The Journalism Education Association has named Kelly Furnas, MJE, of Gibsonville, North Carolina, its 2024 Carl Towley Award recipient.
Furnas is a lecturer, multimedia journalism instructor, scholastic journalism advocate and web developer. Currently at Elon (North Carolina) University, Furnas is a board member for the Student Press Law Center, a faculty mentor for the Elon News Network and a former executive director for JEA (2010-2016).
Sarah Nichols, MJE, director of student media at Whitney High School, worked closely with Furnas when she was JEA president.
“As executive director, Kelly was a visionary, but he was also a patient leader and supportive teammate,” Nichols said. “Everyone loved working with and for Kelly. He made each of us better, and because of his investment in us, the association thrived. From conventions and contests to outreach, mentoring and more, programs grew and flourished because Kelly struck just the right balance as a JEA leader. He knew when to say yes and when to say no. He was consistent, forward-thinking and realistic. He embraced change and trusted us, but he also held us accountable and paid attention.”
Among his biggest contributions is the JEA Curriculum Initiative, which he conceived with former JEA President Mark Newton and implemented with Nichols and a chosen team of 14 volunteers about 15 years ago.
“That alone is worthy of Carl Towley recognition because of the thousands of students reached and the many ways the lesson plans and materials help journalism spread and thrive in schools everywhere,” Nichols said. “I guarantee the curriculum modules have kept some teachers in the classroom and have helped others get better.”
Even after his time as JEA executive director ended he continued to serve JEA. He’s currently the global initiatives director and serves as the nominations chair for elections. He has also been instrumental in developing the new Scholastic Journalism Credentialing Program, which will allow students to earn credentials in many facets of journalism. He saw the need for this program, especially for journalism students overseas, and has built the foundation of the testing program for JEA.
JEA President Val Kibler, MJE, said no matter how large or important his professional jobs have become, he always makes time to educate young people, including as a keynote speaker at jDay in Virginia and as the adviser-in-residence for the advisers-only jRetreat.
“Along with blazing a trail in scholastic journalism on his own, he takes the time to challenge those around him and push them to be better teachers, better thinkers, better people,” Kibler, the Harrison (Virginia) High School adviser, said. “Whether he’s debating the merits of sports journalism (or defining what makes something a sport in the first place) or developing a course in drone journalism or touting the staying power of Snapchat while denying all that Facebook ever was, he always one step ahead of me and, in my humble opinion, most of the top people in our field. I have nothing but respect for this man and all that he has done for the world of scholastic journalism.”
Founded in 1924, JEA supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, promoting professionalism, encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and an atmosphere which encompasses diversity yet builds unity. It is headquartered at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
By Louisa Avery, MJE, awards chair