Dave Kurns, director of business development at Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, has earned the James W. Schwartz Award for Distinguished Service to Journalism and Communication.

James W. Schwartz was chair of the department of journalism for 12 years. He was also president of the Association for Education in Journalism. The award has been around since 1977.

The Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State gives the award to a new recipient each year. It is the highest honor the school gives.

Kurns graduated from Iowa State in 1982 with a degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in business.

After college, he worked as a reporter and editor for the Ames Tribune and Quad-City Times. He started at Meredith Corporation as a copy editor before being promoted to copy chief and then assistant managing editor for magazines focusing on home and family themes sold nationwide.

In 1994, Kurns became a founding editor of Meredith New Media. In a time when online journalism was just beginning, Kurns worked on Meredith’s first commercial website.

Following that endeavor, Kurns became an interactive editor for Meredith’s online magazines.

In 2006, he joined Meredith Integrated Marketing and led the effort to digitize content. He has worked with marketing companies such as Honda, Met Life and Nestle.

Kurns said he was humbled and honored to earn the award.

“I owe a great deal of my career — in newspapers, magazines and Web content — to the training and inspiration I found at Iowa State and the Greenlee School.”

Kurns will receive the award October 29, as part of homecoming week in Hamilton Hall.