Take a look back at last year’s events- charity hangs, workshops, conventions, regional and local events. What makes this organization great? Our members make us great! There are those who shine, those who you count on, those who lead. You get out what you put in. With all these clichés there is probably a person who stands out who has made a difference. That person is one you need to nominate for one of our National Awards. Look over the awards and descriptions and from the website, down load the form and make that nomination before July 15th. You will have to be specific because some people may not know this person and the judging committee need the information as to why this candidate is deserving of the award.

If you have never been to the awards banquet at the convention, you have missed a special time for members who have gone that extra “roll” and have been recognized by his or her peers for a job well done.


NGPP AWARD DESCRIPTIONS
The following awards are awarded by the NGPP.  The criteria for the awards follow.  Please take the time to read each thoroughly and think about whom you know that might qualify and whom you would like to nominate.  ALL NOMINATIONS MUST LIST SPECIFICS.  Nominations without specifics will not be considered.

Sam Kovnat Award
This is the highest award bestowed by the NGPP.  This award is given to a paperhanger (regular) member who has given outstanding service to the Guild over an extended period of years.  The nominations come from the Board of Directors. (If you have a person in mind contact a board member to discuss).

• Minimum of 10 years of service to the Guild at a combination of local and national levels.
• Examples at local level: Chapter officer, program development (list program and its importance to the Guild), committee chair, involvement in the industry, wise council to chapter in time of turmoil or growth.
• Examples at National level: Board member with substantial responsibilities over an extended period of time, performed specific jobs at the direction of the board, gave wise council.

Golden Shears Award
This award is for an innovative program or service.  It is for a new program that furthers the Guild within the industry, the profession, and/or the membership, at the local or national level.  Nominations can be for an individual or a group for their collective work.

• The program’s conception, development, and implementation must be spelled out along with the benefit to the NGPP or the installation industry it provided ( Maya Romanoff Educational Program, The Point System, etc.). 
• Service to the NGPP beyond the call of regular involvement.
• Re-vitalization of a chapter through a new creative approach.

 Bob Isenberger Paperhanger Member of the Year
This award is for a paperhanger (regular) member who has made noteworthy contributions to the Guild and/or industry during the preceding 12 months.

• Involvement can have been at the local or national level.
• Activities to have been beyond the normal participation expected from a member.
• Contributions could have benefited a chapter, region, or the entire membership.
• The person cannot have been a board member during this time period.

 The Guy Cooper Golden Plumbline Award
Awarded to an outstanding NGPP affiliated chapter. 

Examples of a chapter’s activities that would make it outstanding:

• Seventy-five percent of members attend meetings/activities
• Yearly charity projects
• A number of chapter members who do individual charity projects
• Programs for members
• Activities that bring members’ families and/or neighboring chapters together
• Interaction with local industry people
• Workshops or Meet the Guild programs
• Membership recruitment and retention     

Best Newsletter
Three (3) consecutive newsletters from the current year must be submitted.  Any chapter may nominate their newsletter and its editor for this award.

Skip Lowe Award
This award is presented to an Associate member who has given dedicated service to the Guild.  It is anticipated that the Board of Directors would place names in nomination; however, any member may nominate an associate, serving at the National or local level.  Documentation of the contributions of the Associate must be included with the nomination.

The National Guild of Professional Paperhangers held its annual awards presentation September 19th in Asheville, North Carolina where numerous awards were presented for outstanding service to the organization. Gerri Beauvais, C.P., San Francisco, California National Awards Committee Chair along with the rest of the committee members selected award winners from the dozens of nominations turned in.  This was the first year Beauvais has served as committee chair and she did a great job!

Through its National Awards Program, NGPP honors members, chapters, and associates who have made significant contributions to the organization.  These honorees have made the organization stronger and influenced others to strive toward the highest standards possible within the wallcovering industry.

The following award winners were recognized at the 2008 National Paperhanger’s Convention & Tradeshow.

