The Denver Press Club is proud to induct five more journalists into our Hall of Fame. Please join us for a banquet in honor of:

Lee Ann Colacioppo

Alan Kania

Sharon Linhart

Linda Carpio Shapley

Jim Trotter

The celebration will take place over two evenings: 

• May 14, 2026 – Reception of Honorees
• May 16, 2026 – Induction of Honorees

Starting on April 7, 2026 we will have standing room and simulcast tickets available for both evenings. 

Sponsorships are available. More information will be released on April 14, 2026.

Lee Ann Colacioppo Lee Ann Colacioppo became the first female editor in chief of The Denver Post in 2016, following 17 years at the paper in roles including city editor, investigations editor, and news editor. She led the Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the 2012 Aurora shooting, receiving the most prestigious award in American journalism.

Alan Kania Alan Kania wrapped up a 50-year career in print journalism as an adjunct journalism professor in Denver, a founding board member of the American chapter of the International Communications Forum, and Co-Director of the Southern African Media Alliance. He serves as the third historian of the Denver Press Club and is the author of The Denver Press Club: 150 Years of Printer’s Devils, Bohemians, and Ghosts — the definitive account of the oldest press club in the country.

Sharon Linhart Sharon Linhart founded Linhart Public Relations in January 1996 and built it over 30 years into one of Colorado’s most respected and nationally recognized communications firms, earning awards from PRSA. Named one of the 50 Most Powerful People in Denver by 5280 Magazine, she has served on numerous civic and nonprofit boards and has PRSA Colorado’s PR Person of the Year award named in her honor.

Linda Carpio Shapley Linda Carpio Shapley served as The Denver Post’s No. 2 newsroom executive in 2016–2017, overseeing news coverage by a staff of 110, and previously held roles as the paper’s director of newsroom operations, design director, and copy editor over more than two decades. A two-time inductee into Colorado State University’s media and journalism hall of fame, she most recently served as interim CEO of the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation.

Jim Trotter Jim Trotter is an associate editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, with a career spanning reporter, columnist, and editor roles at Rocky Mountain PBS, the Rocky Mountain News, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Sacramento Bee. A legendary newsroom leader, he is widely credited with helping build The Gazette’s investigative and enterprise journalism capacity in Colorado Springs.