Please join the board, previous winners and others at the 501 W. Broadway office of Sheppard Mullin on the building’s 19th floor at 6:30 p.m. on March 27 when we present Francke with this year’s SUNSHINE award for his efforts over many years.

Francke, currently general counsel for Californians Aware has a 31-year history of helping journalists, citizens and public officials understand and use their First Amendment and open government rights. With CalAware, Francke has authored comprehensive and authoritative guidebooks to California law on access to government meetings and public records and the news gathering and publication rights of journalists.Francke previously served 14 years as executive director and general counsel to the California First Amendment Coalition, after a 10-year post as legal counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Prior to his legal career, Francke worked as a weekly newspaper editor and in military and local government public affairs positions.

Francke is the fourth winner of the SDSPJ chapter’s Sunshine Award. Our previous winners were California Senator Leland Yee, former San Diego Councilmember Donna Frye and longtime activist and watchdog Mel Shapiro, who exemplified through extraordinary efforts their passion for open and transparent government.