2026 Class to be inducted into the CMU Media Hall of Fame

Central Michigan University’s School of Communication, Journalism, and Media proudly announces the next seven inductees into its Media Hall of Fame. The group includes alumni and retired faculty who have had distinguished careers in the fields of journalism, communication, public affairs, advertising, television, and academia. They will be formally inducted at a gala dinner Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at the Bovee Center on the CMU campus. Tickets and sponsorships are available for purchase. 

This year’s inductees include:

Ann Emmerich, ‘86, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Ann Emmerich anchors the 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts and produces special investigative and feature reports for WILX-TV 10 in Lansing, Michigan. She is an award-winning journalist, recognized with Regional Emmy Awards, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and honors from the Associated Press and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

Ann's investigative and feature reports are regularly featured on Gray Media's nationally syndicated program, InvestigateTV+, bringing stories from Mid-Michigan to audiences across the country.

She is a passionate advocate for heart health and serves on the board of the Champions of the Heart Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about sudden cardiac arrest and lifesaving response.

Ann and her husband, Tom, met at Central Michigan University. She is the proud mother of  sons Edward, Daniel, and Tom, and "nana" to Brooks and Ella.

Perry Alexander Farrell, ‘80, Journalism

Perry Alexander Farrell built a distinguished career in sports journalism, with nearly three decades in the Detroit Free Press sports section covering athletes from high school to the professional level, including the Pistons, Tigers, and Lions. Perry also worked in Detroit radio as host of “Sports Vibe” on WGPR-FM 107.5 and as a host on WJR-AM 760. He is the author of “Tales from the Detroit Pistons” (2004; revised 2014). 

During college, Perry made history as the first African American sports editor of CM Life. He later was the first African American male in Wayne State University’s communication department. From 2019 to 2024, he taught newswriting and sports writing, while also serving as an internship coordinator placing WSU students in media and public relations roles.

A dedicated advocate for diversity in journalism, Perry helped establish the Lem Tucker Scholarship at Central Michigan University, honoring a pioneering alumnus who paved the way for minority participation and excellence in media.

In 2025, the Metro Detroit United States Bowling Congress honored Perry with the Judge John D. Watts Award and induction into the Detroit Bowling Hall of Fame.

Andrew Heller, ‘83, Journalism

Andrew Heller grew up reading Mike Royko, Lewis Grizzard and many other humor and political columnists, and decided early on that’s what he wanted to do for a living. His dream came true, serving as an enduringly popular columnist in Michigan for parts of four decades and publishing three collections of his work: “Come Heller High Water,” “Come Heller High Water II,” and “Saving the World One Column at a Time.” 

While in high school, Andy wrote his first column for The Escanaba Daily Press, his hometown paper in the Upper Peninsula. In the early ‘80s, he wrote columns and drew really bad editorial cartoons for CM Life at Central Michigan University. In 1987, he began writing for The Saginaw News. He wrote political and humor columns full-time for The Flint Journal from 1989 to 2009 and as a freelancer for MLive and The Flint Journal from 2009 to 2016. 

He’s won 20 awards for excellence from the Michigan Associated Press, the Michigan Press Association, the Detroit Press Club and the National Society of Newspaper columnists. He currently lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is married to his lifelong love, the lovely yet formidable Marcia, who became a frequent character in his columns, which still annoys her to no end.

Diane Krider, Professor Emeritus, Communication and Integrative Public Relations

Dr. Diane Krider, APR, professor emeritus, served on the faculty of the School of Communication, Journalism, and Media at Central Michigan University for 25 years. She also held leadership roles as assistant to the dean, associate dean and interim dean. She taught organizational communication, persuasion, interviewing, leadership, crisis communication and public relations. 

Diane played a key role in creating the Integrative Public Relations (IPR) program. She oversaw curriculum, created an award-winning assessment program, and served as faculty advisor to CMU’s Student Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA) chapter, which was named in her honor. She supported the development of PR Central, an in-house student public relations agency, and established the Diane S. Krider PRSSA Chapter Young Professional Award to help fund student attendance at the annual national conference. 

