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Jun. 26, 2015 Source: Agricultural Relations Council news release Veteran ag communicator and consultant Steve Drake has been named as the new recipient to the Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Denver. The program, sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine and managed by the Ag Relations Council (ARC), recognizes lifetime contributions to public relations and the ARC. Steve is also a former ARC Founders Award winner and has enjoyed a career in public relations that spans more than three decades. After a career as an Associated Press news reporter and 10 years in college public relations, Drake entered ag PR in 1978 with the American Soybean Association (ASA). After ASA, Drake formed and grew Drake & Company, focusing on association management through a multitude of clients, mostly in agriculture. Some of his many career highlights included: • Developing a PR team at the American Soybean Association and winning a PRSA Silver Anvil in the process • Transitioning Soybean Digest magazine to a commercial magazines from a house organ • Working to coordinate Monsanto's flood relief preprogram, generating $3+ million to rural families during the great flood of 1993. He won a Silver Anvil for this work. • Expanding and growing the National Christmas Tree Association through such efforts as the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and the Trees for Troops program. This program alone has touched 122,000 military families with free Christmas trees. • Worked with leaders of the AAEA, LPC and the Agricultural Publishers Association (APA) to create the Ag Media Summit (AMS). Today the AMS is the premier annual professional development conference for hundreds of ag communicators. Ken Bader, former CEO of ASA and president, Global Agribusiness, says this about Steve: "His imaginative and effective public relations efforts are deserving of this national acclaim and recognition. I have known Steve for over 40 years when he was responsible for all public relations activities as well as serving as my 'second in command.' He is a superb and innovative public relations expert." Irwin Loiterstein, representing the National Christmas Tree Association, notes that Steve's work in public relations for the association resulted in increased membership and sales of Christmas trees. The nationally-recognized Trees for Troops program, started in 2006, is still going strong. "Steve and his staff were the glue that kept us together," Loiterstein says. Drake was active for many years in ARC including serving as ARC President in 1996. He reminisced about his days an an ag PR professional. "I accept this honor on behalf of all those dedicated professionals I had the privilege of leading as well as supportive organizational leaders who gave me the resources to implement effective public relations efforts. ARC members have been one of my important industry networks so receiving this recognition from ARC is very special," he says. ARC Executive Director Den Gardner adds that he's worked with Drake for more than two decades. "He is a true professional in the public relations business and understands the complexities of strategic PR and all the elements necessary to get the message out to the benefit of the organization. This honor is well-deserved." Steve is currently president and owner of SCD Group, Inc. and editor of the SCDdaily blog. His firm provides advice to associations and nonprofits regarding marketing and strategic visioning and he works with associations and for-profit companies on generational issues. Steve joins this illustrious group of current Hall of Fame members: Don Lerch, Lyle Orwig, John Harvey, Paul Weller, Richard Howell and Gary Myers. Tweet |
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