The Best Newsletter Award is presented to the chapter with a newsletter which best represents “the word that binds.”  This year two newsletters were nominated , The Wallcovering Express, the  Northern California  Chapter newsletter, Jean Boles, editor and The Straightedge, the New York Chapter newsletter, editor, Lee Epstein. The recipient of this year’s award for best newsletter went to The Straightedge by Lee Epstein.  Epstein consistently fills his newsletter with timely information and articles about the industry. As a 40 year installer, he has great perspective. Epstein uses the newsletter as a marketing tool by making sure all the prospective members begin receiving the newsletter right away, so they will get a sense of what the Guild is all about. The newsletter is chock full of information, such as: Member of the Month, demonstrations and news from prior and upcoming meetings, and a not-so-subtle reminder for those who do not attend meetings, also known as, “What Did You Miss Last Month?”

Bob Isenberger, C.P.

The Bob Isenberger Paperhanger Member of the Year Award is presented to a paperhanger member who has made noteworthy contributions to the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers and/or industry during the preceding twelve months.  The nominees  for this award included: Roger Coupal, C.P.,Precision Interiors, Springfield, Massachusetts;  Phil Reinhard, Reinhard Wallcoverings, LLC/Safe & Simple Wallpaper Removal of South Jersey, Galloway, New Jersey;  Lyle Gehrke (posthumously), Alan Rada, C.P.  Alan Rada, Inc, d/b/a Decorada Wallpaper Installation, Brooklyn, New York, Chris Murphy, Chris Murphy, Paperhanger, Ltd, Atlanta, Georgia, Steve Boggess, Steve Boggess Paperhanging, Richmond, Virginia, and Mike Zekich, Safe & Simple Wallpaper Removal, Pasadena, California.  The recipient was Roger Coupal, C.P. Coupal is a tireless worker on behalf of his chapter and the Guild as a whole.  He has a nearly perfect attendance record and is the long-time president of his Berkshire Chapter.  These members’s above-and-beyond contributions have been capped by his dedication for the past five years to the establishment and growth of the March Madness Workshop, which this year grew to a registration of 56 participants.  He recruited the presenters, negotiated the venue contract, organized and delegated tasks to his chapter members, solicited donations and, finally, acted as Master of ceremonies is President of the Berkshire Chapter and has held that position for about 8 years.  He has also been instrumental in the March Madness, a March workshop held in Massachusetts each spring.  Roger is the coordinator and promoter of this event which has grown every year.

The Guy Cooper Golden Plumbline Award is awarded to an outstanding NGPP affiliated chapter.  This award had three nominees, the Westchester County Chapter, the Berkshire Chapter and the Chicago Chapter.  The winner was the Chicago Chapter, whose members work diligently to maintain unity among paperhangers in the region. The members work on numerous charity projects, individually and as a chapter.  They participate in local and national workshops and reach out to paperhangers through their chapter website.  High attendance rates at meetings, cooperation with associate members through participation in tradeshows and product testing, tech tours, and continuing education have caused this chapter to once again be awarded with this prestigious honor.

Skip Lowe, NGPP's First Executive Vice President

The Skip Lowe Memorial Award is presented to an associate member who has gone above and beyond the normal expectation.  This year’s winner and his company have given constant support to the Guild, in good times and bad.  They always have a booth at our annual Tradeshow and recommend Guild members for work whenever possible. They are unfailingly concerned and helpful when members call for tech support or returns. This friend of the Guild never says no to a request for assistance.  Filling the very large shoes of his predecessor, Doug Joyner, he has picked up the load and has continued in the same tradition.  The nominee is Bob Senior, formerly with the Zinsser Company and now President of Thibaut Wallcoverings.

