Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., Washington, D.C.) received the 2020 Excellence in Public Outreach Award from the South Dakota Corn Growers after several delays.
“At the beginning of March, my landlord emailed me to inform me there was a box in my building’s entryway with my name on it. I knew right away the package was probably something I had been waiting on for a week or two, but also for about 14 months,” Chase said.
“It was an award from the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, specifically their Excellence in Public Outreach award. I had gotten the call about receiving the award back in 2019. Originally, I was supposed to go to their convention in January 2020 to accept it in person. But unfortunately, I had a previous engagement (covering the American Farm Bureau convention taking place at the same time) and wasn’t able to make it. So, I recorded a message thanking them for the honor and arranged to stop by their office the next time I was in Sioux Falls to pick it up.
“Then, a blizzard forced the postponement of their convention until mid-March. It would have to wait again. Then, a pandemic forced their convention to be cancelled. It would have to wait again. But then, after arranging with the South Dakota Corn Growers office, it was shipped to me. And now, I have a memento from the organization my father once led sitting on a shelf in my living room. It was worth the wait.
“Let’s talk about waiting and what else is on my living room shelf,” Chase continued. On one side is a plaque from my term as a regional vice president on the NAFB board. I learned so much from my time on the board. To say I knew what I was getting into would probably be a lie. Maybe a stretch if you’re feeling generous. But I’m so glad I took a shot at learning more about the organization and learning more about what I can do to help it.”
“On the other side is The Doan Award,” Chase said. “I was stunned — not exaggerating, stunned — when I learned a project on which I worked with my colleague Ben Nuelle had won The Doan award. I didn’t know we were up for consideration, and I honestly wasn’t sure if the work was up to the quality of the award. I knew we had worked hard on it, and we were proud of it. But, I also know other people who won that award and what it would take to win one of my own someday.
“I interned with Michelle Rook in 2012 and learned what it looks like to be a dogged and aggressive reporter that still has the unquestioned respect of an audience. I was in China with Steve Bridge when he was doing the award-winning reporting of his own and remember being amazed at the resourcefulness and diligence of his work,” Chase said.
“Frankly, I figured I would have to wait. But the call came. And the box eventually showed up. And NAFB members voted me back on the board. It wasn’t on my timing. In some cases, it was before I expected it. In some cases, there was waiting.
“We’ve all experienced waiting in this business. Waiting for a source to call us back, waiting in the booth for your time on air, or worst of all, waiting for a file to upload. We’ve all been there before, and we’ll probably all be there again. But I hope we — or at least I — can learn to appreciate the waiting.
“In one case, waiting provided me with the opportunity to become a better reporter and find a ‘hell of a colleague to work with.’ In another, it gave me time to think about why I wanted to serve and convince others I was worthy of their support. And in one case, it required evolving from the annoying young pain in the neck a group of people got to know more than a decade ago and establish myself as a professional. Whatever it is you’re waiting for, I hope it arrives someday. And if there’s something I can do to make the wait a little more enjoyable, give me a call,” Chase concluded.
BOTTOM PHOTO: Ben Nuelle, left, and Spencer Chase, with The Doan award (2020)
