Member awards are an important part of every FGIA Annual Conference, and this year will be no exception. The awards ceremony and reception is a time when we can look back on the work of the previous year and recognize the members who went above and beyond to contribute to our success. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the awards nomination and selection process, I wanted to share some information about how FGIA’s winners were selected and why.

For each award, nomination surveys are sent out to members serving on the FGIA Board of Directors and leaders of relevant councils, committees and task groups. Nominees are then balloted to the applicable member segment leaders depending on the award category. The individual receiving the most votes is selected as the winner of each award, making these truly peer recognitions.

FGIA will be delivering six awards at the Annual Conference next month, taking place in Orlando, FL February 17-20. Four of the awards recognize distinguished service in representing each of our three primary product segments – Architectural, Glass and Residential – as well as Marketing. These awards honor individuals who show dedicated service, leadership, personal contributions, and outstanding participation as a member of these areas. A newer award will also be given this year: the Education Excellence Award is conferred in years when an exceptional candidate is identified, as was the case in 2024. This award was established in honor of Bill Briese, a longtime employee of GED Integrated Solutions and a passionate advocate of and contributor to education within FGIA and our industry.

Finally, our last award is the prestigious Outstanding Member Award. This award is delivered to an individual who represents a deep concern for the continued growth and well-being of our industry reflected by his or her exemplary leadership abilities, dedicated effort and unselfish service.

We also recognize over 100 members who volunteer their time to lead our Councils, committees and task groups. Our Chair recognition includes a banner listing of these individuals displayed throughout the conference, acknowledging and thanking them for their dedicated support. Without these important contributors, work would not advance at the pace that it does and our influence in and impact on the industry would not be as great.

The awards ceremony is one of my favorite parts of each Annual Conference and I look forward to sharing the 2024 winners with you all next month in Orlando! And, if you can’t make it in person, watch our YouTube channel for video coverage of the event in the days following.