Clinton County native Jessica Owens Sullivan has collected a host of awards and accolades during her career with Kentucky Farm Bureau, but the most recent award placed in her hands is one that she not only cherishes, but is one of the most coveted awards in its field.

Sullivan was part of a video production team that this past week earned an Emmy for its work on a production featuring the late Murl Conner and his family, widow Pauline and son Paul Conner.

Murl Conner was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military award last year, the Medal of Honor, in a ceremony at the White House with President Donald Trump presenting Pauline with the MOH.

After that ceremony, Sullivan, who works with Kentucky Farm Bureau as an Agency Support and Marketing Manager, accompanied the Kentucky Farm Bureau Communications department’s video crew to Clinton County, just a short distance from where Sullivan was raised in the Concord Community.

Sullivan explained to the Clinton County News this week that Kentucky Farm Bureau has an in-house studio and video facilities and personnel to film and edit stories for a variety of media.

Regular viewers of Kentucky Educational Television will recognize the program Bluegrass and Backroads that has long been produced by the Kentucky Farm Bureau team and is committed to “telling our story” as Sullivan put it this week, explaining the mission of the Farm Bureau video department.

“So often, the general public doesn’t realize how many strong, influential and caring leaders we have within our organization,” Sullivan said. “Murl Conner was one of those people; he was a longtime volunteer to Clinton County Farm Bureau and known throughout the state for his service to our members and the agriculture community.”

Sullivan explained that as soon as she knew that Murl Conner was going to be awarded the Medal of Honor, she immediately contacted the Farm Bureau Communications department and began the process of helping them get in contact with Pauline and Paul Conner to begin setting up interviews.

Sullivan noted that she had grown up as neighbors to the Conner family in the Concord community, and in addition, spent many years working side by side with the Conners when her Farm Bureau employment began with the Clinton County Farm Bureau office.

She added that because of her familiarity to the Conner story and the fact that she had known the Conner family as neighbors for her entire life, the team brought her along on their trip to Clinton County to work alongside them with the title of “co-producer” for the project.

“I was the co-producer, asking interview questions and helping uncover the details that other folks didn’t know,” Sullivan said.

The production, titled “Kentucky Farm Hero – The Story of Lt. Garlin Murl Conner” features his widow, Pauline Conner extensively, telling the story of her late husband’s World War II heroics, as well as a mix about his involvement with the local, state and national farming industry, primarily through his work with the Clinton County and Kentucky Farm Bureau.

An Emmy winning production in the Military Program category, the ”Kentucky Farm Hero” piece was a seven minute long video that is still available for viewing through a Kentucky Farm Bureau You Tube internet address at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hSMugrIyvQ

She added that although she was a part of the production of the video, and has watched the now Emmy winning piece numerous times, it never fails to emotionally grab ahold of her.

“I’ve watched this film no less than 10 times and every single time, I cry,” Sullivan said. “On the surface, it’s a military story but in the end we see a love story unfold. Personally, I’m honored to know that I got to grow up with the Conners and work in the Farm Bureau family with them.”

Sullivan, in her duties with the Kentucky Farm Bureau company, covers 22 counties and 29 offices in the central Kentucky area, where she works to support the Farm Bureau Agents and Agency Managers.

The daughter of Mike and Sue Owens of Albany, Jessica is married to John Michael Sullivan and they live in Mount Washington with their daughter, Keet.

She was quick to point out, however, that while her family is now located in Bullitt County, Kentucky, “home is ALWAYS Albany!”