Section Awards and Recognition

Section awards and recognition recognize those that go above and beyond to fulfill SPE’s mission by serving local members. The awards honor exemplary efforts in the categories or technical dissemination, professional development, engaging, retaining, and growing membership, community involvement, operations and planning, and student support.

 

Presidential Award Logo

 

Presidential Award for Outstanding Section

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Section recognizes up-to-the top 10 percent of eligible applications received, per award category, per size range. The awards are presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition.

 

Group Award winners

View Award Winners

 

Application Process

Award applications are separate from the annual report – but share the same 1 June deadline. A maximum of two (s) application forms, in two different categories below, are permitted per section.

Categories:

  • Technical Dissemination – technical activities such as field trips, symposiums, technical presentations, and training courses
  • Professional Development – professional activities such as career events, mentor programs, and soft skills training
  • Engaging, Retaining, and Growing Membership - member programs such as awards, networking, new member welcome, volunteer recognition, unemployed members, Young Professionals, and Senior Professionals; methods for growth retention, and student-to-professional conversion; programs made exclusive to members only
  • Community Involvement – community activities such as youth and teacher education and community service 
  • Operations and Planning – goals, use of committees, succession plan, and communications -
  • Student Support – programming for students such as the Ambassador Lecturer Program (ALP), student chapter support, scholarships, student specific events, mentoring programs  

 

Eligibility and Judging

Only sections meeting maintenance criteria as of the 1 June annual report deadline are eligible for awards. Those not meeting maintenance criteria as of 1 June, or are non-compliant, are not eligible for awards.

The awards program recognizes up-to-the top 10 percent of applications received, per award category, in the size ranges below. The ranges are set and will not change each year. Size groups are not equally divided.

 

Size Label
 
Range of Members
(based on year-end)
 

A

25 - 100

B

101 - 300

C

301 - 500

D

501 - 1,000

E

1,001 - 2,000

F

2001+

Recipients are selected through two rounds of review by a group of volunteer judges nominated by the Regional Directors.

 

Regional Section Recognition

This program aims to spotlight those doing excellent work within their SPE regions but not achieving a global Presidential Award. The program recognizes those that are innovative, have a particularly noteworthy program, or are making great progress. 

Regional Directors establish the selection process for their respective region(s). The regional winners should not exceed 25% of all sections not achieving a global award that year. A certificate is emailed to all recognized sections.