NAAJ Past Presidents

1953 - J.S. Russell, Des Moines Register & Tribune

1954 - Bill Durham, The Houston Post

1955 - E.S. Kieckhofer, Memphis Commercial Appeal

1956 - Rex B. Conn, Cedar Rapids Gazette

1957 - Hal Herd, Nashville, Tenn.

1958 - Richard T. Orr, The Chicago Tribune

1959 - James Colby, Davenport Times-Democrat

1960 - Robert Bjorklund, Wisconsin State Journal

1961 - Harold K. Street, Hartford Courant

1962 - Frank Salzarulo, Indianapolis News

1963 - Glenn Cunningham, Des Moines Register & Tribune

1964 - William B. Humphries, Raleigh News & Courier

1965 - Herbert Karner, Tulsa Daily World

1966 - Harold Joiner, Atlanta Journal

1967 - Loren H. Osman, The Milwaukee Journal

1968 - James E. Vance, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

1969 - Ray Pagel, Green Bay Press-Gazette

1970 - Don Muhm, Des Moines Register-Tribune

1971 - S. Archie Holdridge, Harford Courant

1972 - William H. Zipf, The Columbus Dispatch

1973 - Keith L. Wilkey, The Quincy Herald-Whig

1974 - William M Blair, The New York Times

1975 - Bernard Brenner, UPI- Washington, D.C.

1976 - Audrey Mackiewicz, The Sandusky Register

1977 - Michael J. Carr, Decatur Herald & Review

1978 - J. Alan Swegle, Cedar Rapids Gazette

1979 - Donald M. Kendall, AP, Washington, D.C.

1980 - Mary Roesner, The Moline Daily Dispatch

1981 - H. Carlisle Besuden, III The Lexington Herald

1982 - Thornton Hartley, The Florida Times Union

1983 - Mildred M. Bunting, Lancaster Livestock Reporter

1984 - William S. Kilby, Jacksonville Journal Courier

1985 - Ann M. Toner, Kansas City Star

1986 - Ernest Wilkinson, Indianapolis Star

1987 - Sonja Hillgren, UPI- Washington, D.C.

* 1988 - Galen Moses, Gainseville Sun

1989 - Kathleen Davis (Phillips), Lubbock Avalanche Journal

1990 - Lee Egerstrom, St. Paul Pioneer Press

1991 - Michael Flaherty, Wisconsin State Journal

1992 - June Sekoll, Farm Chronicle

1993 - Wayne Falda, South Bend Tribune

1994 - Dan Looker, Successful Farming

1995 - Tim White, Ohio Farmer

1996 - Patricia Klintberg, Farm Journal

1997 - Steven Lee, Dallas Morning News

1998 - Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal

1999 - Mikkel Pates, AgWeek

* * 2000 - Richard Estrada, The Modesto (Calif.) Bee

2001 - Laura Rance, Manitoba Co-operator

2002 - David Hendee, Omaha World-Herald

2003 - Jerry Perkins, Des Moines Register

2004 - Sally Schuff, Feedstuffs

2005 - Larry Dreiling, High Plains Journal

2006 - Jerry Hagstrom, National Journal

2007 - Chuck Abbott, Reuters

2008 - Betsy Freese, Living the Country Life

2009 - Urban Lehner, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2010 - Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg

2011 - Ed Maixner, Kiplinger Agriculture Letter

2012 - Chris Clayton, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2013 - John Vogel, American Agriculturist

2014 -Phyllis J. Griekspoor, Kansas Farmer

2015 -Gil Gullickson, Successful Farming

2016 -Ed White, The Western Producer

***2017 - Ed White, The Western Producer

2018 - Jonathan Knutson, AgWeek

2019 - Todd Neeley, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

****2020 - Todd Neeley, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2021 - Gene Lucht, Iowa Farmer Today

2022 - Allan Dawson, Manitoba Co-operator

2023 - Des Keller, DK Communications Group

* When the organization changed from the Newspaper Farm Editors of America to the National Association of Agricultural Journalists.

** When the organization changed from the National Association of Agricultural Journalists to North American Agricultural Journalists.

*** Ed White served as president for two years due to the untimely death of then-vice president Marcia Zarley Taylor.

**** Todd Neeley agreed to remain president for a second term when Kathleen Phillips retired from the executive secretary-treasurer position so that Jacqui Fatka, then-national vice president, could become interim secretary-treasurer. Neeley remaining at the helm provided continuity in the association during the transition.