10 APHA Judges Celebrated for Longtime Service

Ten longstanding APHA judges will be recognized by the association with the Emeritus Award at the 2016 APHA Convention on February 28 in Richmond, Virginia. The award recognizes outstanding judges who have dedicated their careers to judging APHA-approved events; recipients receive a commemorative trophy and customized Gist Silversmiths belt buckle. 

2015 honorees include:

• John Abrams, Edmond, Oklahoma
• Burton Butler, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Jim Coones, Riverview, Florida
• C.W. Englund, Cashion, Arizona
• Jim Frazier, Purcell, Oklahoma
• Linda Norton-Neely, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Duke Neff, Pleasant Hill, Missouri
• John Rodgers, Culleoka, Tennessee
• Tim Ternes, Sheffield Lake, Ohio
• H. Fain Yearty, Holt, Florida

“We are so proud to have the opportunity to honor these leaders in our industry,” APHA Director of Judges Dave Dellin said. “They all have shown the character, commitment and discipline to blaze a path in judging that the rest of us are following.”

To be considered for the Emeritus Award, a judge must have at least 25 years of service or judged 150 APHA-approved events (25 years of service or 65 events for European-only judges); voluntarily retire with an excellent record; and be in good standing with the Judges Committee, with no disciplinary actions, probations or suspensions on their records. Applicants must be approved by the Judges Committee on an individual basis according to their records. Deceased judges who meet these award requirements will be considered.

For consideration, judges who meet these requirements must complete the Emeritus Award application and submit it to APHA before November 20. To learn more about this award, contact Show & Contest Manager Amanda Cormack by email.