OWAA News
June 12, 2012

McDonnell, Pollmann receive 2012 OWAA Madson Fellowships

MISSOULA, Mont. — Outdoor Writers Association of America selected Kelly Jo McDonnell and John Pollmann as co-recipients of the 2012 OWAA John Madson Fellowship. The fellowship is an annual grant program that funds continuing education opportunities for OWAA members. This year’s recipients will share the total award of $2,500 for reimbursable expenses related to attending educational opportunities of their choice.

McDonnell, of Lino Lakes, Minn., is a writer and TV producer for Ron Schara Productions and has been with the company for 16 years. TV segments air on NBC, Fox and Outdoor Channel. McDonnell is also a freelance writer of outdoor-related features for the (Minn.) StarTribune. A member since 2011, she is the daughter of late long-time OWAA member Jim McDonnell. She will be attending the Travel Writers Conference in Corte Madera, Cali., this coming August.

Pollmann, of Dell Rapids, S.D., is an educator and freelance writer and photographer. He has had credits appear in the Ducks Unlimited e-newsletter, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Delta Waterfowl Magazine, Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Outdoor News and other outlets. Pollmann has been an OWAA member since 2008, and will be attending OWAA’s Goldenrod Writing Workshop in Missoula, Mont., in July.

OWAA’s Madson Fellowship is funded through the John Madson Fellowship Fund, an endowment that thrives primarily through OWAA member contributions and fundraising efforts. Its goal is to enhance professional communication skills for OWAA members. The fellowship program is designed to honor the legacy of John Madson, one of OWAA’s most talented, respected and honored legends. Applications are evaluated by a committee of past OWAA Jade of Chiefs conservation award winners.

For more information on the Madson Fellowship, visit http://owaa.org/programs/scholarships-fellowships/madson-fellowship.

OWAA is The Voice of the Outdoors®. The Outdoor Writers Association of America is the oldest and largest association of professional outdoor communicators in the United States. It was organized in 1927 by members of the Izaak Walton League of America and includes professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. OWAA’s professionals include writers, photographers, outdoors radio- and television-show hosts, book authors, videographers, lecturers and artists. The association is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For more information, contact Robin Giner, executive director, Outdoor Writers Association of America, 615 Oak St., Ste. 201, Missoula, Mont. 59801; 406-728-7434, rginer@owaa.org; http://www.owaa.org.