Eileen Pace, the morning voice of Texas Public Radio, has been named to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. She joins 14 others inducted this year, including San Antonio radio veterans Trey Ware, Steven O. Sellers, Henry “Pepsi” Pena and Rudy Rocha. A ceremony was held on October 29 in Fort Worth (video/audio highlight below).
“Texas Public Radio is so proud of Eileen, and we loudly applaud her being included,” said TPR News Director Shelley Kofler. “She was one of the first female news anchors in San Antonio, and she’s been recognized by countless journalism organizations for her reporting.”
As an outstanding woman in radio, Pace received the prestigious “SAMMY” award.
“The ‘SAMMY’ award guarantees that a deserving female candidate will be inducted every year, and it truly does showcase the cream of the crop. Eileen is one of the most awarded inductees we have ever had,” said Joshua C. Holstead, operations manager of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Pace has earned almost 50 awards in her career, including numerous awards from the State Bar of Texas for her coverage of cases in the Bexar County courts. She also has received first-place regional and state awards for feature reporting, long-form series reports -- and even a sports reporting award for her report on the crawfish races at the Texas Folklife Festival.
Her longtime friend and co-worker, Janet Grojean said, “Not only is Eileen among the most skilled and experienced practitioners in her industry, but she has possibly the most mellifluous voice I’ve ever heard in my 44 years in the radio industry.” Grojean is TPR’s vice president of development.
Pace’s series of reports on the transition of Kelly Air Force Base when it was closed during the military's BRAC Realignment earned the Edward R. Murrow Regional Award. And she contributed to a team-produced series on teenage mothers which earned the reporters an award from the Texas Public Health Association. She has also earned awards from the Associated Press and the Houston Press Club, along with three National Headliner Awards for best feature reporting and two for best investigative reporting.
In her auspicious career, Pace has interviewed notables such as George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Laura Bush, Charlie Daniels, Hal Holbrook, The Doobie Brothers, Mickey Gilley, June Scobee, mayors, governors, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives..........and a giraffe, a pig and a black rhino. She said her favorite was a penguin she interviewed at Sea World, who tried to steal her microphone.