Under her leadership, students earned national scholarships and awards, served on the national executive board, presented at conferences, organized an annual conference and competed in the national Bateman Competition.

Diane was Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and remained active in professional public relations initiatives throughout her career. She was a delegate to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) National Assembly, chaired several national task forces, and served on the Educators Academy Executive Board. Her service earned chapter, regional and national recognition. She also presented research at PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA national conferences and published work on women in public relations, multigenerational differences in the workplace and best practices in public relations assessment.

Sharon L. Martin, ‘89, Journalism 

For more than 35 years, Sharon L. Martin has partnered with organizations to tell their stories, strengthen their brands, and build lasting connections with the people they serve. Her career spans leadership roles across higher education and non-profit organizations, where she has become known for her strategic vision and collaborative approach to driving growth and engagement. 

Whether leading a major brand initiative, building high-performing teams or navigating organizational change, Sharon brings people together. Her leadership philosophy centers on collaboration, creativity and authentic engagement – principles that have guided her work throughout her career. 

In addition, she is committed to entrepreneurship and community service. She co-founded a boutique marketing and communications agency and a women’s magazine, and launched a nonprofit organization supporting women’s initiatives and autism services for families. She has also served on numerous local and national non-profit boards.

She and her husband, David Howell, are the proud parents of Grace, Spencer and Carter. They enjoy spending time with family, cheering on their favorite sports teams, and catching as many concerts by their favorite ’80s artists as possible. 

Timothy D. Pollard, ‘81, M.A. ‘83, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Timothy D. Pollard is associate dean emeritus for Academic Affairs and Student Relations in the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University, where he oversaw academic programs, supported faculty development, and ensured positive student relations. From 2011 to 2017, he served as chair of the Department of Telecommunications. He is the recipient of two Regional Emmy Awards, five CINDY Awards, and four Accolade Awards.

Before joining Ball State, Tim spent 15 years at CNN. From 1994 to 1998, he was operations manager for CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau, responsible for all radio and television operations and serving as liaison to other networks on pooled coverage. During his tenure, CNN acted as pool producer for major events including President Clinton’s State of the Union and other White House broadcasts. He also worked on several high-profile “Larry King Live” programs featuring U.S. and international leaders.

From 1984 to 1994, Tim was a field operations supervisor at CNN and helped many major stories, including presidential conventions, the Reagan-Gorbachev and Bush-Gorbachev summits, Emperor Hirohito’s funeral and a post-Gulf War tour of the Middle East.

Jeff Thomas, ‘80, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts and Political Science

Jeff Thomas is division president for iHeartMedia, bringing decades of industry-defining leadership to one of the most competitive media markets. Over his 28-year career with the company, Jeff has overseen more revenue than any other local market radio sales leader in the history of radio, a testament to his strategic acumen, market insight, and focus on results. Jeff began his rise as sales manager for two of Los Angeles’ most iconic stations, KOST 103.5 and KFI 640, and went on to spend more than 20 years as senior vice president of sales for the Los Angeles market.

Jeff’s career spans radio and television in Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and Maryland. His passion for broadcasting started even earlier while hosting “shows” as a self-described “fake DJ” from his suburban Detroit basement. In his years at Central Michigan University, Jeff had the opportunity to work with talented faculty and students, which evolved into a lifelong commitment to the power of audio to inform, entertain, and connect audiences and businesses together.  

Known for his ability to blend marketing strategy with creative storytelling, Jeff builds high-performing teams and drives innovative campaigns that resonate with audiences and advertisers. He has played a pivotal role in advancing iHeartMedia’s position as an industry leader, particularly in helping businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals.

Jeff credits much of his inspiration and accomplishments to his wife and life partner, Paddi. He takes great pride in his daughter Khara, son-in-law Patrick, and his three grandchildren – Nick, Melina, and Carsten. 

Central Michigan University’s Journalism Hall of Fame launched in 2007 and reorganized as the CMU Media Hall of Fame following the merger of the School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Communication into the School of Communication, Journalism, and Media (SCJM). With the support of the College of the Arts and Media, SCJM launched the new CMU Media Hall of Fame in November 2023, extending the awards to alumni, former students, and faculty from all programs in the school.