march2022 - 42

CELEBRATING
Anniversary
A Look Back at Leadership
Since 2005, Ground Support Worldwide has sought to honor
key members of the ground support industry.
BY JOSH SMITH
G
round Support Worldwide
began its Leaders of the Year
awards in 2005. At its inception,
the award was a singular one:
Ground Support Leader of the Year.
The award was created to spotlight
an individual or company that had
made a significant contribution to
the industry.
Jim Houck of Continental Airlines won
the inaugural award. Delta Air Lines' Tim
Wix won the following year and Greg Nist
of US Airways received the honor in 2007.
In 2008, Ground Support Leader of
the Year was expanded into an award
program aimed at recognizing leaders in
several aspects of our industry, including
safety, environment, engineering
and processes.
In 2008, the Lifetime Achievement
Award also joined the line-up of annual
awards and sought to recognize a person
who has demonstrated commitment to
the industry through numerous years of
dedicated service. GSE Today founder and
publisher George Prill received the first
Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Green/Environmental Leader of
the Year Award was presented to a person
or a company that had introduced environmentally
friendly equipment or processes
with Jody Lonergan of Continental
Airlines earning the first recognition.
PAGE founder Jerry Eberle
was honored with the Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2015.
The Engineer/Innovator Leader of the
Year Award was awarded to a company or
a person that has introduced a revolutionary
product. Joe Hart accepted the first of
these awards.
Mark Pollack of Sage Parts Plus, Inc.,
won the first Kaizen Leader of the Year
Award, which was presented from 2008 to
2010. Japanese for " continuous and incremental
improvement, " the award went
to a person or company that had implemented
a new business philosophy about
business workplace practices, focusing on
efficiency and improvement in productivity,
performance or processes.
2019 Lifetime
Achievement
winner Dewey
Kulzer.
The Safety Leader of the Year Award
was presented to a person or company
that had introduced a new method,
procedure or product to improve industry
safety records. Banyan Air Services'
Shawn Mack was the first to win
this honor.
The Team Leader of the Year Award,
similar to the original Leader of the Year
Award, was intended for an individual
who had taken a leadership role with personnel.
Larry Laney of Southwest Airlines
received the honor in 2008.
In 2012, the current format was
introduced featuring the Product/Service
Leader, Team Leader and Lifetime
Achievement Award as cover story
subjects in Ground Support Worldwide.
The Product/Service Leader of the Year
celebrates the products, services and
manufacturers making a difference in the
industry. The Team Leader of the Year and
the Lifetime Achievement Award continues
the tradition of honoring an individual
who has taken a leadership role with personnel
and recognizing a person who has
demonstrated commitment to the industry
through numerous years of dedicated
service, respectively.
The Leaders
of the Year,
class of 2008.
42 || Ground Support Worldwide || March 2022
2008 Lifetime Achievement
honoree George Prill.
For a complete list of all Leaders of the
Year winners, since 2005, please visit
www.AviationPros.com/21253291.
YEARS
http://www.AviationPros.com/21253291
march2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2022
