Local Sections Recognized at the Local Section Officers and Tour Speakers Reception at the New Orleans National Meeting

Four local sections and a Student Affiliate Chapter received a 2007 Speaker Service Hospitality Award at the ACS Spring National Meeting in New Orleans.

On Tuesday, April 8, at the ACS spring national meeting in New Orleans, the Local Section Activities Committee (LSAC) recognized several local sections for their sections their hospitality in hosting ACS Tour Speakers in 2007.

Before the Speaker Service Hospitality Awards, Wayne Jones, Chair of (LSAC), presented a Salutes to Excellence Award to the Louisiana Local Section. The plaque read, “The American Chemical Society Committee on Local Section Activities hereby recognizes the Louisiana Local Section with a Salutes to Excellence Award presented to the members, volunteers, section officers, and all of those who have contributed to rebuilding the local section in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The local section is recognized for its achievements as an Outstanding Local Section Performance Award finalist during its centennial year in 2006, and as our gracious host for the 2008 ACS spring national meeting.” Sean Hickey, Past Chair of the Louisiana Local Section, accepted the award on behalf of the local section.

Jones then announced the winners of the 2007 Speaker Service Hospitality Awards. The Hospitality Awards, which have been presented since 2000, recognize local sections for their special efforts in welcoming tour speaker speakers to their community. ACS tour speakers provide letters of recommendation for the outstanding local sections they visited while on tour, highlighting the reasons why the local section deserves the award.

The third-place local sections, Green Mountain and Western Carolinas, each received an engraved wood plaque with a cloisonné ACS logo. The Green Mountain Local Section was nominated by Mary Virginia Orna for hosting her September speaking engagement. Western Carolinas was recognized as an excellent host by Eugene Stevens for his April tour stop.

The second-place award, an engraved single-star award, was presented to the South Texas Local Section and was accepted by their councilor, Thomas Hays. ACS tour speakers Robert Lichter and Dean Martin nominated the section for its efforts in hosting their February and September tours. In Dr. Martin’s nomination, he also recognized the efforts of the South Texas Student Affiliates Chapter for its outstanding efforts in planning the event.

The first-place winner, the Salt Lake Local Section, was presented with an engraved two-star tower award plus a certificate for a free tour speaker. Anita Orendt, Chair-Elect, accepted the award on behalf of her section. Lynn Hogue recognized the Salt Lake Local Section for hosting her and Dr. Sarquis’s engagement at the Gateway Children’s Museum in February. In addition, the section was commended for securing coverage for the event in multiple media outlets, including two local newspapers, local television, and on the local NPR affiliate’s broadcast of Science Utah.

The other nominees included Brazosport, Central New Mexico, Central Texas, East Texas, Georgia, Greater Houston, Illinois Heartland, Illinois–Iowa, Iowa, Kentucky Lake, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwest Louisiana, Oklahoma, Ouachita Valley, Sabine-Neches, San Antonio, Sioux Valley, South Central Missouri, Virginia Blue Ridge, Western Maryland, and Wilson Dam local sections.

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