Jennifer Schaaf was a respected professional in government communications, holding several positions for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and serving as president of the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators. She was a magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a B.A. in English and political science. After she died in 1999, this award was established as a way of recognizing Kentucky government communicators who meet the high standards she set and followed.
Recipients
1999 BRAD HUGHES
Kentucky School Boards Association
2000 LISA GROSS
Kentucky Department of Education
2001 GIL LAWSON
Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services
2002 Rusty Cheuvront
Office of the Governor
2003 LISA LAMB
Department of Corrections
2004 JILL MIDKIFF
Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet
2005 VICKI GLASS
Kentucky Attorney General’s Office
2006 JASON KELLER
Department of Homeland Security
2007 LES FUGATE
Office of Kentucky Secretary of State
2008 VIKKI FRANKLIN
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
2013 CHUCK WOLFE
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
2014 JAY BLANTON
University of Kentucky
2016 BRIAN WILKERSON
Kentucky House Speaker’s Office
2017 PAMELA TRAUTNER
Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet
2018 BRADFORD QUEEN
Office of Kentucky Secretary of State
2019 SUSAN STRAUB
Lexington mayor’s communications director.