Do you know someone who inspires others to professional excellence? Someone who has made important contributions toward the advancement of the field? Consider nominating him or her for a SHSMD Award for Individual Professional Excellence. These awards honor the best and brightest healthcare marketers, planners, and public relations/communications practitioners—individuals who are truly exemplars of the strategy professions.

Nominees should have ten or more years of experience in planning, marketing, or public relations/communications, including at least five years in healthcare organizations. Nominees’ career achievements will be judged according to the following criteria:

• Innovation in the practice of the strategy disciplines through the use of solid marketing, public relations, or planning techniques, including (but not limited to) new product development, product line management, sales, community relations, environmental analysis, competitor assessment, needs assessment, forecasting, or network development.
  
  
• Enhancement of the credibility of the strategy professions, including participation in professional organizations, publication in the professional literature, or professional public speaking.
  
  
• Exceptional personal qualities and leadership abilities, such as integrity, the ability to work with diverse groups, a record of motivating or mentoring others, and exemplifying the values of the strategy professions to people in other disciplines and fields.
  
  
• Community service on a local, regional, or national level.

Nominees must be SHSMD members in good standing. No more than two awards will be given each year. Awards for 2010 will be presented at the SHSMD Annual Conference, September 12–15 in Chicago.

To nominate a colleague, write a letter no longer than three pages describing how you believe the nominee fits the profile above. E-mail it as a Word attachment to Karen Porter, SHSMD associate director, at kporter@aha.org. Be sure to include your daytime telephone number and e-mail address. Your nomination must be received no later than May 14, 2010. There are no forms to complete and no entry fees. Sorry, we are unable to consider self-nominations.