The IAEE Chapter Merit Award recognizes individuals whose ideas and/or work have benefited IAEE as an organization in some special way, and is generally reserved for those who have stepped forward at the chapter and/or local level.

Eligibility and Rules:

• The nominee must be an active member of IAEE or currently employed by an IAEE member company in good standing for at least 3 years.
• The nominee must be or have been directly involved in or associated with the exhibition management field.
• The award may be made posthumously.
• Final selection is based on merit.

Examples of Qualifying Data:

• The candidate has made an outstanding contribution to the creation or continuation of an IAEE project at any level.
• The candidate created or significantly enhanced a new program or project at chapter level.
• The candidate has served in a leadership role on the chapter/local level.
• The candidate created and/or implemented a leadership project on behalf of the association and the membership.
• The candidate participated in a leadership role in the exhibition and/or hospitality curricula for a local college or university.

Questions you will be asked in the nomination form:

• Is the nominee currently an active IAEE member in good standing of at least 3 years?
• Is the nominee directly involved in or associated with the exhibition management field?
• Detail how the nominee has made outstanding contributions to his/her IAEE chapter.
• You will also be able to upload up to 3 files for supporting documentation and/or testimonials.

Past recipients of the IAEE Chapter Merit Award:

1993    Robert DeVeau
             Ed Horton
             Karen Howe, CEM
1994    David Larkin
1995    Robert F. James
             Sam Lippman
             Pamela Kay Pietrok
1996     Jack Withiam Jr., CEM
1997     Charles Gallatin, CEM, CAE
              Jan Hughes, CEM
             Amanda Wellborn, CEM
1998    Harold “Speed” Gant
             Linda Lizardi-Johnson
             Susan Schwartz, CEM
1999    Anne DeOrsey
             Robert Kelly, CEM
             Susan Rosenstock, CEM
             Gerri Salvatore, CEM
2000    Lori Amundsen
             Tom Harris, CEM, CAE
             Barbara Bogle Weaver
             Patrica Willey
2001    Robert E. Barba, CMP
             Linda S. Haughton, CEM
             Kathryn P. Brooks
             Paul Cunniffe
2002    Mary Anne DeNise
             Jennifer Hoff, CEM
             Steve Leonard
             Linda Rank, CEM
2003    Randy Bauler, CEM
             Dana Fuller, CEM
             John Plescia, CMP, CEM
             Dave Marquart
2004    Dale Huffman, CEM
             Raymond Moriarity
             Michele Samuel, CEM
             Ryan Strowger, CEM
2005    George Kocian, CEM
             Irene Sperling
             Tony Lee
             Donna Venito
2006    Maria Wilcox
2007    Cindy Ferguson, CEM
             G. Bruce Lemmon, CEM
2008    Gary Tolbert, CEM
             Kristina Unger, CEM, CMP
             Mary Wilson
2009    Cynthia Boyle, CEM
             Lynn Fisher, CMP
2010    Kevin Gaffney, CEM
             Jan Goldsmith
             Patrick McGuire
             Christine Stephan, CEM
2011    Barry Brown, CEM
             Barbara Stroup
2012    Jeff Mellin
2013    Gerry Eng
             Mel Forehand, CEM, CMP
             Mark Sussman
2014    Tesa Harding, CEM
             Carolyn Hilderbrand
             Tom Malek, CEM
             Jennifer Kimball
2015    Larry Grossenbacher
             Brad Hobson, CEM
             Rebecca Stevens, CEM, CMP-HC
             Dan Traver, CEM
2016    Bob Hancock
             Dana Kirkhart, CEM
2017    Elizabeth George
             Sue McCart
2018    Dan Darby, CEM
             Chris Eisenberg, CEM
             Angi Van Berg, CEM
2019    Michael Cox
             John Tisdale
             Erika Welling, CEM