The AVSA Society Awards are presented annually to deserving individuals. AVSA Affiliates nominate candidates for the 2021 Hudson Award by completing a form. AVSA Members may see the list of previous recipients of Society Awards and make nominations to Society Awards Chair, Linda Hall at societyawards@avsa.org
Thank you to all members who submitted nominees for the 2020 AVSA Society Awards. This year, we are honoring our nominees in the African Violet Magazine and during the AVSA Virtual Convention. Congratulations to our worthy recipients!
Linda Hall, Society Awards Committee Chair
HUDSON AWARD FOR AFFILIATE LEADERSHIP
Recipient: Candace Baldwin
AVSA is proud to present the Hudson Award for Affiliate Leadership to Candace Baldwin for her dedication, hard work, friendship and leadership to the Copper State African Violet Club (CSAVC). She and Susan Anderson established the club in 2016, making Candace a charter member. After serving as club vice-president for two years, she currently serves as president. The club has grown to 24 active members with a goal of teaching the joys of growing African violets and sharing the tricks of growing them in a desert environment.
CSAVC held fall sales for three successful years with a goal of educating the public on growing African violets. In fall 2019, the club held its first AVSA show and sale. Candace provided detailed instructions of chair duties so all members would feel comfortable in their jobs.
Candace also is a member of the Tucson African Violet Society. She continually gives programs on all aspects of violet growing for novices and experts in both clubs, plus for the Desert Sun African Violet Society. She makes everyone feel comfortable at all levels of knowledge and growing expertise. Candace also is an AVSA Advanced Judge. AVSA is pleased to present the Hudson Award for Affiliate Leadership to Candace Baldwin.
CONTINUING SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Mary Corondan
AVSA is pleased to present the Continuing Service Award to Mary Corondan for her years of dedication, past and present, to AVSA. This award is being given to her for all the hats she wears at the same time. Mary currently is AVSA 2nd Vice-President, Shows and Judges Chair, and temporary Secretary. She also chairs the Policies and Procedures Committee and serves as a member of the Convention Show Awards Committee and Marketing Committee. Mary also has served as a director twice and has been a member of the Building Committee. You also might recognize Mary as the columnist who compiles and writes the “And the Winners Are…” column in AVM.
Locally, Mary is a member of, and has served in numerous offices for, Lone Star African Violet Council, First Nighter African Violet Society of Dallas and North Texas African Violet Judges’ Council. She also is an AVSA Master Judge. Mary is a choir director and singer. AVSA is proud to present to Mary Corondan a Continuing Service Award.
CONTINUING SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Kathy Lahti
AVSA is pleased to present a Continuing Service Award to Kathy Lahti for her many years of dedication as AVSA Convention Director. Since 2006, she has managed to find us affordable convention space in accommodating hotels. Kathy bargains for price controls on meals, tours and parking spots. We have seen this firsthand and Kathy is amazing! But this is not a one- or two-day job. Conventions take years just for the planning stages and she juggles multiple conventions at the same time. Kathy is calm under pressure and very diplomatic.
Locally, Kathy is a member of the African Violet Society of Minnesota, AVSA Judges Council of Minnesota, Lakes Area Violet Growers and The Gesneriad Society-Twin Cities Chapter. She is a teacher and has been an AVSA Master Judge since 2008. Kathy also is an excellent grower of African violets and has won numerous (too many to list) top awards at the shows she enters, including AVSA national shows. AVSA honors Kathy Lahti for her Continuing Service to the Society.
CONTINUING SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Dr. Bill Price
AVSA honors Dr. Bill Price with a Continuing Service Award for his many years serving as the society’s auctioneer extraordinaire. Besides auctioneering, Bill is one of the most generous people we know, always donating plant material to the silent and live auctions. And if you are in the showroom at teardown time, he will gladly give you a cutting or leaf of any plants he has brought to exhibit, which usually have won top awards. He has won many Best in Show ribbons.
Bill is a member of Stampede City African Violet Society, The Vancouver African Violet and Gesneriad Society, Toronto African Violet and Gesneriad Society, Lakeshore African Violet Society of Toronto, New York State African Violet Society, First Nighter African Violet Society of Dallas, Lone Star African Violet Council, The African Violet Society of Canada, The Gesneriad Society, The Gesneriad Society of Sweden, Gesneriasts of Sweden, and the American Orchid Society. And even though Bill is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he was made an honorary Texan in 2011.
Bill is an AVSA Senior Judge and teacher. He also is a master gesneriad judge and teacher. Bill travels all over the United States and Canada, judging and giving programs at his own expense.
When Dr. Price retired from his psychiatric practice specializing in autistic disorders, he was honored by hybridizer Brad Jalbert of Select Roses with a rose named “Dr. Bill Price.” This was to thank him for the countless people he helped and to whom he brought peace of mind during his career.
