2011 Annual Achievement Awards Winners
Congratulations to all the winners of RCA’s 2011 Annual Achievement Awards!
Each year, RCA recognizes outstanding members in four categories and presents awards in a special ceremony during the opening session of our Annual Convention, this year April 19, 2011 in Las Vegas. The award recipients are selected based on your nominations.
The 2011 RCA Annual Achievement Award Winners are:
RCA Innovation Award:
Mary Dillon, President & CEO, U.S. Cellular
This award is presented annually to an individual and/or a company that has made an outstanding, innovative contribution to the wireless industry. Whether through technology development, or advanced marketing techniques, or something else altogether…this new RCA award will honor a creative, forward-thinking achievement that is noteworthy throughout the industry. We are delighted to present our inaugural RCA Innovation Award to Mary in recognition of U.S. Cellular’s Belief Project. Under Mary’s leadership, U.S. Cellular last September took its strategy of pleasing customers with innovative services to a whole new level when it launched The Belief Project. This initiative was designed both reward loyal customers and to give potential customers compelling reasons to make the switch to U.S. Cellular. The Belief Project was a bold initiative to strengthen customer loyalty—and RCA applauds this innovative, forward-thinking approach and, in doing so, present Mary our first-ever Innovation Award.
RCA Outstanding Achievement Award:
Bob Dawson, President & CEO, SouthernLINC Wireless
Bob is quite simply an all-around solid citizen. He’s a true professional, working hard and setting a standard to which we can each aspire. He’s a gentleman, a man of integrity. a true-blue friend that is respected and appreciated by anyone who has the good fortune to cross his path. And when it comes to the generosity of time, muscle, and spirit that he’s given to RCA and this industry over the years, Bob has consistently been one of our most valuable players. For five years, he’s served on RCA’s Board of Directors. And for several of those years, he’s chaired RCA’s Nominating Committee for Carriers. Throughout his RCA service, he’s taken on each task with zeal and good humor and has always endeavored to get to know his Association colleagues. For all of his contributions to RCA and our industry, we present Bob with RCA’s 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award.
RCA Outstanding Service Award:
Epic Touch, Co.
RCA presents this annual honor in recognition of a person’s or his or her company’s outstanding service to the community, willingness to go beyond the normal call of duty and reflecting positively on the wireless industry in general, and on the rural wireless carriers in particular. To explain why Epic is this year’s honoree, we need only begin with the company’s catchphrase, which is: “Proactively making a difference, one connection at a time.” It’s a philosophy that’s firmly entrenched into Epic Touch’s corporate culture. Bob Boaldin, Epic Touch’s President, has consistently stressed that one person CAN make a positive difference. Bob and his employees haven’t just been talking the talk—they’ve been walking the walk. They’ve volunteered with countless community and state organizations in Kansas and Oklahoma. Epic employees can be found volunteering as a Red Cross Lifeguard instructor, a community college residential assistant, a church youth leader, a Cub Scouts leader, a community college outreach instructor, a recreation basketball coach and a cook at a homeless shelter, to name a few. On a company-wide level, Epic has sponsored or supported countless community projects. It’s clear that Epic Touch is an exemplar of corporate responsibility that reflects admirably on our entire industry. RCA is delighted to honor this company, its president, and its employees with RCA’s 2011 Outstanding Service Award.
RCA Neko Hamlett Associate Member of the Year Award:
Susan King, National Sales Director, Info Directions
In 2009, RCA renamed this award to honor the late Neko Hamlett. Neko was an executive with American Roamer and a pillar in the wireless industry. And as many of you can personally attest, Neko was a good and loyal friend to many in the RCA family. Renaming the award was fitting, considering that it’s presented to an Associate Member who has, in the past year, made outstanding contributions that significantly benefited our industry in general and RCA specifically. In presenting this honor to Susan, one word that comes quickly to mind is “deserving.” Actually, two others that also spring to mind are “reliable” and “consistent.” Not only is Susan an active participant in our Member Services Committee, but she’s been a consistent, team-playing contributor in a number of RCA initiatives over the years. Certainly, she hasn’t been shy about helping to promote RCA and recruit new members. She even got on the phone last summer to our Carrier colleagues to encourage them to participate in RCA’s 2010 Benchmark Survey. And to top that off, she followed-up to see if she could help by contacting members who weren’t even on her call list. She’s offered to sit on the RCA Events Committee as a liaison from the Member Services Committee. Also, Susan is always diligent in keeping RCA updated on fellow members. In short, Susan King is an exemplary Associate Member. RCA thanks Susan and acknowledges her contributions with the 2011 Neko Hammett Associate Member of the Year Award.
RCA Distinguished Leadership Award:
Ron Smith, President, Bluegrass Cellular, Inc.
2010-2011 RCA Chairman of the Board
This award is presented to the outgoing RCA Chairman of the Board in recognition of the extraordinary service and leadership the Chairman has provided RCA over the past year. With Ron, it’s not given simply in gratitude for his service as Chairman over the past year, rather for his years of superior leadership of, and attentive dedication to, the Association and RCA members all over the country.