The Sam Kovnat Award is the Guild’s most prestigious award.   It is given to a paperhanger member who has given outstanding service to the Guild over an extended period of years.
This year we had three very deserving nominees: Michael Kelly, Jr. C.P., Michael J. Kelly & Son, Inc., Wayne, Pennsylvania; Phil & Jennifer Curtis C.P., Curtis Enterprises, Dolton, Illinois and Joseph Parker, C.P., Precision Painting, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.  Selected for this honor was Michael J. Kelly, C.P. Michael has been an active and dedicated member of the NGPP for 27 years. He has been a member of the Delaware County Chapter for many years, serving as president of the chapter, one of the originators of the paper hanger training program at the Williamson Free School of Trade, currently a certified paperhanger and a certified Belbien installer, National Convention Chair for 4 years, PDCA member and liaison for the NGPP Board of Directors, served on the National Board as President, Vice President and Chair of several committees. Kelly has also been to 28 of the last 29 National conventions. A well deserved honor for Michael Kelly, Jr.

Another National award is the Harold Laffer Award. This award is presented twelve months following a chapter’s formation to the individual most instrumental in the formation of that chapter.  This year’s recipient was instrumental in the organization of the New Orleans Chapter, charted in 2007.  As the Deep South Regional Director, she made it a priority to form a chapter in New Orleans. With the aid of fellow at-large member, Belinda Comboy, C.P. she set out to make it happen.  Her dream became a reality in January 2007 when the New Orleans Chapter received its official charter in the presence of 60 Guild members who had traveled to New Orleans for a national charity project to assist the residents in rebuilding after Katrina. Congratulations to Cyndi Green, C.P. Monroe, Louisiana.

This year, the Guild bestowed Life Honorary Awards to Donald Leetz, Milwaukee Chapter and Jacob Zagore, Chicago Chapter. Two members who throughout many years gave their time, energy and love to help become what it is today.

The official charter of NGPP the Rocky Mountain Chapter, headquartered in Denver Colorado, was presented to Rex Landem, President of the newly formed chapter.

Belinda Comboy, C.P., B. Comboy Installations, and the National Awards Committee chair along with a distinguished committee selected award winners from the dozens of nominations turned in.  This was the first year Belinda has served as committee chair and she did a great job!

The National Guild of Professional Paperhangers, through our National Awards Program, honors our members, chapters, and associates who have made significant contributions to the organization.  These honorees have made our organization stronger and influenced our members to strive toward the highest standards possible within the wallcovering industry.

The following award winners were recognized at the 2007 National Paperhanger’s Convention & Tradeshow held September 5-7 in San Diego, California.

The Best Newsletter Award is presented to the chapter with a newsletter which best represents “the tie that binds”.  This year the newsletter that was nominated and won that distinction was “Pulp Fusion”, edited by Bill Archibald of the Boston Chapter.  In keeping with modern technology Bill provides “Pulp Fusion” both through the mail and electronically.  Congratulations to Bill Archibald who for the second year in a row receives this award on behalf of his chapter, for the Best Newsletter.

The Golden Shears Award is presented to an individual who has presented a new or innovative program that furthers the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers within the industry, the profession, and/or membership at the local or national level.  This year that distinction was awarded to Metro NJ CT NY Regional Director Charles Grippo of Custom Wallcovering, Inc. in Hartsdale, NY who introduced the NGPP ParticipationPoints system.  Through member involvement, members can earn points and these points translate into savings on convention registrations and products.  Chapters also receive rewards for activities involving members.  According to one of the nominators, “Charlie is an innovative and forward thinking man and he brought the point system to reality.”

Bob Isenberger, C.P.

The Bob Isenberger Paperhanger Member of the Year Award is presented to a paperhanger member who has made noteworthy contributions to the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers and/or industry during the preceding twelve months.  There were three nominees for this award including Roger Coupal, C.P., Vincent LaRusso, and Tim Bodine.  The recipient was Tim Bodine, Professional Wallpaper & Paint, St. Louis, MO.  During the past year Tim has demonstrated unselfish and endless service commitment and dedication to the NGPP.  As point-man in St. Louis, Tim helped to make the 2006 National Paperhanger’s Convention & Tradeshow a success.  He ran errands, delivered, and stored props and materials.  Tim is also an active and integral member of the Communications and Web Committees.  He writes and edits articles for the Installer.  He is available easily thru telephone, email or one of six internet wallpaper forums.

