Seventeen longtime members of the American Agricultural Editors Association (AAEA) were announced as the inaugural class of Fellows Of The AAEA during an awards banquet at the 2016 Ag Media Summit, held last week in St. Louis Missouri.
The newly developed Fellows Program recognizes AAEA members for excellent service to the organization, and the inaugural class has an estimated 400 years of combined membership to the association. Twelve of the Fellows are AAEA past presidents, many have held multiple leadership positions in the past, and all have received awards and recognition for their talents.
“These 17 members represent about a small percentage of the total of more than 470 members of the association,” said Elaine Shein, AAEA president and deputy managing editor of DTN/The Progressive Farmer. “However, our entire membership has benefitted from their dedication and long-term contributions to make our organization the best it can be. They are among the best in the business on many levels, and they have spent years taking time from their busy schedules to serve our professional organization.”
The Inaugural class of Fellows to the AAEA:
JoAnn Alumbaugh, FAAE, editor of PorkNetwork, Farm Journal Media, Linden, Iowa.
Jim Dickrell, FAAE, editor, Dairy Herd Management, Farm Journal Media, Monticello, Minn.
Larry Dreiling, FAAE, senior field editor, High Plains Journal, Hays, Kan.
Betsy Freese, FAAE, executive editor, Living the Country Life, Meredith Agrimedia, Des Moines, Iowa.
Gregg Hillyer, FAAE, editor in chief, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
Greg Horstmeier, FAAE, DTN editor-in-chief, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, Omaha, Neb.
Greg Lamp, FAAE, editor in chief, CHS, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.
Holly Martin, FAAE, editor, High Plains Journal, Dodge City, Kan.
Christine McClintic, FAAE, freelance writer/photographer, Hollister, Mo.
Amy McDonald, FAAE, McDonald Marketing Communications, Dublin, Texas.
Karen McMahon, FAAE, freelance reporter, Lakeville, Minn.
Lyle Orwig, FAAE, chairman, Charleston Orwig, Inc., Hartland, Wis.
R. Kelly Schwalbe, FAAE, partner, Sage Communications, Kansas City, Mo.
Karen Simon, FAAE, president, Karen Simon Communications, Ames, Iowa.
Willie Vogt, FAAE, executive director, Content and User Engagement, Penton Farm Progress, Eagan, Minn.
Mike Wilson, FAAE, executive editor, Penton Farm Progress, Decatur, Ill.
Sara Wyant, FAAE, president, Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., Camdenton, Mo.
