Francis Page Honored By Texas Southern University

Houston Style Magazine Publisher Francis Page, Jr. to Receive

Stellar Communications Award from Texas Southern University 

HOUSTON (April 14, 2011) – Houston Style Magazine Publisher Francis Page, Jr. will be presented with the Stellar Communications Award from the Texas Southern University (TSU) Tavis Smiley School of Communication on Friday, April 15. Page, founder and president of Minority Print Media, L.L.C., parent company of the local publication Houston Style Magazine, is being recognized for his unyielding commitment to journalistic excellence in support of TSU.

 Dr. James Ward, TSU School of Communication dean, said, “It is an honor to present the Stellar Communications Award to Francis on Friday. He exemplifies excellence and has served as a role model to the students in the Communication School. Francis has always been supportive of TSU, our students and faculty. This is our small way of letting him know we appreciate him.” Ward has served as Dean of the TSU Communication School for five years. 

“I often approach members of the press expressing the desire to have a true partnership on behalf of TSU and I’m never disappointed,” says TSU’s Director of Communications and spokesperson Eva Pickens. “The relationship with Francis Page, Jr. and Houston Style Magazine is solid and he has always been a friend to TSU,” added Pickens.

TSU President Dr. John Rudley envisioned TSU’s recently launched A Renaissance of Excellence campaign for TSU. A large percentage of that campaign calls for building collaborative partnerships with major and weekly media outlets. The campaign is designed to heighten the awareness of TSU programs, students and faculty research. “We can always count on Francis and our other weekly partners to tell TSU’s many stories. We are certainly appreciative and congratulate Page on receiving this award.”

 “It is not every day that one receives credit for hard work or a job well done,” said Minority Print Media Founder and President Francis Page, Jr. “I’m exceedingly humbled to be recognized for our journalism, but most importantly, the impact we have had on TSU students. Our team works hard to deliver quality news to the community and also to give back in meaningful and supportive ways.” 

Page has been the publisher of Houston Style Magazine, the largest and most-read urban weekly newspaper in Houston. He leads a market-exclusive, national, award-winning writing team of Roland Martin, Jesse Jackson and Judge Greg Mathis. His local award-winning writing team is lead by Jo-Carolyn Goode, who provides a wide array of compelling features and lends direction to the editorial staff that includes health writers Dr. Lovell Jones and Tonja Ward, criminal justice writer H. B. Ricky Spivey, Jr., political writer Attorney Pam Crawford, and entertainment writer Rebecca Brisco. Photographers Anthony W. Morris, Vicky Pink and Roswitha Vogler shoot 10-16 community events each week.

 About Francis Page, Jr.

Francis Page, Jr. is the founder and president of Minority Print Media, L.L.C. (MPM), the only multi-platform city of Houston and state of Texas M/DBE certified and U.S. Federally 8(a) certified minority owned media company in Texas. Houston Style Magazine has a 2010 circulation of 30,000 copies that reach 130,000 active readers each week. Houston Style Magazine is distributed in over 1,100 locations throughout metropolitan Houston, which include Harris and Fort Bend counties. Besides publishing the state of Texas’ second largest audited-circulation African-American weekly newspaper, Houston Style Magazine is well-respected for providing more relevant content than any other newspaper for the growing multicultural consumer market. Page lends marketing partnership support to TSU, Koman Race for the Cure, Essence Music Festival, Texas Black Expo, the Houston Juneteenth Multicultural Health Festival and was Houston’s only African-American weekly newspaper selected to market the NCAA Final Four. Page is an active community leader and serves on a number of nonprofit boards: Chairman, Community Advisory Board of the University of Texas MD Anderson; Dorothy I. Height Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research (CHEER), Chairman; The Health Disparities Education, Awareness, Research & Training (HDEART), Chairman; Board of Corporate & Philanthropic Supporters (BOCAPS), Chairman; Healthcare Committee: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA); Board Member: Houston Wellness Association and a founding board chair of the African-American Wellness committee of HWA; Steering Committee Member of the H.I.S.D. Healthy Kids, Healthy School Program; UNCF Leadership Council Member; Board Member of the Sickle Cell Association; Board Member of the Texas Publishers Association; and Board Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Page is married to Kristyn Page, an executive with Macy’s New York and they have four girls. For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com.

 About Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University (TSU) was founded in 1927 and became a state institution in 1947. TSU possesses an impressive array of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, a diverse faculty, and more than 80 student organizations, including a Division 1 Athletics program with the 2010 SWAC Football Champions.  TSU’s alumni network comprised of educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, lawyers, pilots, artists, and more, many of whom are change agents on the local, national and international stage.  Nestled upon a sprawling 150-acre campus, TSU has served as a cornerstone for developing the greatest potential in leaders from various socioeconomic, cultural, and racial backgrounds.  TSU is located in the heart of the city, giving its students and faculty easy access to the Museum District, neighboring educational institutions, the Texas Medical Center, downtown Houston, two major airports and all of the city’s major freeways.  More than 9,500 students, along with more than 1,500 faculty and staff comprise the TSU’s community making it one of the nation’s largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For more information, visit www.tsu.edu.