Haik Honored As Citizen of the Year
Hattiesburg American publisher Skippy Haik, who was earlier this year recognized as Gannett’s top newspaper exec for leading her team in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has been similarly recognized by that city’s Rotary Club as its Citizen of the Year.
Haik also has an interesting article posted on the HA’s Website about the preponderance of tears at this year’s first post-Katrina MPA gathering on the coast: “The first lady, in the first few minutes, choked up, looked at her husband and said, ‘See, Haley, I told you.’ Apparently, she had told the governor that she might cry in her presentation.
“(Sun Herald publisher Ricky) Mathews made it through most of his speech until he spoke about his staff and the losses they suffered. Again, a moment of silence as he struggled to regain his composure.“And our own governor, espousing all the accomplishments in our state over the past year, hit a point where he was talking about all the volunteers who swarmed across our state.
“And in front of a roomful of journalists, he choked up and was unable to continue for several seconds.”