Jenne ’98 named St. Louis’s “30 under 30” up-and-coming professional
Date: Aug. 1 2005 Southeast alumna Kim Jenne ’98 was recently featured in the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the “30 under 30,” a list of the top 30 up-and-coming young professionals in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Surprised by the nomination, Jenne said, “It is a great honor to be included among this list of very impressive individuals.”
An account supervisor for the St. Louis-based advertising firm Schupp Co., Inc., Jenne oversees her company’s multimillion-dollar account for Miller Brewing Co., the nation’s second-largest beer producer, helping to develop its national TV campaigns “Miller Time Live” and “Miller Taste Challenge.” Both campaigns have received regional and national recognition.
Jenne also works with the St. Louis Blues hockey team, helping her company win top honors from the National Hockey League two of the last three years.
Originally hailing from a small Southern Illinois town, Jenne felt that Southeast Missouri State University was the right fit after visiting campus. Attracted to the friendly people, collegiate atmosphere and beautiful campus, Jenne stated, “I knew that Southeast was the place I could call home for the next four years.”
As a student, Jenne was a member of the Delta Delta Delta fraternity for women, National Panhellenic Council president, and served on both the All University and Greek judicial boards. She also participated in the University’s Honors Program, where her thinking skills were challenged.
“I believe the role of any good university is to hone the critical thinking skills of its students,” Jenne said. “Southeast with its University Studies program and its holistic approach did just that. It gave me a well-rounded education, along with the confidence and skills necessary to perform successfully in the business world.”
“You can learn how to write an expense report on the job,” stated Jenne. “But you can’t learn the critical thinking skills needed to make the tough decisions. That takes a university with a liberal arts approach, like Southeast.”
Despite her busy work schedule, Jenne finds the time to serve her community. In 2000 and 2001, through her church, she visited Haiti to help the local residents build a school and renovate a church. She plans to head to Nicaragua early next year to help rebuild homes after severe flooding devastated the impoverished countryside.
