Awards & Contests
Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award encourages and recognizes work amounting to distinguished service by individual members of NCRA for the benefit of the reporting profession. That may include work as a member, committee member, director or officer of the Association, for the JCR, in state or local association affairs, or in the field of public affairs or public relations.
The 2012 Distinguished Service Award was presented at the Premier Session of the Annual Convention to Jerry Kelly, RPR, CRR, FAPR of McKinney, Texas.
| 2012 | Jerry Kelley |
| 2011 | Arnella I. Sims |
| 2010 | Forrest Brown |
| 2009 | John Prout |
| 2008 | Vicki Akenhead-Ruiz |
| 2007 | J. Edward Varallo |
| 2006 | Tammie Shedd |
| 2005 | Lana M. Fruke |
| 2004 | Judith H. Brentano |
| 2003 | Jean Lea |
| 2002 | Joseph Karlovits |
| 2001 | Gary Cramer |
| 2000 | Richard A. Sherman |
| 1999 | Irving L. Starkman |
| 1998 | Mae Glassbrenner |
| 1997 | Merilyn A. Sanchez |
| 1996 | Dennis Hagestrom |
| 1995 | Shirley Houston |
| 1994 | Robert H. Clark |
| 1993 | Richard Heilig |
| 1992 | Sandra McFate |
| 1991 | Al Weinstein |
| 1990 | Nancy Patterson |
| 1989 | Frank O. Nelson |
| 1988 | Harold Krabbenhoft |
| 1987 | Doris Wong |
| 1986 | Mary Knapp |
| 1985 | Frank Sarli |
| 1984 | Richard E. Peppey |
| 1983 | Harry Foster |
| 1982 | Richard Smith |
| 1981 | Samuel A. Fitz-Henley |
| 1980 | Mary Louise Gilman |
| 1979 | Sally J. Cochran |
| 1978 | Irving Kosky |
| 1977 | M. Eugene Olsen |
| 1976 | Casey B. Smith |
| 1975 | Robert B. Morse |
| 1974 | Mabel Snodgrass |
| 1973 | R. Forrest Brenner |
| 1972 | Joseph J. Sweeney |
| 1971 | Vivien R. Spitz |
| 1970 | Rosemary K. Overstreet |
| 1969 | William Cohen |
| 1968 | Roy E. Voelker |
| 1967 | Nathaniel Weiss |
| 1966 | J.L. McAtee |
| 1965 | Ray J. Lerschen |
| 1964 | Tula C. LeWald |
| 1963 | Francis J. McSwiggan |
| 1962 | Rachel M. (Smith) Lerschen |
| 1961 | Nathan Behrin |
| 1960 | Richard Mowers |
