This year, join us at the Embassy Suites Hotel for the Journalism Department’s Hall of Fame gala. The Journalism Department will celebrate and honor the standout alumni who have made a lasting impact on the department and its student media organizations. The evening will feature:
A red carpet runway and backdrop for photos with friends
A silent auction offering memorable items including Jim Hayes and George Ramos memorabilia, and the last existing printed copies of every Mustang News printed paper reaching back over 100 years
The induction of five honorees to the Journalism Department’s Hall of Fame
Delicious hors d'oeuvres, dinner and drinks
In these challenging times, help us create an unforgettable night of honoring journalism excellence—and of shining a spotlight on the powerful legacy of Mustang Media.
Class of 2025 Honorees
Please click thumbnails to read bios.
Former reporter and editor at the Sacramento Bee
Founder and principal of CEA Strategies
Former reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times
Founder of BumbleBee Marketing Services
Special Guests
Kevin Riggs
Hall of Fame Gala Emcee
Kevin Riggs recently retired from Randle Communications in Sacramento, where he served as senior vice president. Based on his 30-year broadcast career, Riggs directed media relations, strategic communications and business development initiatives for the firm’s political, business and trade association clients.
From 1994-2011, Riggs worked for KCRA-TV as a general assignment reporter, political reporter and anchor, where he covered the governor, legislature and political campaigns. Riggs provided regular political analysis for 10 years with weekly in-studio appearances and a political blog published on the station’s website.
Riggs earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. In October 2018, he was inducted into the Cal Poly Mustang Media Hall of Fame. He is married with two children and likes to travel and restore classic Ford Mustangs.
Kevin Falls
Hall of Fame Keynote
After graduating with a Cal Poly Journalism desgree in 1978, Kevin Falls interned as a newspaper reporter at the Eugene Register-Guard, but quickly decided to follow his passion for storytelling into writing movies. After writing two movies, “The Temp” and “Summer Catch,” Falls was named head writer and co-executive producer on the Aaron Sorkin series “Sports Night” in 1999.
He is best known for his role as a co-executive producer on the widely successful series “The West Wing,” which ran from 2000-07 and for which he won four Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Special Class Program. He was co-executive producer on the NBC hit series “This is Us,” which received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in 2019. Throughout his illustrious career, Falls has been a creating force behind many series, including “Franklin and Bash,” “Journeyman” “Pitch,” and “The Resident.”
Class of 2023 Honorees
Communications and public affairs director at Shaw, Yoder, Antwih Schmelzer & Lange
Former Cal Poly Journalism department chair
Owner, Full Throttle Newsletter; Former ABC News correspondent
Vice president of news, ESPN
Owner, Looker Communications Consulting
Chief political reporter, KNBC and host of News Conference
President and Global COO, Sage Publishing
Chief operating officer, Vox Media
Class of 2018 Honorees
Founding partner, Greenlight Media
Public affairs, corporate communications and philanthropy
Emmy-winning political journalist
Broadcaster, adviser and voice of Cal Poly football and basketball
Class of 2016 Honorees
Cal Poly president and journalism department chair
Former California Secretary of State
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former department chair
Five time Grammy-winning artist and comedian