David Horsey and Enrique Cerna will speak at WCOG Awards Breakfast

David Horsey, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer will be the keynote speaker at the annual James Madison/James Andersen Awards breakfast to be presented at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle from 7:00 to 9:00AM on Friday, September 19 by the Washington Coalition for Open Government. Enrique Cerna, Director of Production at KCTS-9, the Northwest's premier public television station will act as master of ceremonies for the event.

"We are delighted to have two such prestigious journalists headlining our event," stated Patience Rogge, chair of the Outreach Committee, which was responsible for arranging the program. "Mr. Horsey will do a chalk talk and has promised to offend all sides equally. We anticipate an amusing morning, and know that Mr. Cerna can be counted on to keep proceedings running smoothly."

Highlights of the program include the presentation of the James Madison Award to former state legislator and U.S. Congressmember Jolene Unsoeld by Alan Thompson, coalition emeritus board member, former state senator and Chief Clerk of the House; presentation of the James Andersen Award to retired publisher and founding member of WCOG Kris Passey by Frank Garred, winner of the 2007 Andersen Award; and recognition of nine Key Award winners, who will receive certificates and lapel pins from coalition president Toby Nixon for their work in advancing the cause of transparent and accessible government in Washington.

The James Madison/James Andersen Awards Breakfast is held annually to honor an individual or organization that has demonstrated extraordinary devotion to the principles of open government and the First Amendment in words and deeds, and to honor an individual or organization that has worked tirelessly to advance the work of the coalition. Past Madison honorees include retired state Supreme Court Justice James Andersen; Rowland Thompson, executive director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington; and Paul Wright, publisher of Prison Legal News. Journalism educator Frank Garred won the inaugural Andersen Award.

The event is open to the public, and reservations are available on-line at www.washingtoncog.org or by mail at 6351 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107-2664.