Bio

I had not planned to run for re-election to the Contest Committee. That changed after Diana Fuentes sent me a message about our new IRE Award upgrades, just a week before her untimely death. It read, in part:

“Thank you, Mark, for getting this in writing so we can make modifications to improve the system for next year and future years. We know this is one of our most challenging committees, and we very much appreciate all the time you both put into this work to keep it all moving forward. Bless you both, and the rest of your committee, many times over!”

OK DeeDee, this one is for you.

This year’s changes include sharper, redefined categories (National/Regional/State/Local instead of Divisions I thru IV) plus four new competitions – two for international journalists and two for students. The process began in 2024 with ideas I pitched to Diana and then-president Brian Rosenthal. Led by committee chair Walter Smith Randolph (also noted in her email), we finally earned IRE Board approval. But as our beloved executive director said, there is more to be done.

During my half-century career as a national award-winning investigative reporter, producer and editor, I’ve worked for networks, newspapers, local television, online news sites, magazines and radio. My stops included CNBC, Asbury Park Press, WZZM Grand Rapids, News 12 Long Island, WFLA Tampa, Milwaukee Sentinel, Traverse City Record-Eagle and Muskegon Chronicle. A few highlights:

• First joined IRE in 1976 during the inaugural conference in Indianapolis. In National
  Harbor, I will be attending my 45 th annual conference.
• Former IRE Board member with a long history of service and institutional memory. Elected twice to the Contest Committee.
• Winner of an IRE Award – plus 70 other journalism honors, including top prizes from
  National Press Club, Scripps-Howard and many others.
• Founder of the legendary Blues Bash party, which raised $38,000 for IRE during its 14- year run (1999-2012). Co-founded the IRE Feed, which enabled members to share TV investigative reports by satellite in the 1990s, an era before streaming video.

See https://lagerkvist.online/ for more. Thank you for your support.