What ACN Means to Me

By: Jennifer Shike, AAEA PIF Trustee and Farm Journal PORK Editor 

What does it mean to you to be an Ag Comm Network member?

I’m grateful to be a member of the Ag Comm Network because it continues to open so many doors in my life. Not only does it foster opportunities for me to grow as a communicator and sharpen my skill set, but it also expands my network and introduces me to mentors, lifelong friends and industry rockstars who challenge me to be better. No matter where I go or what I do, I’m amazed by the way my membership in the Ag Comm Network has widened my circle, helping me experience a fuller life professionally and personally.

A Little Extra

I found a photo of JoAnn and I with Scott Dee on my first day on the job at Farm Journal’s PORK when she was showing me around at the Leman Swine Conference.

Through involvement in the Ag Comm Network, I was fortunate to meet JoAnn Alumbaugh years ago. We served on a committee together and have stayed in touch at Ag Media Summits. When JoAnn decided to retire from Farm Journal’s PORK in 2018, she reached out and encouraged me to apply for her position as editor and brand leader. I wasn’t looking for a new job, but I couldn’t deny the appeal of finally pursuing my dream to be an editor of a livestock publication. Plus, I’ve always admired JoAnn and her impact on the pork industry. I took a leap of faith, interviewed for the job, and found myself with a new business card. As I reflect on that flurry of transition in my life, I am so grateful for the relationship I had with JoAnn because of the Ag Comm Network. It’s one thing to follow in the steps of a legend in agricultural communications, but it’s another to be able to have that legend walk beside you as you start out in a new chapter of your career. She has been a constant support and encouragement to me in this role and I’m forever appreciative of the time she invested in my life. We are one story of many like this – and that may be my favorite Ag Comm Network story.

Photo of me looking through photos with Scott Dee during an interview.