Year |
Recipient |
Description |
| 2022 |
Ms Denise Layton |
Denise Layton is presented the 2022 SSA Eaton Award for her extraordinary service to the SSA over many years. Denise joined the SSA more than 30 years ago as a secretary. Over time her talents were explored and responsibilities increased to include magazine advertising and publishing, and eventually management of the entire SSA office. She is now serving the Society as our Executive Director. Not only has she helped to steer the Society through some very difficult times, she has developed a special relationship with her fellow SSA employees which ensures that our membership receives a strong and pleasant performance from the SSA staff. In her SSA management role, Denise has developed the deft touch necessary to effectively deal with the always varied and occasionally challenging personalities and “demands” of our members, our directors, and our many volunteers. In addition to her normal duties, Denise has worked tirelessly with the City of Hobbs and with the Contest community to keep Hobbs alive as a world-famous soaring site, including renting a hangar on the airport at her own expense for use as a contest headquarters. An excellent measure of Denise’s value to the Society is that the first question asked by a prospective incoming SSA Board Chairperson is “will Denise still be here through my term?” It is with the greatest appreciation that she is recognized with the SSA’s highest award. |
| 2019 |
No Award |
|
| 2018 |
Mr John D. Godfrey |
John is currently chairman of the SSA Foundation, chairman of the Fundraising and Development Committee, and a member of the Awards Committee. He has spent enormous time and effort recently developing a newly invigorated program for SSA Fundraising and Planned Giving, including web-based presentations and donation options. John has served as a member of and chairman of the Contest Rules Committee. He has served as Contest Director and as Scorer at numerous contests, including scoring the 2012 World Gliding Championships and the 2015 Pan American Gliding Championships. He has supported the US Team as US Team Captain at international competitions and also as webmaster for the US Team Committee. He has served as a member of and chairman of the Trophy Committee. He has supported the Youth/Junior Committee. He has provided frequent website assistance to the SSA and to various committees. John was a state governor for many years. Given his many years of service and the depth of his involvement in so many aspects of the SSA, it is with the greatest appreciation that he is recognized with the SSA’s highest award. |
| 2017 |
Mr Francis L. Whiteley |
Frank Whiteley is presented the 2017 SSA Eaton Award for his extraordinary service to the SSA over many years. Frank has served as Region 9 director since 2010 and as SSA Vice Chair and Secretary since 2011. He either now serves or in the past has served as chairman of the SSA committees for Clubs & Chapters, Commercial Operators & Business Members, and State Governors & Record Keepers. He serves as a member on the SSA committees for Growth & Retention, Youth & Juniors, Electronic Communications, Affiliates & Divisions, and SSA-EAA Coordination. He helps with SSA website issues and content. He manages the SSA Facebook page and the Lets Go Gliding website. He serves as SSA liaison with the Civil Air Patrol. He has been the Colorado State Governor from 2005 to the present. He works with SSA chapters to keep their members and information current with the SSA and helps direct efforts to renew lapsed SSA members. Frank is the go-to person for almost anything related to soaring. Frank, please take care of yourself because we don’t know what we’d do without you! |
| 2015 |
Mr Eric H Mozer |
Eric has been involved in soaring in many ways. After being the head of the U.S. delegation to the International Gliding Commission for many years, he was elected its President in 2013, an office he still holds. He is the first American elected as President since 1976. As of late, he has been busy organizing the World Air Games which were held in Dubai. 875 athletes from 55 countries competed in the biggest air sports event ever organized. Eric has dedicated himself to the service of the sport of soaring, both domestically and internationally. He has served SSA as a member of the Board of Directors and as a Trustee of the SSA Foundation. He established the Junior Team Trophy and has been a contest director.
