Times News Mailroom Supervisor Rich Danyo has been named one of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s 2026 Newspaper Hero of the Year award winners.

Danyo’s award was presented during an awards luncheon held in conjunction with PNA’s Advertising Conference in September in State College, where three honorees were celebrated for their contributions to the newspaper industry.

Danyo, who lives with his wife, Carol, in Lehighton, was nominated by Christine Campbell, Times News director of circulation and community outreach, who said his impact on the company extends far beyond his title.

“I am nominating Rich Danyo, mailroom supervisor, for the Newspaper Hero Award because his official job title is a vast understatement of his impact,” Campbell wrote in her nomination. “He is, without question, the quintessential ‘Mr. Fix-It’ and the backbone of our operation.”

Campbell described Danyo as “more than a mailroom supervisor” and “the unsung hero keeping our company rolling.”

Danyo started delivering newspapers in 1988 and was hired in the mailroom in 1996. In 2007 he became mailroom supervisor.

According to Campbell, Danyo’s technical expertise has saved the company time and money for decades.

“Rich doesn’t just do his job; he lives and breathes the success of our team,” she wrote. “He has an incredible ability to repair machines when they break, avoiding costly downtime. Even better, he constantly refurbishes old equipment instead of buying new things, saving the company significant money.”

She also praised Danyo’s commitment to employees, saying he makes himself available at all hours and routinely goes beyond his job responsibilities.

“Beyond his technical skills, Rich is a mentor and a guardian for our staff,” Campbell wrote. She noted that Danyo regularly brings food for drivers, helps employees who are struggling financially and repairs independent contractors’ vehicles at cost.

Campbell also recounted an incident in which Danyo came to her aid after a truck lost a wheel on the highway in front of the Times News building, causing extensive damage to her vehicle.

“Rich was working late that night, and he was leaving and saw the accident happen,” she wrote. After realizing the truck driver was preparing to leave without providing insurance information, Danyo stepped in.

“Rich came back as well to make sure I got the information from the driver without issue and waited with me until a friend came to take me home,” Campbell wrote.

Campbell said Danyo’s calm demeanor and respect for others have made him a trusted figure throughout the organization.

“Perhaps most remarkably, he maintains an iron-clad sense of calm,” she wrote. “No matter how high-pressure the situation is, he never yells or gets upset with employees. He is calm in our daily storm, treating everyone with respect and kindness.”

For Campbell, Danyo’s dedication and service made him an obvious choice for recognition.

“For his dedication to both the Times News Media Group and the employees who work here, Rich Danyo has been our newspaper hero going above and beyond every day for 30 years,” she wrote.