April 2008

Professional Development & Education Conference Recap | NALS Mentoring Program | From the Certifying Board

What IS the NALS Regulation/Certification Committee? | NALS Award of Excellence | And the Winner Is...

NALS Award of Excellence
By September D. Holmblad, PP, PLS, NALS Marketing Committee and NALS Past President

From the NALS Website:  “The NALS Award of Excellence is the top honor a member can receive from NALS. This award began in 1957 and was then called the Legal Secretary of the Year. The name was changed in 1994 to better reflect the membership of NALS and to be more inclusive of those being honored.”

Since its inception, the following individuals have received this prestigious recognition:

Award of Excellence Winners:

2007 - Jeannie Shaw, PP, PLS, Mississippi
2006 - Karen Kuhn, PP, PLS, Mississippi
2005 - Patricia Infanti, PP, PLS, Pennsylvania
2004 – Shirley Vanderbeck, PP, PLS, CL§, CLA, CNSA, CM, California
2003 – Betty G. Wells, PP, PLS, TSC, Texas
2002 – Helene Wood, PP, PLS, Texas
2001 – Marlene Oiler, PP, PLS, New Jersey
2000 – Debbie Nickerson, PP, PLS, Maine
1999 – Janice Miller, PLS, CPS, Arkansas
1998 – Mae Humphries, PLS, CLA, Arkansas
1997 – Marie Schoenfeldt, PLS, CLA, Arkansas
1996 – Cathy Underwood, PLS, CLA, Arkansas
1995 – Sandra Morton, PLS, Georgia
1994 – Sandra Yost, PLS, Illinois

Legal Secretary of the Year:

1993 – Sunny Shuping, PLS, Florida
1992 – Marie Murray, PLS, Florida
1991 – Nancy M. Monson, PLS, Washington
1990 – Judith B. Warren, PLS, California
1989 – Ruth Copeland, PLS, Mississippi
1988 – Richard Kokochak, PLS, Michigan
1987 – Margaret J. Scott, PLS, CLA, Michigan
1986 – Shirley Burns-Taylor, PLS, Illinois
1985 – Kaye Aoki, PLS, Utah
1984 – Teresa Hartzog, PLS, Montana
1983 – Dolph L. Parker, PLS, Arkansas
1982 – Bobbie D. Jones, PLS, Arkansas
1981 – Mary Hafenstine, PLS, Kansas
1980 – Druann Wiley, PLS, Texas
1979 – Donna M. Jergens, PLS, CPS, Iowa
1978 – Marilyn Johnson, PLS, Kansas
1977 – Violet E. McNew, PLS, CLA, Colorado
1976 – Nancy Mikacevich, PLS, California
1975 – Maurene Christensen, PLS, Wisconsin
1974 – Helen Kolbe, PLS, New Jersey
1973 – Harriet Smith Bennett, PLS, South Carolina
1972 – Clara Lagow, PLS, Texas
1971 – Haru Hains, New Jersey
1970 – Mariann Farhat, PLS, Michigan
1969 – Julianna D. Parr, PLS, Texas
1968 – Merlene Schultz, Alabama
1967 – Mildred Fricke Root, Illinois
1966 – Harold Beyea, PLS, New York
1965 – Anita Ponder, Louisiana
1964 – Grace Walvoord, California
1963 – Hazel Jones, Kansas
1962 – Mabel Roshton, Louisiana
1961 – Minnie Lundwall, North Dakota
1960 – Rhoda V. Polley, PLS, California
1959 – Elizabeth Rast, Texas
1958 – Elena Rapp, PLS, Texas
1957 – Jean Hecker, California

ANY individual member of NALS may nominate another member who meets the requirements below.  Any chapter, state association, or region may also nominate someone.  Do know someone who is deserving?  All you have to do is fill out the Nomination form, include the name, address, and chapter of the nominee, and send it to the NALS Resource Center by May 1st.  It’s very easy, all you have to do is go to:

http://www.nals.org/leaders/downloadfiles/AofENomination.pdf

To be eligible, a nominee must: (1) be a member of NALS with at least three years of legal experience (except current members of the NALS Board of Directors and former first place winners); (2) must be engaged in work of a legal nature, in accordance with NALS bylaws; and (3) must have a minimum of three years’ service to a local chartered chapter, state association, or NALS. 

The nominees are then contacted and are required to complete a rather extensive application process and obtain letters of recommendation.  The applications are then forwarded to the judges selected from the area where the NALS Annual Education Conference and National Forum is held (this year that’s in Norfolk, Virginia) and narrowed down to three finalists.  These three individuals must attend the NALS Annual Conference where they will participate in the interview process.  They will all receive beautiful plaques of honor and the winner will be announced during the Awards Luncheon at the conference.  If you are planning to attend this conference, be sure to purchase a ticket for this luncheon, it is not to be missed.

I have experienced this award from several different perspectives.  I attended my first Annual Conference in 1988, where Richard Kokochak, PLS, of Michigan, received the then Legal Secretary of the Year award.  I had no clue what that award meant or what it was all about.  Over the years, I’ve been present to see everyone from Richard on receive that award.  At that time, I learned that my local chapter gave a Legal Secretary of the Year Award each year and because that award was given in May each year, my local chapter nominated that individual the next year.  Several years ago, I received my local chapter Legal Secretary of the Year Award and the following year, I submitted my application for NALS Legal Secretary of the Year.  No, I didn’t win, nor was I one of the finalists, but that did not matter.  Just receiving my local chapter’s award and being given the opportunity to participate in the national award process was enough for me.  As time went on, I was involved in helping other chapter members submit their applications, writing letters of recommendation and so forth, never dreaming that I would some day be the person who announced an Award of Excellence winner.  In 2002, while serving as NALS President, I announced the name of the 2002 NALS Award of Excellence recipient—Helene Wood, PP, PLS.  Her name was sealed in an envelope and it was an honor for me to read Helene’s name.  From 2002-3 Winter @Law, “No matter what the future holds for our profession, Helene’s wish for the members of our profession is that they should have an association such as ours to support and lead them…”

Then, in 2004, I nominated Patti Infanti, PP, PLS, for the NALS Award of Excellence.  I did so knowing that it was possible that she may not attend the conference that year, but hoped that she would change her plans.  After receiving the nomination, she called and told me that she was going to change her plans and attend the conference and she went forward with the application process.  Little did we know at the time that she too would be receiving the NALS Award of Excellence.  From 2005-6 Winter @Law, “Patti sums the experience up by noting that ‘…it [Award of Excellence] has been a great experience and one that I will recall often and fondly throughout the rest of my life.’”

No one really knows exactly what embarking on the road to the NALS of Award of Excellence will entail.  Whether you are nominating someone for the award or if you accept the nomination and go through the application process, it is an experience not to be missed.  All I know is that I’ve observed 20 individuals win this prestigious award and I’ve seen their reaction and the reaction of those around the room.  First there is dead silence, then a thunderous applause when the name is announced, there are tears and shaking, congratulations, a very beautiful (and heavy) crystal award, and your picture on the cover of @Law, not to mention the accolades from co-workers, family, and friends waiting for the news back home.  It’s an awesome experience if you’re involved and can share it with one of the award recipients. 

I’ve had the opportunity to give the award and to see someone I nominated win the award.  I’ve been blessed with these opportunities which make sharing these NALS moments even more special.  Do you want to make a special NALS memory for someone you admire, respect, and care about?  Take the time NOW and complete the nomination form.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if the person you nominate wins?