For all of his contributions to SSA as a volunteer, and in recognition of his leadership in our worldwide movement, SSA awards the 2015 Warren Eaton Trophy to Eric Mozer.
|
| 2014 |
Mr Stephen A Northcraft |
This award is presented to STEPHEN A. (“STEVE”) NORTHCRAFT in grateful recognition of his more than 23 years of service to the SSA and to the soaring community. Steve has been an SSA Regional Director (Region 8) since 1991. He has also been a Director of the Soaring Safety Foundation and has served on numerous other volunteer committees, including: Naming and Memorials Committee, Nominating Committee, Technical Committee, Representation Committee and the Government Liaison Committee. It is Steve’s continuous service on the SSA’s Government Liaison Committee, however, that has earned Steve the Eaton Award his year. As either a member or Chairman of the Committee for more than 23 years, Steve has either personally handled or directed the work of other SSA volunteers in many of the most important regulatory issues facing the sport of Soaring. Steve’s ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communications with the FAA, to insure that the voice of the soaring community is heard in regulatory issues, and to assist SSA members with regulatory concerns is in the finest traditions of the SSA. The SSA is proud to recognize his outstanding service through the presentation of this award. |
| 2013 |
Mr Phillip Umphres |
This award is for many years of extraordinary effort in rehabilitating, preserving, solidifying and fostering the growth of the core of the SSA. Phil began his tour of duty in 2007, shortly after the discovery of embezzlement. Rather than turn down the job, he rolled up his sleeves and began the tedious process of straightening out the books, and literally helping in putting a set of books and accounting procedures together. After serving as Treasurer for two years, he went on to lead the organization as Chairman. He is also responsible for obtaining a formal opinion from the FAA that effectively expanded the available towing resources for operations and contests. After serving as Chairman of the SSA, he served as Region 10 Director. Now, he has come full circle. He will again take over the reins as Treasurer for our organization. Phil is a rare volunteer who has done so much for the foundation and preservation of our organization and deserves the highest praise through the presentation of this award. |
| 2012 |
Mr Kenneth G. Sorenson |
For recognition of many years of leading the contest committee who have had oversight of the competition efforts in the US and in fact in the world. The culmination of Ken’s effort was a very successful effort as the Championship Director of the 32nd World Gliding Championships at Uvalde Texas in 2012.
For almost three years Ken directed and detailed the sometimes intense planning involved in an undertaking of this magnitude. Ken attended many meetings in Uvalde to coordinate with Team Uvalde (City, Convention and Business bureau, Airport, FAA, businesses and concerned citizens ). Ken also attended the 2010 WGC in Szeged Hungary as an FAI Steward to observe and participate in that competition in order to prepare for his directorship of the 32nd WGC in Uvalde, Texas. Ken participated in monthly, and towards the end weekly, meetings of the WGC organization committee. Ken did all of this at considerable sacrifice of his valuable time, talents and financial resources.
His ability to smooth over even the worst conflicts using his sound reasoning and leadership made the 2012 32nd WGC a resounding success that will surely go down in history as one of the best WGC's ever.
For many years, as head of the SSA contest board, Ken has worked to build and promote competition soaring. This includes ensuring that we have a good consistent rules process, with member/contest pilot input as a prime focus so that everyone has a chance to speak. He has been instrumental in ensuring that there are new contest sites, and that the processes for contests were made easy so everyone who wanted to “run” a contest could do it without reinventing the wheel. His tireless efforts have contributed much to the art and sport of soaring flight.
|
| 2011 |
Mr. James B Short |
For a long record of being involved in SSA governance and the highly successful Soaring100 celebration at Kitty Hawk, NC. |
| 2011 |
Ms. Simine Short |
For a long record of captivating our history through her books and the highly successful Soaring100 celebration at Kitty Hawk, NC. |
| 2010 |
Mr Burt Compton |
Burt has managed the SSAI Master Cross-Country Program and developed the unique Soaring Safety Foundation "Site Survey" program. Burt also scripted and produced three safety videos for the Soaring Safety Foundation and wrote the only book on flying the tow plane, "The Towpilot Manual." Burt has worked tirelessly with the Soaring Safety Foundation, and has served the Soaring Society of America as a Director for many years. |
| 2009 |
Ms. Dianne Black-Nixon |
Dianne served as SSA Chairman of the Board for 2006, 2007, and 2008, one of the most difficult periods in the history of the SSA during which its very survival was in question.
The discovery in 2006 of four years of embezzlement by the SSA CFO, and a corresponding lack of oversight by the Executive Director left the Society in an almost impossible financial position and with a leadership vacuum at the administrative level.
