WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 10, 2025 – The White House News Photographers Association® announced that it will honor Susan Walsh, a recently retired Associated Press staff photographer and past WHNPA president, and Mike Horan, retired video photographer from WTTG-TV, FOX 5, with the association’s Lifetime Achievement award at the 2025 ‘Eyes of History®’ annual awards gala on September 6, 2025.
“I am deeply grateful and profoundly honored to receive the WHNPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Photojournalism has granted me the privilege of witnessing history and telling the stories that shape our nation. I’m thankful to have played a small role in preserving these moments,” Walsh said when she learned of the honor. “This award is shared with everyone who has made my journey possible — from The Associated Press, who took a chance on a young photographer in Boston, to my Washington colleagues who became friends and made the work so enjoyable, and to the WHNPA, which gave me the platform as President to advocate for access and remind others that photographers are journalists, too.”
Beloved by her colleagues and affectionately known as “Susie Sunshine,” Walsh advanced photojournalism, especially for women photojournalists. Colleagues describe her as a trailblazer, hyper talented, role model and inspirational, who broke barriers for women in the field. Walsh began her career in Boston for the then-Springfield Union News, before joining the AP in 1991.
Walsh joined AP’s Washington team in 1997. She has covered every president since Bill Clinton’s second term and was only the second woman elected as president of the WHNPA in 2001, serving for five years. Her advocacy to end the use of handout photos from the White House resulted in better and more frequent access for visual journalists.
Walsh has been called “a wire service legend” by her colleague and has photographed everything from the halls of Congress to inaugurations, Super Bowls, and five Olympics. Walsh’s photo of Clinton, with Hillary Clinton by his side while he thanked Democratic members of the House who voted against his impeachment, won a team Pulitzer for AP’s coverage of the Clinton impeachment.
Some of Walsh’s memorable work came from when she traveled with former first lady Dr. Jill Biden to Ukraine in 2022. There, she advocated for photo access to a meeting with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska after being initially told photos would not be allowed. Much like her advocacy during her WHNPA presidency, photos were allowed for better access, and the world saw those images in an instant.
In addition to working on personal projects during her retirement, Walsh plans to increase her ice time with her all-women’s hockey team.
Horan started his 36-year career as a courier for local Washington broadcaster WTTG and worked his way up to sound man and eventually a photographer. Some of Horan’s most memorable stories include covering Gorbachev meeting with Reagan in the Oval Office, the Challenger disaster in Cape Canaveral, poor working conditions in Guatemalan textile factories, Washington Mayor Marion Barry’s arrest and trial, Christmas wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and the River Road water main break in freezing temperatures which suddenly stranded and endangered motorists on a stretch of road nowhere near any water.
Upon learning of his selection, Horan said, “Wow! I’m really touched! That’s very exciting! A long time ago, just about when I was finishing college, I came upon one of the WHNPA award books (well before I ever thought I’d be a photojournalist) and I marveled at the work inside. Back then it never crossed my mind that one day I would become a member, let alone go on to win the Lifetime Achievement Award. I’m truly grateful. It’s an amazing honor to be recognized by this organization that has so many talented photographers!”
Horan joined the WHNPA in 1985 and was a key video broadcast contest committee member for years. He was awarded numerous awards in the ‘Eyes of History®’ broadcast division contest, including seven 1st place wins and other awards in nearly every category. He is described as “genuinely one of the nicest people you will ever know.” In retirement, Horan has turned his attention to still photography, most recently in India.
Jessica Koscielniak, WHNPA president, commented about this year’s double honorees, sharing, “I am thrilled to announce this year’s Lifetime Achievement recipients. Susan and Mike are legends in our industry and deserve our highest honor. The impact of their work has gone beyond our community and has informed the world.”
The top winners of the still, video, digital and student contests will be honored at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala on September 6, 2025, in Washington. The black-tie event celebrates all the winning visual journalists.
The White House News Photographers Association is a 104-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of Washington’s professional visual journalists. The WHNPA aims to provide professional and educational outreach to its members and the community through scholarships, programming, an annual competition and a celebration of the industry at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala.
For more information, please contact Jessica Koscielniak at [email protected] or executive director Heidi Elswick at [email protected]. For further information about ‘The Eyes of History®’ and to view the winning images and videos, visit the WHNPA website at www.whnpa.org.