blog submitted by Sara Skillen, NAPO Awards and Recognition Committee Chair
NAPO2018 was a time for recognition – time to acknowledge the hard work of members and chapters, recognize service to the association, and appreciate contributions that have been made to the professional organizing and productivity industry. This year, four major awards were given to members, and to a chapter, for all that they have accomplished.
The Awards and Recognition Committee was grateful for a wonderful response to the call for Founders’ Award nominations. In the spirit of NAPO’s founders, The Founders’ Award is presented to a NAPO member, or a group of NAPO members acting in concert, for outstanding innovation, inspiration, and creativity both within, and outside of, the field of professional organizing and productivity consulting. It’s the highest award NAPO gives, special not only because of its’ in-depth criteria, but also because the winner is ultimately selected by vote of the membership. This year we were fortunate to have three outstanding nominees: Deb Cabral, Cabral Enterprises LLC D/b/a The DeClutter Coach and DC Efficiency Consulting; Cris Sgrott-Wheedleton, Organizing Maniacs, LLC; and Leslie Josel, Order Out Of Chaos.
Once the nominations were in, the NAPO Membership cast votes to select one of these three, outstanding candidates. NAPO members selected Leslie Josel. Leslie is the creator of the Academic Planner: The Tool for Time Management, a well respected author of two books, columnist for ADDitude Magazine, and a contributing parenting writer for Family Circle Magazine. Leslie has influenced the lives of her clients, her peers, the public and thousands of students. Her passion lifted her to the stage to receive NAPO’s most prestigious award. Making for a very special moment in the NAPO Awards Ceremony, Josel had the honor of receiving the award by last year’s winner, Susie Hayman.
The Service to NAPO Award is bestowed upon a NAPO volunteer, or group of volunteers, whose dedication and commitment to NAPO and their area of responsibility goes above and beyond. This year, it was especially challenging to award a single award for service. Elizabeth Fuchs received the Service to NAPO Award for serving NAPO National as the NAPO Ambassador Coordinator, Conference Buddy Program Coordinator her local Chicago Chapter, and the Board of Certification of Professional Organizers® (BCPO), as well as serving the Chicago Chapter in many capacities.
The NAPO President’s Award is awarded to a member for his or her outstanding contributions to NAPO. This year’s recipient is a member and past president of NAPO North Carolina. She is a blogger and “social media maven.” She has been a member of NAPO Education Committee, one of NAPO University’s top instructors and is an author and a coach. Her continued contributions, loyalty, dedication, enthusiasm and vision for NAPO made Geralin Thomas this year’s President’s Award recipient.
Just as NAPO2018 took a different approach in its retreat-style format, the NAPO Awards & Recognition Committee had a new twist for our members to appreciate. Two years in the making, our outstanding Chapter of the Year Award debuted with great success! This award is presented to the chapter that provides its members with opportunities to develop leadership skills, prioritize camaraderie and support between and for members, and participate in community outreach projects, by utilizing the talents of its professional and corporate members. The Awards & Recognition Committee (with support from the Chapter Relations Committee) worked hard to develop requirements and criteria that would highlight outstanding educational opportunities, member recruitment and retention, innovative event ideas, community involvement, and leadership.
With eleven chapters being nominated this first year, the committee was overwhelmed and grateful for the excitement and engagement! Selecting a 2018 winner was some of the toughest committee work we’ve ever done! In choosing our first winner, we considered whether or not the Chapter’s events, educational programming, growth and support opportunities that were exemplified were such that other chapters could learn from, and aspire to regardless of their size or location. We looked at all of the criteria and accomplishments (and there are SO many chapters doing great things out there!), and noted some very special initiatives that set this year’s winner, NAPO-Dallas/Ft. Worth, apart. You’ll be seeing a complete post about NAPO-DFW’s accomplishments in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
