By Jessie Scott, Sponsorship Chair
During my first Commodity Classic, I went to a client dinner where I was sandwiched between Mike Wilson and Jeff Caldwell. I’d only been working for Successful Farming magazine for a few months at the time, so that combination made me wonder what I had gotten myself into!
But after the jokes had subsided, Mike and I had a great conversation about what it means to be a part of the ag journalism industry, the importance of AAEA, and the fun (and lessons) to be had at Ag Media Summit. We also delved into some deeper topics, including our family’s experiences with exchange students, his battle with cancer, and Andy Markwart. It was a conversation that has stuck with me more than four years later.
That night and later on, Mike told me about Andy’s passion and his talent. How his death was a great loss not only to his family and friends, but to the industry for losing a member that was so dedicated and driven. And he told me about the award that AAEA gave out in his honor.
While I never had the chance to meet Andy, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Mike and working alongside him on projects for AAEA. He’s roped me into committees and encouraged me to be as involved as I possibly can be. “You and your generation are the future of AAEA,” he’s said more times than I can count.
To me, Mike embodies many of the aspects that I’ve read and heard about Andy. And his commitment to the industry and AAEA are a great way to honor Andy’s legacy. As the 2017 winner of the Andy Markwart Horizon Award, I am humbled and honored to be a part of continuing that legacy.
To start, I’ll be moving into a role as a co-chair on the sponsorship committee this year after serving as the InfoExpo chair for the past two years as well as on a variety of other committees. I’ll be using the stipend from the award to attend the 2018 IFAJ Congress in the Netherlands. And I’ll continue to find ways to give back to AAEA – an organization that has given a lot to me.
If you’re a young ag communicator or journalist, I encourage you to join me and become more involved with AAEA. Mike is right. We are the future of AAEA, so let’s get involved today to ensure there is a strong organization in the future.