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Fort Worth Photographer, Agency Founder Receive PRSA Awards

Prolific Fort Worth photographer Brian Luenser and J.O. agency founder Jennifer Henderson have been named recipients of the highest awards bestowed by the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA for 2024. The awards will be presented at the society’s annual Worthy Awards gala on November 8 at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center.

Named Communicator of the Year, US Navy veteran Brian Luenser has been documenting the evolution of Fort Worth for the past 20 years from his resident perch in the Tower downtown, which he calls his “ranger station,” as well as other vantage points.

“Brian’s beauty shots and carefully curated images have elevated awareness and appreciation of Fort Worth locally and throughout the U.S., contributing to the fabric of our history and the positive growth of our economy,” said nominator Andra Bennett, APR, communications manager for the City of Fort Worth’s Public Events Department.

As a Navy Intelligence Specialist, he would frequently hang out of an HS-8 helicopter with a harness to take photos of ships and submarines to later I.D. There was born his love of photography, which combined with his appreciation of 1920s architecture, made Fort Worth an irresistible subject for his lens.

Luenser’s images of Fort Worth sunrises, rainstorms, developments, events, timelapses and more on his Facebook page have amassed more than 31,000 organic followers. With more than 6 million images on a battery of hard drives, TCU and UTA have asked to have them for future “Luenser collections.”

Many Fort Worth PR practitioners and non-profits have benefited from Brian’s generous gift of photography for websites, annual reports, HR guidebooks and other marketing materials.

GFW PRSA Board of directors also selected Jennifer Henderson, founder of J.O. and The Cause Agency, for the chapter’s Douglas Ann Newsom PR Professional of the Year Award.

Celebrating her 26^th year at the helm of J.O. in 2024, Henderson (née Oliver, hence J.O.) founded the agency in 1998 as a full-service, woman-owned marketing, advertising and PR firm.

J.O. is one of the longest-running female-owned agencies in Fort Worth. According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, fewer than .1% of advertising agencies in North America are owned by women. The agency is known for its successful work with many institutions including naming and branding Trinity Metro, viral billboard campaigns with Worthington Bank, rebranding Texas Wesleyan University, and helping to establish Near Southside as an official Cultural District.

“Jennifer’s invaluable contributions to our city and our chapter have solidified her status as a true leader in the PR industry,” said Kim Brown, APR, president of GFW PRSA and director of Public Relations at Cook Children’s Health Care System. “Her unwavering commitment to mentoring young professionals makes her an inspiration to our community. Jennifer’s accomplishments not only elevate the standards of our profession but also pave the way for future generations of female entrepreneurs.”

In 2013, J.O. launched its nonprofit arm, The Cause Agency (TCA), to give back to the community by offering qualified nonprofits discounted marketing and PR services.

In a veritable hub of charitable and nonprofit organizations, Henderson noticed many needed assistance (whether marketing, public relations, branding, campaign strategy or otherwise), yet either lacked the staff or couldn’t afford agency services. With support of fellow entrepreneurs and her community, she launched TCA with a business model that has provided services to nonprofits locally, nationally and even internationally.