Officers elected for Connecticut Sports Media Alliance

The Connecticut Sports Media Alliance (CSMA), one of the nation's oldest sports journalism associations, has re-elected Tim Jensen of Patch Media as president for an unprecedented fifth term.

The CSMA also re-elected John Holt of the CIAC as vice president, longtime Norwalk Hour sportswriter George Albano as treasurer and retired sportswriter Peter Vander Veer as secretary.

Founded in 1939 as the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance, the organization changed its name earlier this year, as the composition of sports media members has evolved from newspaper writers to multi-media journalists, digital outlets and sports professionals.

A veteran of more than three decades in the media industry, Jensen was founding editor of Enfield Patch in 2010. The 1983 graduate of Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield is currently news editor of four Patch sites in north-central Connecticut, in addition to Connecticut sports coverage.

After two years as vice president, he was elected president in 2017. He followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle, Earl Yost, who was sports editor of the now-defunct Manchester Herald for nearly 40 years, and served as Alliance president in 1959.

Jensen has chaired the annual Gold Key Dinner, one of Connecticut's most prestigious sports honors, since 2015. Inaugurated in 1940 with baseball legend Connie Mack and golf superstar Bobby Jones among the initial honorees, a roster of stellar names have received the award since then, including Gordie Howe, Willie Pep, Joe Cronin, Ron Francis, Geno Auriemma, Julius Boros, Andy Robustelli, Joan Joyce, Bill Rodgers, Rebecca Lobo, Brian Leetch, Kristine Lilly and Calvin Murphy.

"I wish to thank my colleagues at the CSMA for having faith in me to continue trying to grow and keep up with the times," Jensen said. "We are bringing new members on board, including some sports information directors from Connecticut colleges and professional franchises, and also plan to get our previous Gold Key honorees involved as we look forward to the 80th dinner next October."

Jensen is a longtime member of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame board of directors, including 16 years as vice chairman. He is the proud dad of two adult children: Alex, a student at Seton Hall Law School in New Jersey, and Mia, who is in a doctorate program at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Posted December 10, 2021 by the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance

Photo courtesy Gerry deSimas, Jr., Collinsville Press.com