2 0 2 0 M E M B E R S H I P D I R E C T O R Y I L L I N O I S S I G N A S S O C I A T I O N P a g e | 11 The Maury Ely Award Few awards in the sign industry are held in higher esteem than the Maury Ely Award presented annually by the Illinois Sign Association to that individual who has distinguished him or herself for meaningful and meritorious contributions to both the association and the industry. The stature of this award has a special eminence because it honors the memory of a man who literally devoted his life to the advancement of a professionalism that is today synonymous with our burgeoning industry. Maury Ely is almost singularly credited for developing various programs which propelled the National Electric Sign Association (NESA) to the federal legislative area, promoted a new and broader membership base and made NESA responsive to numerous member demands for greater education and information. Upon his retirement for NESA, Maury accepted the less demanding but equally important role of furthering the development of the state sign association of Illinois, serving as its first professional Executive Director. His success is evidenced today by the continuing growth and activism of ISA. It is only fitting that Maury Ely’s legacy to the sign industry is one that encourages and then rewards foresightedness, determination and achievement. As those who knew and worked with Maury are proud of that special acquaintanceship, so he would have been proud to know what his labors have wrought and how his exemplary life of leadership has inspired others that followed. The Maury Ely Award is perhaps cherished by its select recipients more than any award they have earned. It is a reminder of Maury’s memory and the tradition of excellence that they themselves have achieved. Maurey Ely Award Recipients 1979 Paul Corrington (deceased) 1980 Eddie Larsen 1981 Sy Politinsky 1982 Jack Bercier (deceased) 1983 Henry Spanjer (deceased) 1984 Clarence Spanjer (deceased) 1985 John Mawhiney (deceased) 1986 Henry “Duke” Lambke (deceased) 1987 Vic Laska (deceased) 1988 Sam Vecchio (deceased) 1989 George Blume (deceased) 1990 Ralph Cilia 1991 Jim Dimpfl (deceased) 1992 Bob Lemaire (deceased) 1993 Don Harkins 1994 Edward Hanna (deceased) 1995 Larry Weitz 1996 Randy Niese (deceased) 1997 Rick Turnroth 1998 Terry Hopkins 1999 Jack Van Bruggen (deceased) 2000 Joe Phillips (deceased) 2001 Cheryl Grate 2002 Paul Tylman 2003 John (Jack) Hallman 2005 Harry Niese 2006 Sam Van Bruggen 2007 Mike Dunn 2010 Jim Brusek 2011 Jack Gesell 2014 Brian Swingle 2016 Duane Laska
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