OJEFA Announces Lindsay Sale-Tinney Award

BADIN, N.C. - The Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America (OJEFA) has selected Josh Honeycutt to receive the second annual Lindsay Sale-Tinney Award. One of the judges said of Honeycutt, "I found his writing to be of a quality one would expect from a much more experienced and much older writer."

Honeycutt, a journalism student at the University of Kentucky at Glasgow, was pleased with the news. "Since my youth, hunting and fishing have always been the fuel that ignited my passion for the outdoors," Honeycutt said. "Being an outdoor writer, it thrills me to know that I have been awarded such a prestigious scholarship. As a first-year active member, I cannot help but eagerly anticipate the 2012 SEOPA Conference."

The scholarship provides registration, lodging and up to $500 toward travel expenses for Honeycutt to attend the 2012 Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) conference in Johnson City, Tenn., this fall. Longtime SEOPA members will mentor Honeycutt throughout the conference to ensure his experience is educational, fun and productive.

"As we outdoor communicators age with the rest of America, it is crucial that we reach out and attempt to bestow our reverence for the outdoors to younger generations," said David Rainer, incoming SEOPA president and 2012 conference chairman. "This is exactly what Stu Tinney had in mind with the Lindsay Sale-Tinney Award. Access to the vast experience and wisdom of our current SEOPA membership is what our annual conference exemplifies. I can remember so many years ago what the annual conference meant to my outdoor writing career, and the SEOPA membership makes an extra effort to make sure new members and up-and-coming writers feel welcome through hospitality and providing a pathway to advance their careers."

Stu Tinney, founder of the original Striper magazine and tournament series, is the benefactor of the Lindsay Sale-Tinney Award named in honor of his late wife. He will make a presentation to Honeycutt during the SEOPA Annual Awards banquet at the conference.

"The SEOPA conference provides a super venue for networking, learning and enjoying fellowship with like-minded individuals," Tinney said. "I can't imagine a more fitting tribute to Lindsay than to send young outdoor communicators to a SEOPA conference."

OJEFA, the educational arm of SEOPA, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the education and support of outdoor journalists and their efforts to promote the wise and ethical use of our wildlife and natural resources.

For more information visit www.seopa.org and click on "OJEFA" or contact Lisa Snuggs at the SEOPA-OJFEA office via e-mail at lisa@seopa.org or by calling 704-984-4700.

Contact:
Lisa Snuggs, (EM) lisa@seopa.org, (O) 704-984-4700