ANNUAL AWARDS
Nominations for 2009 Awards Now Accepted through January 8th

Nominations are now being accepted for 2009 awards.  Please review the information below and download the "CGA Award Program Overview" as well as the "Award Nomination Form for 2009" for more information.

Description & Criteria

In 2005, the CGA established an awards program to celebrate the successes of our members as well as those in the larger damage prevention community. Since that time, the CGA has recognized many individuals who have demonstrated great dedication to damage prevention. 

The CGA presents three awards annually including the Ron Olitsky Award, Jim Barron Award and Hall of Fame designation.  The awards are presented each year during our Annual Meeting.

CGA “Ron Olitsky Award”

Award Description:  This award is presented in honor of Ron Olitsky of Underground Service Alert, who served on the CGA Board since the organization’s establishment and during the development of the Common Ground Study of One Call System and Damage Prevention Best Practices in 1999. Ron’s dedication to the CGA and to damage prevention was a true priority until his untimely passing in 2005.

The award will be granted to the CGA member whose dedication and service to the CGA went above and beyond the call of duty during a given year, and he/she might be considered the “most valuable player.”

Award Criteria:

(Awarded annually)

• Recipient must:
  • Be a member of the CGA. 
  • Have clearly demonstrated service to the CGA during a given year though:
  • Dedication & commitment to CGA committee work.
  • Promotion of best practices, educational programs, data collection and/or other objectives that specifically advance the goals of the Common Ground Alliance.
  • Dedication to the growth of CGA through recruiting new members; establishing, or participating in, a regional partner program; or presenting at industry conferences and increasing visibility of the CGA.

CGA “Jim Barron Award”

Award Description: Jim Barron of Ronkin Construction played a key role in the Common Ground Study and went on to serve as the first president of the CGA. He has, and continues to show true dedication to the CGA and to several other damage prevention organizations and projects. The Barron award is given to an individual(s) or organization(s) that may or may not be a member of the CGA, but has shown true dedication to efforts that enhance underground damage prevention. An example may be an individual that serves on a one-call board, a member of Congress or government official, or any other person or organization outside of the CGA that has made a positive impact on the damage prevention community.

Award Criteria: 

(Awarded based on merit of nominees in a given year – not necessarily annually)

• May be granted to more than one person or organization in a given year.
• Recipient does not have to be a member of the CGA.
• Recipient must have shown dedication/commitment to enhancing underground damage prevention through:
  • Playing a significant role in a program/policy/campaign (or other) that has made a positive impact on damage prevention.
  • Demonstrating leadership in a given area that plays a role in damage prevention.

CGA “Hall of Fame”

Award Description: The Hall of Fame is an ongoing roster of damage prevention champions.  The award honors CGA members that have served in the organization over a long period of time and whose impact has left its mark on the organization in a positive and memorable way.  

Award Criteria: 

(Awarded based on merit of nominees in a given year – not necessarily annually)

• May be granted to more than one person in a given year.
• Recipients must:
  • Be or have been a member of the CGA.
  • Have demonstrated a significant impact on damage prevention and the CGA over an extended period of time through:
    • Participation & leadership within the CGA and other damage prevention organizations.
    • Dedication to specific CGA objectives.
    • Advancement of CGA goals on a local and/or national level. 
    • Being a champion for CGA growth by promoting membership, establishing regional partner organizations, and/or increasing visibility of the through industry events/organizations. 

Award Selection Process

Nominations will be now be accepted through January 8, 2010 (nomination period was extended). The nomination form (posted below in PDF & Word) will be available on the CGA web page during this time for CGA members who wish to submit nominations.   All nominations will be accepted in the form of an approximately 250-word narrative explaining the reason the nominee should receive the award.   Please review the criteria for each award and ensure you have addressed in the narrative.

An Award Selection Subcommittee of the CGA working committees will evaluate and discuss the nominations prior to naming the honorees. The subcommittee will be made up of CGA members representing many stakeholder groups and from each of the CGA working committees.

Awards will be presented during the CGA annual meeting in 2010.

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