The Guy Cooper Golden Plumbline Award is awarded to an outstanding NGPP affiliated chapter.  This award had three nominees, the Westchester County Chapter, the Connecticut Chapter and the Chicago Chapter.  The winner was the Connecticut Chapter who according to one of the nominators stands out.  In the northeast hills of Connecticut, the quiet but extremely strong Connecticut Chapter meets regularly with a group of 12 to 17 attending a dinner meeting.  They gather around circular tables so communication is not a problem.  Each member has a task: one member is in charge of the point system, one in charge of the annual holiday party, one in charge of the annual picnic, publicity, growth, charity hangs, etc.  The September meeting was a trip to the Connecticut Blue Fish baseball game, sponsored by the local Zinsser rep.  The October meeting included feedback from the Convention, the November meeting was an instructural demonstration and so on.  Never do their members want for information.  The Chapter has completed three charity hangs to date.  The members are active and continually promote the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers to local paint stores.

Skip Lowe, NGPP's First Executive Vice President

The Skip Lowe Memorial Award is presented to an associate member who has gone above and beyond the normal role.  This year there were three nominees, Chris Rigney, Rigney-Chrisopher, NY; Mike Zekich, Safe & Simple Wallpaper Removal, Pasedena, CA; and Steve Andrews, Royson’s Corporation, Rockaway, NJ.  Steve Andrews was this year’s recipient.  Steve is a person who has worked well with the Board of Directors as National Associate Member Committee Chair; he is constantly meeting with other manufacturers and promoting the NGPP.  This year he brought in five new national associate members.  Steve has been working tirelessly to have our associate members use the NPPP logo and he was instrumental in Royson’s becoming an integral part of the School Mural Project.  Steve also served as the moderator of this year’s Town Meeting at the Convention in San Diego, which brought many top executives to our show to meet and greet the installers and share ideas and issues involving the industry today.

Elsie Kapteina, C.P.

The Sam Kovnat Award is the Guild’s most prestigious award.  This year we had two very deserving nominees: Michael Kelly, Jr. C.P., Michael J. Kelly & Son, Inc., Wayne, PA; and Elsie Kapteina, C.P., Wallpaper Hangups By Elsie, Bethel, CT.  Elsie took home this year’s honors.  She has been a member for sixteen years and she has served as regional director and currently serves as first vice president.  She continually comes up with new membership programs and initiatives and has been instrumental in all membership and educational programs established in the last year.  She has spearheaded many regional workshops and is a key player in the convention every year.  Elsie is positive and not afraid of a challenge.  Her generosity and devotion to the Guild is unsurpassed and first two of her attributes.

The National Guild of Professional Paperhangers, through our National Awards, honors our members, chapters, and associates who have given so much of themselves throughout the past year and years. These honorees have made the organization a place where education, influence, and camaraderie come together to strengthen our members’ ability to provide uncompromising service and craftsmanship to their clients. The following are the award winners from 2006.  Winners were recognized at the 2006 National Paperhanger's Convention & Tradeshow in St. Louis, Missouri.

Golden Plumbline

Our chapters are our frontline forces in the battle to improve skills, interface with industry professionals, try out new products, build friendships and partake in comradery within a trade that is often practiced singularly. They are the engine that drives the organization. From their ranks come those who offer their service at higher levels of the organization. The Golden Plumbline Award recognizes the best of the best from the Guild's listing of chartered chapters.  For the last few years, the Awards Committee has suggested, pleaded, and begged members to nominate their chapter for the Golden Plumbline Award.  Until now with dismal results.  But this year, the stars came together and the Committee was rewarded with four chapter nominations for this award, four incredible multiple nominations.  And here is why multiple nominations for the same chapter are so important... by compiling what was specifically listed on each nomination a big picture developed about the chapter.  And this year it took more than just meeting the criteria, which all four chapters did, it was the extra efforts, ideas, programs, and activities that were the deciding factors in determining what chapter was the best.  Because these four chapters have had such a stellar year, we think the entire membership should acknowledge their work.  The nominations, in alphabetical order: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Westchester County.

