ACE Award Winners 2020

ACE 2020 Honor Award Winners

Reuben Brigham Award

Pam Golden Caraway, SYNGENTA

Pam Caraway's career is easily divided into thirds. Following graduation from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Pam worked as a newspaper journalist, primarily at the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach. From there, she was blessedly delivered into agriculture. The second third of her career is marked by Southern Farmer magazine, a Farm Progress publication, where she was the editor. For the final third, she transitioned in 2011 to the industry side of agriculture with a move to Bader Rutter, a Milwaukee agency, where she worked on behalf of Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva). Most recently, she was a public relations account supervisor at Rhea + Kaiser, a Chicago agency, where she was assigned to the Bayer account. In 2019, she became a Marketing Communications Lead for Syngenta, creating and directing promotion plans for specialty crops and Syngenta branding, which includes managing Thrive magazine.

An Air Force brat, Pam spent most of her adult life on Florida's Emerald Coast (formerly known as The Redneck Riviera). She and her husband, Bo, have three sons (his and hers) and five grandchildren (the smartest and most beautiful grandchildren anyone has ever met).

Academic & Research Learning Community

Award of Excellence

Katie Abrams, Colorado State University

Dr. Katie Abrams' is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University. Her expertise is at the intersection of strategic communication and food system and natural resources issues. Most of her research focuses on three broad areas: food marketing communication models of influence, transparency and strategic communication in the agriculture industry, and, most recently, social marketing approaches to encouraging behaviors that help protect wildlife. She has served on leadership within ACE for the Academic and Research Learn

Leadership & Management Learning Community

Award of Excellence

Michelle Olgers, Virginia State University

Michelle Olgers joined the Virginia State University (VSU) College of Agriculture in March 2014 as its first Director of Marketing & Communications. Since then, she has developed a communication strategy and built a team of talented professionals, each with the primary goal of helping VSU Extension Specialists and Agricultural Researchers connect their information and stories with relevant audiences. She and her team have won numerous ACE Critique and Awards Program awards for their work over the last several years. And Michelle is a 2018 graduate of Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR), the state's premier two-year leadership development program for agriculture professionals. Prior to joining VSU, Michelle held numerous communication jobs in the for-profit, non-profit and government sectors. A native of Brooklyn, NY, she is married to Darrell Olgers and mother to 17-year-old daughter, Emma Olgers.

ACE Rising Star Award (formerly the Pioneer Award)

Lori Tyler Gula, PhD, University of New Hampshire

Lori Tyler Gula is the communications manager for the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire. Recently she was appointed an affiliate assistant professor of education at UNH. Previously she served as a media relations officer at the university. Her background includes several years as an editor and reporter at newspapers in New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas. She holds a PhD in education and master’s in political science from the University of New Hampshire, an MBA from Plymouth State University, and a bachelor’s in journalism from Louisiana State University. She has been a member of ACE for four years and serves as the chair of the Media Relations and Writing Learning Community.

ACE Rising Star Award (formerly the Pioneer Award)

Stacy Herrick, West Virginia State University

Stacy has been a communications specialist at West Virginia State University since 2013. In this role, her duties include graphic design, social media management, marketing and promotion of WVSU Extension Service; Agricultural and Environmental Research Station; and Center for the Advancement of STEM programs and initiatives, along with working closely with WVSU's Marketing & Communications staff to promote the University.

Prior to working at WVSU, Stacy was a pre-press specialist at Morgantown Printing & Binding from 2010–2013 and a communications specialist at her alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College, from 2006–2010.

Since 2016, Stacy has proudly received four gold awards, one silver, two bronze, and one Outstanding Professional Skill Award through ACE’s C&As for her designs. Her leadership roles within ACE have included 2017 ACE Conference Planning Sub-Committee (Event Planning); 2019 ACE Conference Planning Committee – Marketing & Publications Committee; 2021 ACE Conference Planning Committee; ACE Publications & Graphic Design Learning Committee Chair (current); ACE Marketing sub-committee (current); and has worked on ACE marketing/membership materials in conjunction with Marketing Chair Board Member, Matt Browning.

Stacy holds a B.A. in art from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania and an M.S. in information design & technology from State University of New York Polytechnic Institute.

When Stacy is not at work, she is hanging out at home or a local playground with her husband, Andy, her five year old daughter, Abbey, and one year old twins, Miles and Ella. She enjoys traveling and reading a good book, in her free time. (Obviously, she doesn’t get much reading done.)

ACE Fellow (formerly the ACE Professional Award)

Beth Forbes, Purdue University

Beth Forbes is Director of Science Communication and Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication at Purdue University. In her role, she helps faculty, staff and students better communicate science information to the public. She is also an instructor in the Agricultural Communications program and is part of the leadership team for Issues 360, a transformational learning experience in the College of Agriculture that helps students learn how to engage with the public on controversial issues. Previously she was head of the Department of Agricultural Communication and has a long career in communications including media relations and strategic communications.

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