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Tom Philp

Tom Philp (BSJ83) was inducted into Medill’s Hall of Achievement in 2025.

Philp, an opinion writer for the Sacramento Bee, has more than 40 years of journalism and policy experience in California. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for editorial writing.

He also was honored with three national awards for editorial writing for a series on the financial abuses of local water districts.

After beginning a career in journalism, Philp served as strategic communications and policy adviser for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, serving 19 million people and six counties. He then returned to the Sacramento Bee where he writes on state and local policy issues.