Bev Wake to become next executive director of National Newspaper Awards

The National Newspaper Awards (NNAs) has announced that Bev Wake, a longtime journalists with several Postmedia publications, will be the organization’s next executive director, effective July 1, 2022. She will replace Paul Woods, who is stepping down at the end of the organization’s current fiscal year next June.

To facilitate a successful transition, Wake will work closely with Woods and Program Director Sharon Hockin in all aspects of NNA operations from now until her appointment takes effect.

Wake began her career as a journalist at community newspapers on Vancouver Island before joining the Ottawa Citizen, where she later worked as the newspaper’s Sports Editor. She then moved to the Vancouver Sun and held a number of leadership roles there, including Sports/Olympic Editor, News Editor for Multimedia Projects, City Editor and National Olympic Editor.

Wake was appointed as Senior Executive Producer, Sports, for Postmedia Network in 2014. She led coverage of major sports events and was on-site editor at Olympic Games held between 2006 and 2016.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Carleton University. Wake was recognized for leadership in sports media in 2017 by the Paul Carson Broadcast and Media Awards.

She oversaw work by Postmedia journalists on a series of stories about youth concussions, which won the NNA in the Sports category for 2015.