TCOG salutes open government champions

Lucian Pera, board president of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, welcomes attendees at the Salute to Open Government Champions dinner on Oct. 22.

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government honored four individuals at its Salute to Open Government Champions dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at Riverside Revival in Nashville.

About 130 people attended the gathering to celebrate the honorees and support TCOG in its mission to preserve, protect and improve citizen access to public information and open government in Tennessee.

For his lifetime of  service and advocacy of the First Amendment, Ken Paulson received the Voice of Freedom Award. Ken founded the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Paulson also is a former editor of USA TODAY and several other newspapers, former president of the First Amendment Center and Newseum, and dean emeritus of the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University.

Two longtime Tennessee journalists — Marc Perrusquia and Phil Williams — and University of Tennessee professor emerita Dr. Dorothy Bowles received Champion of Open Government awards for their work in advancing open government.

Marc Perrusquia spent three decades at The Commercial Appeal as an investigative reporter before becoming the executive director of the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis where he runs a non-profit investigative newsroom and mentors journalism students. He has been instrumental in challenging denials of public records, winning multiple lawsuits that forced records to be released.

Phil Williams is the chief investigative reporter for NewsChannel 5 in Nashville where he has worked for almost three decades, winning several national awards. As a board member of the Investigative Reporters and Editors, Williams led the effort to create an award to recognize investigative journalists who stand up against intimidation and efforts suppress the truth about matters of public importance. Williams also has been a prolific user of the public records law to reveal public information about government.

Dr. Dorothy Bowles served as a professor at University of Tennessee-Knoxville and was a founding board member of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. She played a central role in the 2004 public records audit that launched TCOG’s research and advocacy for better compliance with the public records law. As a professor, Bowles has written a half a dozen books and countless articles about editing and communication law. She was instrumental in founding the Student Press Law Association more than 50 years ago, donating her teacher retirement fund to make the group viable.

For photos of the event and more information about honorees, visit our Salute to Open Government Champions webpage.

Dr. Dorothy Bowles receives an Open Government Champion award from TCOG president Lucian Pera and TCOG Executive Director Deborah Fisher.

Marc Perrusquia receives an Open Government Champion award from TCOG president Lucian Pera and TCOG Executive Director Deborah Fisher.

Phil Williams receives an Open Government Champion award from TCOG president Lucian Pera and TCOG Executive Director Deborah Fisher.

Ken Paulson receives the Voice of Freedom Award from TCOG president Lucian Pera and TCOG Executive Director Deborah Fisher.