NTA Awards
NTA has established four awards to honor its members and industry leaders who have made great contributions to the packaged travel industry.
NTA's four awards are:
- The Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award
- The NTA Pioneer Award
- The NTA Volunteer of the Year Award
- The NTA Shining Star Award
To nominate someone for any of these awards, please contact:
NTA
101 Prosperous Place | Suite 350
Lexington, KY 40509
headquarters@NTAstaff.com
Phone: 800.682.8886
Fax: 859.264.6570
The Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award
The Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize and honor individuals who have made outstanding lifetime contributions to NTA and its members.
Eligibility
The award is presented to an individual whose personal and professional contributions to NTA and its members have spanned a minimum of 20 years.
Criteria
- Active dedication to the mission of NTA and the best interests of its members
- Extensive volunteer contributions to NTA and its members
- Consistently conducted himself/herself in a manner consistent with the ethics, quality and sense of community espoused by NTA
Nomination and Selection Process
- Nominations will be sought from NTA members. Any person employed by an NTA member company is eligible to make a nomination.
- At minimum, a nomination should include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) about the nominee. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative.
- The NTA Executive Committee will review nominations and will make a recommendation to the NTA Board of Directors. The board will make a final determination as to the recipient.
Past recipients
- 2003: Lois Anderson (Gadabout Tours)
- 2004: Bill Shepler (Shepler's Macinaw Ferry)
- 2005: Jim Santini (NTA legislative representative)
- 2006: John Shaffer (Luray Caverns)
- 2007: Pete Anderson, formerly of Maupintour, and Jim Host, founder of Host Communications
- 2008: Ann Thomas, CTP (Western Discovery)
- 2009: Ruth McKinney, CTP, formerly of Good Will Tours
- 2010: John Stachnik, CTP (Mayflower Tours, Inc.)
- 2011: Mikie Wall, CTP (Cape Fear Coast CVB)
- 2013: Ed Dresel (Destinations Unlimited)
The NTA Pioneer Award
The NTA Pioneer Award honors individuals whose accomplishments have resulted in a significant change in the travel industry from which NTA and its members (specifically tour operators) have benefited. It is not required that nominees be an NTA member.
Criteria
- All nominees should have played an active role in pioneering a significant change in the travel industry that benefited the industry as a whole, NTA, and its members.
Nomination and Selection Process
- Nominations will be sought from association members via Tuesday newsletter. Any person employed by an NTA member company is eligible to make a nomination.
- At minimum, a nomination should include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) about the nominee. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative.
- The NTA Executive Committee will review nominations. The Executive Committee will make a recommendation to the NTA Board of Directors and the board will make a final determination as to the recipient.
Past recipients
- 2006: Charles "Chuck" West, Westours and Cruise West, first recipient (given posthumously)
- 2007: Earl Harmon, Harmon Travel, Boise, ID (given posthumously)
- 2008: Kirk Lanterman, Holland America Line, and Arthur C. Tauck Jr., Tauck World Discovery
- 2009: Gordon Bell, Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town and Chateau Three Valley Lake (given posthumously) and Sam Farr, California Congressman
- 2010: Bob Whitley (given posthumously)
- 2011: Bruce Beckham, Tourism Cares
- 2013: Dan Dipert (Dan Dipert Tours)
The Volunteer of the Year Award
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes and honors individuals who volunteer their time to NTA for the benefit of its members.
Eligibility
Any NTA member volunteer (examples: at annual convention, by serving on a committee, a champion for NTA).
Criteria
- Extensive volunteer contributions to NTA and its members
Nomination and Selection Process
- Nominations will be sought from NTA committee members.
- At minimum, a nomination should include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) about the nominee. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative.
- The NTA Executive Committee will review nominations and will make a recommendation to the NTA Board of Directors. The board will make a final determination as to the recipient.
Past recipients
- 2007: Clayton Whitehead (Sports Leisure Vacations)
- 2008: Barb Bowman (Grand Junction VCB)
- 2009: Theresa Krieg (The Carolina Opry)
- 2010: Scott Hartcorn (Shilo Inns Suites Hotels)
- 2011: Ed Hall (VisitRochester)
- 2013: Olga Ramudo (Express Travel)
- 2013: Katrina White (Rhode Island Tourism Division)
The Shining Star Award
NTA's Shining Star Award recognize a company or organization that has made a significant contribution (financial or otherwise) to NTA during the past year as well as historically. Potential recipients could include (but not be limited to) sponsors, corporate partners, strategic partners, members).
Criteria
- The company/organization has a strong level of support in the current year.
- The company/organization has a history of involvement in and support of NTA.
Nomination and Selection Process
- Nominations will be sought from NTA board members, leadership and staff.
- At minimum, a nomination should include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) about the nominee. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative.
- The NTA Executive Committee will review nominations during its fall board meeting. The Executive Committee will make a recommendation to the NTA Board of Directors and the board will make a final determination as to the recipient.
Award Presentation
The NTA Shining Star Award will be presented by the NTA Chairman and CEO during the annual convention.
Past Recipients
- 2010: Broadway.com/Groups
- 2011: Team Texas
- 2013: Best Western International