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SBE Announces Winners of 2015 National Awards

July 30, 2015

The Society of Broadcast Engineers announces the recipients of the 2015 SBE National Awards. The awards recognize excellence and achievement by individual members, SBE chapters and Sustaining Member companies. The two highest individual awards are the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year and the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year.

Presented to a member who has excelled in his or her career while furthering the mission of the SBE, the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year is awarded to Roswell D. Clark, CPBE, CBNT, of Clearwater, FL. Clark is a member of SBE Chapter 39 Tampa Bay, FL, where he serves as treasurer. He is a past chairman of Chapter 39.

The recipient of the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year award is recognized for outstanding service and excellence in sharing knowledge through teaching other broadcast engineers. The winner of the award is SBE Chapter 39 Tampa Bay, which began hosting an annual day-long technical training seminar in 2009 and has held it every year since.

Roz Clark has worked in broadcast engineering for more than 30 years. Currently, Roz is the director of technical operations for Cox Media Group in multiple markets. He is also a facilitator of Chapter 39's one-day symposium that provides an educational experience for the regional engineers who cannot attend the NAB Show or similar events. Roz was a leader in the implementation of HD Radio and adoption of radio's part in social media and other platforms.

2015 marks the third year that the Chapter Engineer of the Year Award has highlighted the achievements of members within their chapters. This year, nine chapters selected their own award recipients. Each winner will be presented with a special certificate and will be recognized nationally on the SBE website and in a future issue of The Signal. The nine chapter winners also were automatically nominated for the national Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year Award.

Members of SBE Chapter 39 have produced a one-day educational technical training seminar for the past six years. Various speakers are invited to make presentations focused on technology and without a sales pitch. Every seminar brings a mixture of major companies as well as local companies working in the industry at a low cost to attendees. The 2015 Symposium is scheduled for November 12. Chapter members who have been a part of the planning are Roz Clark, Dylan Scott, Larry Stephen, Bill Brown, Paul Kempter, Ralph Beaver, Mike Galik, Jake Tremper, Sheila Cowley, Mike Cernack, John Collinson and the late Steven Hess.

Blackmagic Design is awarded the 2015 SBE Technology Award for its 12G-SDI, which has a high data throughput and allows for SD, HD and Ultra HD video to be sent via a single BNC cable. The increased bandwidth also supports the emerging high frame-rate Ultra HD 60p format.

The winner of the Best Technical Article, Book or Program for his article in the October and December issues of The Signal and an issue of the Chapter 24 newsletter is Tom C. Smith of Sun Prairie, WI, for Look at TV Repack Scenario, Chapter 24.

Chapter Awards
Best Chapter Website and Best Social Media Site
Chapter 80 of Fox Valley, WI

Best Chapter Newsletter (tie)
Chapter 24, Madison, WI, and Chapter 70, Cleveland, OH

Best Regional Convention or Conference
Chapter 24, Madison, WI, and the 2014 Broadcasters Clinic

Several SBE National Awards recognize chapters for growth in membership, percentage of certified members and highest average attendance at chapter meetings. These awards are based on statistics kept at the national office, as submitted by all chapters. Two awards for each category are presented, based on chapter enrollment. Class A represents chapters whose membership is less than the national median. Class B includes chapters with a membership greater than the national median.

Greatest Growth in New Members
A: Chapter 111, Huntsville, AL
B: Chapter 45, Charlotte, NC

Most Certified Chapter
A: Chapter 118, Montgomery, AL
B: (tie) Chapter 24, Madison, WI; Ch. 131, Inland Empire CA

Highest Average Member Attendance
A: Ch. 85, Central Western OK
B: Chapter 34, Albuquerque, NM

Nominations for the 2016 awards will open in February.

All the awards will be presented during the SBE National Awards Dinner on October 14, at the SBE National Meeting in Madison, WI. The National Meeting is being held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Broadcasters Clinic.

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