Missourian's Denson to be honored at annual advertising awards

The American Advertising Awards -- known colloquially as the ADDYs -- are a chance to spotlight the region's best advertising, and this year, Donna Denson will be honored for her lifetime achievement in the industry.

Denson, advertising director for the Southeast Missourian, will be named the 2020 American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Cape Girardeau's Silver Medal Award recipient.

"I have great respect and admiration for all the previous award recipients," Denson said. "For me to receive this recognition is a truly humbling experience and a great honor."

The award is given to someone who has made outstanding contributions to advertising and who has been active in furthering the industry's standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern, according to aaf.org.

"She's been involved in nearly every facet of advertising and has taught a lot of people and nurtured a lot of people," said Charles Wiles, co-founder of the AAF of Cape Girardeau. "One of the most impressive things to the judges was that she's been involved with a lot of niche publications."

Some of those publications include B Magazine, Flourish Magazine, The Best Years (TBY), Mind + Body Magazine, SemoHousehunter Magazine, People's Choice Awards and the Arrow, as well as several former publications, such as Tipoff Magazine and Southeast Living Magazine.

"We look for people with a long history that have done innovative things. Donna has done innovative things working with these niche publications," Wiles said. " ... You don't exist [in this industry] without being flexible, adaptive and innovative."

Along with his wife, Judy, Wiles co-founded the AAF of Cape Girardeau in 1992 -- formerly known as the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals -- and serves as chairman of the club's Silver Medal Award Committee. Along with several other judges who are past Silver Medal Award recipients, Wiles is responsible for helping select the annual winner.

"There are so many deserving people right now," Wiles said. "This is not a basketball game that somebody wins or loses. There's a whole bunch of winners out there that haven't been selected yet."

In addition to Denson's work in the advertising industry, she's been involved in service to the community over the last two decades. She's a board member for Community Counseling Center Foundation and co-chair of the 2020 Zonta Women of Achievement Luncheon, as well as a delegate for the club's international convention in Chicago. She's a member of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of Jackson Chamber of Commerce, past president and board member of United Way of Southeast Missouri, past president and board member of Old Town Cape and past president and board member of Southeast Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross.

"There is no greater reward than to serve," Denson said. "I have a great career and love my job, but that work will long be forgotten. Our service, the work we do to improve our community and the lives of others, has life-changing and long-lasting impact."

Noteworthy moments along Denson's career include her work in helping to develop the first Downtown Christmas House in 2002, and her time as president of Old Town Cape from 2015 to 2016, the same year the organization earned the designation of Great American Main Street Organization.

Local Silver Medal Award recipients of past years include Jim Dufek, Chuck Voss, Chris Edmonds, Mary Spell, Nancy Bray, Paul Walker, Gary Rust, Judy Wiles, Charles Wiles and Jim Riley.

This year's event, to be held Wednesday evening at the Drury Plaza Conference Center, 3351 Percy Drive in Cape Girardeau, will recognize the top creations from more than 167 professional and student entries. Entries are recognized by gold, silver and bronze awards, the best of which will move on to the second level of a three-tiered competition at the District 9 American Advertising Awards.

Judging for the awards typically takes place on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, according to Kristen Martin, past president of AAF of Cape Girardeau and co-chair of the awards show. Three out-of-market judges traveled to Cape Girardeau in January for the judging, which Martin said usually lasts all day.

The awards show is one of the advertising industry's largest creative competitions, according to a Tuesday news release from the AAF of Cape Girardeau.

"It's an exciting opportunity to see what's going on in the industry," Marin said. "I'm impressed every year with what our community members are putting out. ... It's really cool to go and just get a look at what the past year has been like for our community."

The event begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday with heavy appetizers, followed by the awards show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for students and $50 for professionals at the door, and only cash or check will be accepted. For more information, contact AAF of Cape Girardeau president Jaimee Holland at (573) 803-2640, or visit aafcape.com/addys.