From his accomplishments and memberships, you can see that Bill is always promoting and sharing African violets. AVSA presents to Dr. Bill Price the Continuing Service Award.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Amy Carruth
AVSA is pleased to present a Meritorious Service Award to AVSA Office Manager Amy Carruth. This award is being given to Amy for her years of dedication to AVSA. If you know Amy, you know that she lives, eats and breathes AVSA! She is a most dedicated employee.
This past year, Amy has had to move the AVSA office when the building was sold, and a second time when the new office was flooded. The second move was extremely difficult, as many of the magazines’ past issues and other items were waterlogged and had to be thrown out, a backbreaking job. She also must deal with the flood-related loss of some computers and their stored information, which had to be regenerated. Now, let’s add the COVID-19 virus and having to work at home into the mix. Amy has had a “challenging” year to say the least, but through her tears, she smiles.
AVSA thanks and honors Amy Carruth with a Meritorious Service Award.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Terri Post
AVSA is pleased to award a Meritorious Service Award to Terri Post for her many years working with AVSA’s finances. She currently serves as the Society’s Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. Being a CPA, Terri has donated her accounting expertise with nonprofit organizations to AVSA for many years. She prepared and filed the Society’s tax returns from 2009 through this year. She also assisted the previous treasurer in navigating the financial statements and bank records. Terri was also able to set up AVSA’s various funds in conservative financial markets to maximize gains and financial stability. This took a lot of time to accomplish but has proved highly successful.
Locally, Terri belongs to Missouri Valley African Violet Council and Lone Star African Violet Council. She also served as Convention Show Vice-Chair in 2015 for the Kansas City Convention. AVSA thanks Terri for her dedication to promoting and perpetuating the Society and is pleased to present her with a Meritorious Service Award.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
Recipient: Glenda Williams
AVSA is pleased to present the Meritorious Service Award to Glenda Williams. This award is given to honor her for two reasons. First, Glenda served as Convention Show Co-Chair in 2019 for the Houston Convention. The time and effort she and her co-chair expended to create and produce a high-quality show was obvious the moment we walked into the show room. They excited all of us with their show and design themes.
Secondly, AVSA wants to acknowledge all the time and hard work she and her husband, Jim, devoted to cleaning and moving the AVSA office to a new location after the flood compromised the former, moldy office. This was no simple task and they stepped up and “offered” their help. They spent more than a week in Beaumont helping Amy. Glenda cleaned, scrubbed and moved “everything” while Jim worked on the computers.
Locally, Glenda is a member of First Austin African Violet Society, Lone Star African Violet Council and Central Texas Judge’s Council. She served as an AVSA Director from 2015 to 2017 and as Convention Vice-Chair in 2013 for the Austin Convention.
AVSA thanks Glenda for her dedicated service.
HONORARY ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP
Recipient: Robbie McMeel
AVSA is proud to present an Honorary One Year Membership to Robert McMeel for serving as Convention Show Co-Chair in 2019 for the Houston Convention. The time and effort he and his co-chairs expended to create and produce a high-quality show was obvious the moment you walked into the show room. They excited all of us with their show and design themes.
Locally, Robbie is a member of the Sundowner’s African Violet Society and Dixie African Violet Society. He also is a member of the Gesneriad Society.
AVSA thanks Robbie for all his hard word to help produce a beautiful convention show.
HONORARY ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP
Recipient: Anne Nicholas
AVSA is proud to present an Honorary One-Year Membership to Anne Nicholas for serving as Convention Co-Chair in 2019 for the Houston Convention. She and her co-chairs put a great deal of time and effort into creating an outstanding convention that was well attended and enjoyed.
Locally, Anne is a member of First African Violet Society of Denton and Lone Star African Violet Council. She is a long-time member of AVSA and served as chair of the Library Committee for 18 years. Anne has also achieved becoming an AVSA Master Judge. AVSA thanks Anne for all her hard work caring for and promoting AVSA.
HONORARY ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP
Recipient: Penny Smith-Kerker
AVSA is proud to present an Honorary One Year Membership to Penny Smith-Kerker for serving as Convention Co-Chair in 2019 for the Houston Convention. She and her co-chair put a great deal of time and effort into creating an outstanding convention that was well attended and enjoyed.
Locally, Penny has been a member of First Austin African Violet Society since 1998, which is also when she became a member of AVSA. She is a member of Central Texas Judges Council and Lone Star African Violet Council. Penny also served as a director from 2015 through 2018. She was the AVSA Convention Chair for the 2013 Austin Convention. AVSA thanks Penny for all her hard work caring for and promoting AVSA.