured 48 newspapers statewide, with The Leader earning the third-highest total number of awards. In all, the Leader’s total included 12 first-place awards, 16 second-place finishes and nine third-place awards, marking an equally strong showing across each department. 

“It’s always an honor to be recognized by our peers across the country,” said Leader publisher, Lloyd Mullen. “This year’s awards show how far our newsroom has come with stronger storytelling, sharper design and a deeper commitment to our readers.”

Reporter Kirk Boxleitner led the newsroom with a standout showing in the arts. He swept the entire Arts Review category for newspapers in Group 3, capturing first, second, and third place. He also added first-place honors for Lifestyle Feature Story and Arts Feature Story. 

The rest of the newsroom is considering entering a new category for next year – Best Support Role in Carrying Kirk’s Awards Home. 

Among this year’s winners was Director of Marketing Cyrus Gubelman, who earned first-place honors in four categories: Ads Featuring Animals, Branding Ad, Full-Page Ad and Single Advertiser.

Lead Ad Representative Kachele Yelaca took first place in Half-Page or Larger Ad, while Mullen received three first-place awards for Editorial Writing, Feature Photo and Humorous Ad.  

Esteemed wildlife columnist Scott Doggett also captured first place in the Topical Column category, honoring his storytelling of the natural world. 

Mullen said the results reflect the collaboration and dedication of the entire newsroom. 

“I’m especially proud of the teamwork that made it possible,” he said. “Our reporters, photographers, and designers continue to push each other to raise the bar every week.”

Gubelman and Mullen shared second-place honors for Ad Smaller than Half Page, while Gubelman collected additional seconds for Full-Page Ad, Ad Campaign and Ads Featuring Animals.

Yelaca contributed two second-place awards: Half-Page or Larger Ad and Branding Ad. 

Boxleitner continued his strong showing with second-place finishes for Education Story, Arts Review and Personality Profile – Long.

Mullen earned more recognition with second-place awards for Newspaper House Ad, Photo Essay, Breaking News Photo and General News Photo. 

Mallory Kruml earned second-place honors in the News of the Weird category and, along with James Robinson, added another second for Government Story. 

Cartoonist Rob Pudim also took second for Editorial Cartoon.

Mullen said the range of awards, from news to photography, design and advertising, reflects the strength of the paper’s entire operation.

“I also want to recognize our circulation and front office teams,” he said. “We couldn’t do any of this without them. They’re the backbone of the paper and too often go unrecognized for the vital work they do every day.”

In addition to the awards, outgoing Leader editor, Meredith Jordan, served as keynote speaker at the convention’s luncheon, which also featured the presentation of the WNPA’s community awards. 

Jordan’s address, titled “Time for Action: How Journalism Can Reclaim Its Professional Status,” challenged journalists to take a more proactive approach to rebuilding public trust in trying times. She argued that the public struggles to make the distinction between the press and media, an environment she said includes virtually anyone with a platform. 

Her presentation introduced the Public Alliance of Professional Journalists, a dual-facing platform designed to strengthen collective ties between journalists and the public while helping restore confidence in professional standards across the industry.  

The annual WNPA convention invites journalists and publishers from across Washington for professional development, networking and the awards banquet, celebrating excellence in community journalism. 

For Mullen, the expectations only grow from here. 

“Next year can only get better,” he said.