The Real Ozarks magazine takes first in statewide advertising contest
The Real Ozarks Magazine, an annual glossy-covered guide to Ozark County and the surrounding area published by the Times each spring, won first place for the second year in a row at the 2026 Missouri Press Advertising and Marketing Executives contest in the special sections category. The award was one of nine that the Ozark County Times took home for its advertising efforts. Graphic designer Regina Mozingo, pictured above, who designs almost all of the ads in the Times, won several awards including third place in best ad designer in the state.
The 2026 Missouri Press Advertising and Marketing Executives meeting was held last week in Branson. Ozark County Times staff members were honored at the meeting with nine advertising awards.
First place for
The Real Ozarks magazine
For the second year in a row, The Real Ozarks magazine won first place in the special sections category. The annual glossy-covered guide to all things Ozark County features dozens of vibrant ads from local businesses and information on dining, hiking, lakes and rivers, natural areas, fishing, historic mills and more. The guide was judged for originality, layout, copy and creativity.
The magazine is a labor of love and an office-wide effort each year with staff coming together to complete the over 100-page publication each spring. Advertising Manager Jenny Yarger starts selling ads early in the year, working with each advertiser to develop a specialized plan for maximum impact.
Times Graphic Designer Regina Mozingo uses the customers’ information and requests to design attractive and creative ads, unique to each customer. Times Editor Jessi Dreckman takes the editorial side of things, providing updated information each year about all of the wonderful things there are to do here. She also handles The Real Ozarks photo contest, which had hundreds of photos submitted this year. The Times staff works together to choose a winning photo for the cover of each year’s magazine, and other submitted photos are used throughout the guide.
Eight other ad awards
Designer Regina Mozingo and Editor Jessi Dreckman also took home eight other ad awards at the statewide contest.
First place awards: Dreckman took first place in best single house ad, while Mozingo snagged the top spot for the categories of best ad smaller than a quarter-page with a dragon design for the Ozark County Library.
Second place: Mozingo’s second place awards included that for the 2025 The Real Ozarks promotion ad, an ad for a Bakersfield-area laundromat and Roy’s Store Veterans Day ad.
Third place: Mozingo took third place in best ad designer, an ad calling for recipes wanted in the single house ad category, and most creative use of full color in an ad for the El Tule Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant ad.
Place an ad with us!
If you’d like to take advantage of the graphic design team at the Times, email Ad Manager Jenny Yarger at jenny@ozarkcountytimes.com.
Design fees are included in the price of an ad, so there is no additional charge.