Innovator Jenkins receives 2011Graznak Award

Trailblazer. Innovator. The total package. That’s how the 2011 Graznak Committee summed up their choice in Jason Jenkins as CCA’s 2011 Michael Graznak Award winner. “Jason’s portfolio showed variety, creativity and mastery of cooperative communications,” shared committee member K.D. Graham and 2006 Graznak recipient. “He is simply the total package.”

Fellow committee member and 2004 Graznak recipient Lisa Moorhouse added, “Jason has an incredible gift and exemplifies what the Graznak Award represents.”

Jenkins is the managing editor of Rural Missouri, a 540,000-circulation monthly tabloid published by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperative. He serves as a writer, photographer and editor for the print publication and also oversees the magazine’s digital and social media presence.

Presented annually, the Graznak Award recognizes a communicator under age 35 who symbolizes accomplishments, contributions, competence and promise as a young cooperative communicator. CCA created the award in 1977 to honor the memory of Michael Graznak, an outstanding CCA member who died at age 51 while on field assignment for his cooperative, Farmland Industries.

His supervisor, Jim McCarty noted in his nomination materials, “Jason is a rare breed who can photograph and write with the best of them.” Jenkins editing skills make him the go-to guy on staff when Jim needs a verdict on English usage or AP style. He won “Best of Show” honors in the 2008 and 2010 CCA Photography Contest and was the 2009 CCA Photographer of the year. He’s also earned second runner up honors in Writer of the year.

Given Jenkins accomplishments, the quality and quantity of his work, it’s hard to believe he’s only been employed in the cooperative industry for just four years. “Jason’s skills and leadership abilities are so strong that it was an easy decision to promote him from field editor to managing editor after less than three years with the association,” said McCarty.

Something tells us Jason isn’t finished trailblazing, he’s only just begun. Like his co-workers at the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, we look forward to watching Jason raise the bar and push cooperative communications to a level of professionalism and success we’ve never imagined or experienced before.