The 2006 recipient is the Westchester County Chapter, Vincent LaRusso, President.

Skip Lowe Memorial Award

Skip Lowe, NGPP's First Executive Vice President

Our Associate members give so much to us, and we hope take from us, those things that we can offer them, insights into the everyday experience with their products we use in our businesses. We value the opportunities to share our product experiences with them as much as the support and commitment they give to us, which is considerable. Without them our businesses would be conducted on plywood, flour, and razor blades! Now, would that not be a sorry affair?

But, fortunately, that is not the case and some of our Associates are so committed to us that it is hard to believe they aren’t closet hangers themselves. This year’s recipient is one of those Associates. Ed Hovnanian, Cavalier Wall Liner is the 2006 Skip Lowe Memorial Award recipient.  Ed has listened to our needs in relation to his products and made the adjustments necessary for them to work for us on a daily basis.  He has taken our requests for new considerations on existing products and made them happen. And through his industry affiliations, he has made it possible for us to form a professional relationship with The Maya Romanoff Corporation so we could provide an educational series across the country to train our members in the techniques required to hang MRC's cutting edge wallcoverings.

The Bob Isenberger Member of the Year Award

Bob Isenberger, C.P.

Within an organization such as ours there are oh so many members who give so graciously and unselfishly of their time and knowledge. Without this group of members we would be treading water as an organization. But each year there are some whose commitment to the Guild surpass what can be reasonably expected of a member. It is from this rank of the truly dedicated that our members nominate peers for Member of the Year.

Last year, Bob Isenberger, a friend, mentor, worker and Guild supporter passed away, leaving a void we are unable to fill.  Some call Bob the Guild's conscience.  As a testament to Bob's unfailing dedication to the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers, the Board of Directors decided to add his name to the organization's Member of the Year Award, thereby renaming this prestigious award The Bob Isenberger Member of the Year Award. Bob was a member of the Guild for over two decades.  He served as a regional director and board member, was on numerous committees and always gave his time and efforts to his church and to his American Legion post, as a decorated Veteran.  Most importantly, those who knew him considered him a unique individual and true friend.  [Dee Dee remove the last sentence of this paragraph that spoke about the $500].  The Award celebrates a non-Board member who has given unusual time and talent to the NGPP at the local or National level during the last twelve months.

This year's recipient has been instrumental in the continued growth, re-design and forward direction of the NGPP website, a monumental task.  The recipient of the 2006 Bob Isenberger Member of the Year Award is Gary Lucas, C.P., Gary Lucas Wallcoverings, Worthington, Ohio.

The Committee was pleased that our members recognized the hard work and efforts of three fellow members and took the time to document their activities against the required criteria when nominating them for this award.  Because all three have given much to the organization in the past year, the Committee wishes to acknowledge each of the nominees, in alphabetical order, Vincent LaRusso, Time For A Change Wallpapering, Brewster, New York, Gary Lucas, C.P, Gary Lucas Wallcoverings, Worthington, Ohio, and Phil Reinhard, Reinhard Wallcoverings, Galloway, New Jersey.

Best Chapter Newsletter Award

Chapter newsletters provide communication to members; the tie that binds so to speak.  Newsletters are the tool that keep information flowing and also provide a kind of 'chapter history' as the years pass. A good one stimulates enthusiasm and brings a sense of family to the group.  Newsletters jump start the monthly meetings as well as keep those unable to attend abreast of what is happening.  This year's winning newsletter is certainly one of those we can all learn from and we do.  Its editor recognizes the importance of being inclusive and therefore has placed it on our website giving the at-large members and members of other chapters a chance to grow, question and learn.

The recipient of the 2006 Best Chapter Newsletter Award is Pulp Fusion, the newsletter of the Boston Chapter.  The editor is Bill Archibald, Norfolk, Massachusetts.