Dianne stepped up to the bar, managed to hold things together and by her leadership, her actions, and above all her patience, helped the SSA emerge a stronger and better organization from a nearly catastrophic event. |
| 2008 |
Mr. Robert Wander |
|
| 2007 |
Mr Dean Carswell |
|
| 2006 |
Mr Douglas J. Easton |
|
| 2005 |
No Award |
|
| 2004 |
No Award |
|
| 2003 |
Ms. Jacqueline Payne |
|
| 2003 |
Mr James M Payne |
|
| 2003 |
Ms. Linda Murray |
|
| 2003 |
Mr. John Murray |
|
| 2002 |
Mr. Mike Culver |
|
| 2001 |
Mr R. Franklin Reid |
|
| 2001 |
Ms Jayne E. Reid |
|
| 2000 |
Ms. Doris F. Grove |
|
| 2000 |
Mr. Thomas L. Knauff |
|
| 1999 |
No Award |
|
| 1998 |
Mr Alcide Santilli |
|
| 1997 |
Mr Bernald S Smith |
|
| 1996 |
Miss Bertha M Ryan |
|
| 1995 |
Mr Richard N Hall Jr |
|
| 1994 |
Mr Charlie Spratt |
|
| 1993 |
Mr. E. Gene Hammond |
|
| 1992 |
Mr William C. Sproull |
|
| 1991 |
Mr. John C. Lincoln II |
|
| 1991 |
Ms. Judy Ruprecht |
|
| 1990 |
Ms. Shirley Sliwa |
|
| 1989 |
Mr Eric H Mozer |
|
| 1989 |
Mr Rudolf W Mozer |
|
| 1988 |
Mr Paul A Schweizer |
|
| 1987 |
James C. "Red" Wright |
|
| 1986 |
Lawrence Wood |
|
| 1985 |
Mr. Hal M Lattimore |
|
| 1984 |
Mr Carl D Herold |
|
| 1983 |
Jack Gomez |
|
| 1982 |
Gus Scheurer |
|
| 1981 |
Mr. Brian G. Utley |
|
| 1980 |
Lianna Lamont |
|
| 1980 |
Mr Douglas Lamont |
|
| 1979 |
Mr William B Cleary |
|
| 1978 |
Ted Sharp |
|
| 1977 |
Mr Bernald S Smith |
|
| 1976 |
John Williams |
|
| 1975 |
Joseph C. Lincoln |
|
| 1974 |
Mr Sterling V. Starr |
|
| 1973 |
Thomas Page |
|
| 1972 |
Ms Helen R Dick |
|
| 1971 |
Mr. Walter B Hausler |
|
| 1971 |
Florence Hausler |
|
| 1970 |
Rose Marie Licher |
|
| 1970 |
Mr Lloyd M Licher |
|
| 1969 |
H. Marshall Claybourn |
|
| 1968 |
Leslie Arnold |
|
| 1967 |
Mr Richard H Johnson |
|
| 1966 |
Mr Irving O Prue |
|
| 1965 |
John D. Ryan |
|
| 1964 |
Mr Paul F Bikle |
|
| 1963 |
Wolfgang Klemperer |
|
| 1962 |
Richard E. Schreder |
|
| 1961 |
Harner Selvidge |
|
| 1960 |
Ralph S. Barnaby |
|
| 1959 |
Mr E.J. Reeves |
|
| 1958 |
No Award |
|
| 1957 |
Anne Briegleb |
|
| 1957 |
Mr William G Briegleb |
|
| 1956 |
Mr. Rodney E. Franklin |
|
| 1955 |
Earl R. Southee |
|
| 1954 |
Ted Nelson |
|
| 1953 |
Mr Paul A Schweizer |
|
| 1953 |
Ernest Schweizer |
|
| 1952 |
Jon D. Carsey |
|
| 1951 |
Mr. William S Ivans |
|
| 1950 |
Mr Paul MacCready Jr. |
|
| 1949 |
Harland Ross |
|
| 1949 |
Robert F. Symons |
|
| 1948 |
Mr. Francis B Compton |
|
| 1947 |
Paul Tuntland |
|
| 1946 |
Bernard L. Wiggin |
|
| 1945 |
Ben Shupack |
|
| 1944 |
No Awards |
|
| 1943 |
No Awards |
|
| 1942 |
No Awards |
|
| 1941 |
Mr Floyd J Sweet |
|
| 1940 |
Robert M. Stanley |
|
| 1939 |
Richard C. duPont |
|