Dr. Andrew Melin WSDP Distinguished Alumni Award – 2024 Recipients
88.1 the Park will honor three deserving alums when the station presents the Dr. Andrew Melin WSDP Distinguished Alumni Award on Wednesday June 5, at 7:00 p.m. at Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center in Plymouth. The honor will be presented at the station’s annual banquet.
This year’s honorees are Paul Trinka, Plymouth ’74, Lisa Preddy, Plymouth-Salem ’83, and Brian Stackpoole, Plymouth-Salem ’94.
The award was created in the Spring of 2017 in honor of former WSDP Station Manager, Andrew Melin. The purpose of the award is to recognize WSDP Alums that have used their experience at the station to further the mission of WSDP by achieving success in their chosen career field; investing in the lives of young people; or supporting their local community. It is the hope of the station’s management that the honorees will serve as role models for future students at 88.1.
Paul Trinka joined WSDP as the station was getting ready to launch. He served as the station’s first Sports Director. From the first basketball game broadcast from the Salem gym to football for Salem and Canton High Schools, Paul enjoyed being on the air with a variety of color analysts. He attended Schoolcraft College and then Michigan Technological University, earning a degree in forestry.
Paul launched a career in land surveying in Kalamazoo. With surveying work slow, he applied for a firefighter’s position with the City of Sturgis in 1982. Six years later he was promoted to Fire Chief, a rank he held for 12 years. Paul was also the City Tax Assessor as well as the Director of Information Technology. In 2000 his family moved to Adrian, where he served as Fire Chief for another 16 years, and ended up as the Information Technology Director until retirement in 2016. He taught at several southern Michigan community colleges in their fire science programs. During his 28 years as a fire chief, Paul was able to serve beyond the community on various boards and commissions. He also led efforts for the Salvation Army’s recovery team at Ground Zero in New York City. Paul and his wife Peggy now live in Vicksburg Michigan. They enjoy spending time with their three children and their spouses, eight grandchildren, volunteer work, attending Adrian College Hockey games and their pontoon boat. They love to travel and have worked on 10 mission trips in various parts of the world building churches as well as traveling for recreation.
Lisa Preddy is a 1983 graduate of Plymouth Salem High School where she was active at WSDP, serving as the Community Notes Director and co-Program Director, with Jim Heller, her senior year. Lisa attended Michigan State University and graduated from the Honors College with with a degree in Communication. She then received a JD from Washington University in St. Louis. Lisa spent 27 years as a trial attorney with the Missouri State Public Defender System where she served as the District Defender of the Union trial office and trained lawyers throughout Missouri. In 2011 Lisa was named MSPD’s Defender of Distinction.
She is a past president of the 20th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, a member of the Sentencing Advisory Commission’s Prosecutor and Public Defender Advisory Group, and a speaker and presenter at local bar association and civic meetings. An article in the Missourian shared, “at a young age Lisa Preddy’s mother knew she would be a lawyer. While she was just 3 or 4 years old, during disagreements with her mother, Preddy would exclaim, ‘I have rights.’”
Brian Stackpoole joined the 88.1 staff as a Junior and served as Sports Director during his Senior year. He is an esteemed educator, serving as the TV Production teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School. With a dedicated career spanning a quarter-century within the district, Brian is deeply committed to fostering creativity and skill development in his students. His passion for education extends beyond the classroom as he led the career and technical education program for Grosse Pointe Public Schools. Under his leadership the district has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state of Michigan to improve not only their TV production programs but business and culinary programs as well. Brian is married to his wife, Michelle, and they have two boys Jack and Henry. Brian‘s role as an educator, innovator, and family man exemplifies his unwavering dedication to both his profession and his loved ones.
PAST HONOREES
2017 – June Kirchgatter, Plymouth-Salem ’83
2018 – Rob Milford, Plymouth ’73, and Glenn Bar, Plymouth-Canton ’82
2019 – Mike Schulte, Plymouth-Salem ’78, Scott Herrold Plymouth-Salem ’98, and Jake Bugeja, Starkweather ’02
2020 – David Snyder, Plymouth-Salem ’82 and Patty Williamson, Plymouth Salem ’88
2021 – Paul Sincock, Plymouth-Salem ’75, Todd Chatman, Plymouth-Salem ’83, and Greg Angel, Salem ‘03
2022 – Tim McGuire, Plymouth-Salem ’84, Brook Eddy, Plymouth-Canton ’92, Denny Kapp, Catholic Central ’98
2023 – Kara McGuire, Plymouth-Canton ’94, Chris Sample, Plymouth-Canton ’96, and Becky Lobenherz, Plymouth Salem ’02
