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Association Forum Announces 2015 Honors Awards Recipients, Prepares for Honors Gala

By Melissa Walling posted 07-02-2016 19:28

  

Association Forum Announces 2015 Honors Awards Recipients, Prepares for Honors Gala

CHICAGO (March 24, 2015) — Association Forum is pleased to announce the 2015 Honors Awards recipients. The Honors Awards program recognizes five Association Forum members who have made exceptional achievements and contributions to the association management profession. The Honors Awards are distributed during Honors Gala, the signature fundraising event for Association Forum’s Foundation.

H. Stephen Lieber, CAE Named as Shapiro Award Winner

The highest honor Association Forum bestows on an association professional for outstanding service and accomplishments in association/nonprofit management is the Samuel B. Shapiro Award for Chief Executive Achievement. The 2015 Samuel B. Shapiro Award recipient is Steve Lieber, CAE, President & CEO, Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society.

When Lieber joined HIMSS 15 years ago as president and CEO, the organization had 32 employees and an annual budget under $12M. The primary focus for HIMSS was a large trade show and limited services to a U.S.-based membership of around 11,000. Under Lieber’s leadership, HIMSS now has more than 350 employees, $90M annual operating budget and offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. HIMSS now offers a diversified product portfolio that consists of global membership services to more than 60,000, an industry leading diversified media business of digital, virtual, in person and print-based lead generation services, a market research and intelligence service that informs and influences policy leaders and provider organizations, and more than 100 educational events delivered annually around the world.

Lieber attributes much of HIMSS’ success to a series of high-functioning boards and engaged and knowledgeable staff teams. As such, he emulates the behaviors he expects from his staff by reading, networking, learning from doing and being involved. HIMSS provides staff with full reimbursements for CAE study materials and partial tuition reimbursements. Lieber also encourages his staff to take part in professional society memberships, peer networking, education, participating on boards for other organizations, and assuming increasing levels of authority and autonomy within HIMSS.

In addition to being an active member of Association Forum, where he served on several committees and as the chair of the board, Lieber is also a member of ASAE, where he co-founded and is currently the Chair of the Key Global Associations Committee and is a member of the Key Professional Associations Committee. Additionally, Lieber is a board member for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.

Association Forum is pleased to announce the recipients of the other Honors Awards:

  • The Association Professional Achievement Award is presented to Christine Melendes, CAE, Vice President, Events & Partnerships, Association for Corporate Growth, for her for exemplary service and outstanding accomplishments in association management.
  • The John C. Thiel Distinguished Service Award is presented to Kay Granath, CMP, CAE, Account Executive and Director of Meetings & Conventions, Association Management Center, and Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE, President & CEO, Avenue M Group, for their outstanding, long-term volunteer service to the Association Forum.

The Inspiring Leader Award is given to Stephen Stahr, CAE, IOM, Chief Executive Officer, Million Dollar Roundtable, for his noted success in establishing a culture that cultivates employee satisfaction, motivation, engagement and achievement.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to take part in recognizing such a high-caliber group of professionals in our industry," said Association Forum President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE. "The characteristics of leadership and commitment that each of the Honors Awards recipients consistently demonstrate sets a very positive example that the entire association community can appreciate."

The Honors Awards recipients will be recognized June 16–17 during Forum Forward™ at Chicago’s McCormick Place and Honors Gala on June 18 at Navy Pier—the Association Forum Foundation’s cornerstone fundraising event of the year. [HS1] Fundraising for Honors Gala 2015 is being spearheaded by the Honors Gala Steering Committee Co-chairs, Karen Hackett, FACHE, CAE, CEO of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Don Welsh, President and CEO of Choose Chicago.

“As the recipient of Association Forum’s 2009 Samuel B. Shapiro Award for Chief Staff Executive Achievement, I know first-hand how important the event is for the industry,” Hackett said. “Honors Gala is the premier event that brings together nearly 800 association professionals and industry suppliers to collectively celebrate the achievements of outstanding professionals, and I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to its continued success.”

“It is an honor to support the Association Forum and the Honors Gala,” Welsh said. “The impact that Chicago-based associations make on the city is absolutely tremendous and I applaud the critical role that Association Forum plays in continuing to build and connect the association industry.”

Since its inception in 2004, Honors Gala has raised more than $3M to support Association Forum’s Foundation—the chief beneficiary of the event. Under the leadership of Hackett and Welsh, the goal is to raise more money than ever to support the Foundation’s mission: to enhance Association Forum’s programs and services through new education, research and scholarships.

About the Association Forum
The mission of the Association Forum is to “advance the professional practice of association management.” Founded in 1916, the Association Forum serves 47,000 association professionals whose efforts serve more than 37 million members and generate $22 billion in global annual expenditures. Visit www.associationforum.org and follow at www.twitter.com/AssocForum.

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Contact: Jemilah Senter (312) 924-7030
senter@associationforum.org

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