The NAPC
Distinguished Service Award

2006: Fred Butler

At the NAPC Annual Meeting in Toronto, May 2006, NAPC President Pam Kestner-Chappelear presented the Distinguished Service Award to Fred Butler, long-time NAPC Board member and Executive Director of the Community Action Network (CAN) in Austin, Texas.  Butler will be retiring in 2007.  He has served NAPC in many ways including being Vice President, Conference Co-Chair, Nominating Chair, and representing NAPC in organizing a social indicators track for the first international conference of the Community Indicators Consortium. 

Fred's wise guidance, warm and facilitative leadership style, integrity, and deep commitment to the work of NAPC members in local communities, are admired and greatly valued by his NAPC colleagues all across the country.

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In February 2007, CAN sponsored a gala reception at Austin City Hall honoring Fred Butler upon his retirement.  Dallas NAPC'ers Martha Blaine (Exec. Director, Community Council of Greater Dallas) and Sharon Clark (NAPC Administrator) represented NAPC; Martha made a presentation expressing NAPC's appreciation for Fred's decade of service and leadership. 

Some scenes from the celebration...

Martha presented a certificate from NAPC to Fred at the CAN Partners Meeting, which was televised.  (Another group had just given Fred the red "A-Team superhero" cape.)

CAN commissioned this painting in Fred's honor.

Fred's Dallas colleagues, Martha Blaine (left) and Sharon Clark (right).

CAN hosted this reception in the atrium of Austin's new City Hall.

2004: John Begala

NAPC surprised board member John Begala with the 2004 Distinguished Service Award at the Annual Meeting on May 8, 2004, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.

NAPC President Nancy Findeisen presented the award in special appreciation for his leadership in the creation of www.socialindicators.com, NAPC's exciting new website which features key social and health indicators, and initiatives addressing them, in America's 100 largest cities and their suburban areas.

John Begala is Executive Director of The Center for Community Solutions (formerly the Federation for Community Planning) in Cleveland, Ohio.  The Center has developed and is managing socialindicators.com for NAPC.

2002: David Swain

At the Annual Meeting on May 4, 2002, at the Hilton Washington Embassy Row Hotel, NAPC presented its highest award to long-time valued member David Swain (pictured, left, with his wife Caroline). 

NAPC Vice President Mary Louis Campbell recognized him for the many years of service and leadership he has devoted to NAPC, and for his outstanding work on social and quality of life indicators locally, nationally and internationally. 

"In June, David will be retiring from JCCI and, as such, retiring as their representative to NAPC. We are so pleased to welcome his wife Caroline, who is with us today and with whom David has lots of great plans for traveling and enjoying life. We will miss him, but hope to stay in touch and continue to benefit from his interest and expertise. In preparation for today, we talked with David’s boss, Lois Chepenik who relayed the following message to us: 'When one thinks of community, commitment, intelligence, and impartiality, there is no finer image than David Swain - ‘Dr. JCCI.’ It is not an overstatement to say that David has been a driving force behind JCCI’s local, national and international reputation and success. We all wish him well during his retirement, but in my heart of hearts I hope he becomes just a little bored so that we can call upon him as a valued volunteer! I will miss him greatly as will our entire staff and membership.'

"David has been active in NAPC since 1994. He has played many helpful roles -- as conference speaker and conference panel organizer for several national conferences, and as a long-time board member and officer. Well-known and respected in Jacksonville, around the country, and internationally for his expertise on quality of life indicators, David has represented NAPC as a speaker on indicators at several national conferences and as a NAPC spokesperson at national meetings. He was the main organizer when NAPC first sponsored a national conversation on social indicators in the fall of 2000 -- but then could not attend because just before it was to happen, he had a heart attack. Fortunately, he returned and has been a leading force and guiding light for NAPC’s subsequent work on indicators, at last year’s conference and pre-conference symposium, as well as for today’s session. David, we so appreciate all that you have contributed. On behalf of NAPC, I present this achievement award with our respect, affection, and gratitude for all you have done for the association and all you have meant to us."

David received his well-deserved award and a standing ovation from the NAPC membership. Our usually-eloquent but modest colleague was speechless with surprise when this award was presented. Later, he emailed NAPC members some special words of thanks. Click here to enjoy his "acceptance speech."

David Swain (center) is congratulated by, left to right:
Mary Louis Campbell, Elaine Andersen, Martha Blaine,
Caroline Swain, Sharon Clark, Ed Schoenberger

1999: Nancy Findeisen

Presenting NAPC's first Distinguished Service Award at the 1999 Annual Meeting, NAPC President Elaine Andersen said:

"Now and then in the life of an organization, someone steps forward to offer a contribution far 'above and beyond the call of duty' -- something that may result in raising the organization, or even its whole field, to another level. In the last two years, someone has done this for NAPC and for the community planning field. NAPC saw the need to summarize the history, nature and value of planning councils -- their uniqueness and their significance in the context of a growing community building arena -- so that NAPC and member councils could communicate this more effectively, to national audiences as well as to our own boards, staffs and community leaders, and others. This person gathered everyone else's ideas as well as her own considerable insights and experiences, and distilled them into a presentation that was a big hit at last year's conference. Then, at the request of United Way of America and on behalf of NAPC, she wrote an article based on that presentation for the premiere issue of United Way of America's new journal on community building, reaching an audience of community leaders all across the country about the planning council approach and its value, past, present and future. 

"She has also served NAPC in many other ways for many years, including serving as our President for two terms. She is nationally known and respected as a role model for other planning council leaders because of her outstanding work as Executive Director of the Community Services Planning Council in Sacramento. This award comes as a surprise to her -- if she had known, she would likely have tried to talk us out of it and give everyone else the credit! NAPC is honored to present our first-ever Distinguished Service Award to Nancy Findeisen."
 

NAPC President Elaine Andersen (in white suit, below) presented NAPC's Distinguished Service Award to Nancy Findeisen (in red, below). Nancy was congratulated by Martha Blaine (in blue, below), Jacqueline Jones (below right - applauding) and all their NAPC colleagues and friends.

 

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