Achievement awards offered by the Almond Board of California (ABC) recognize the work of individuals who have contributed to the betterment of the industry. Nominations are currently open for two different awards that will be presented at the upcoming Almond Conference. The Almond Achievement Award (AAA) has been presented since 2011, while the Almond Technical Achievement Award (ATAA) was established last year. Each of the awards celebrates a different type of contribution made to the almond industry.
“For the Almond Achievement Award, it’s really meant to be an individual who has a longstanding and direct involvement in the industry and that person should have a commitment to the industry,” said Jenny Nicolau, ABC Senior Manager of Industry Relations and Communications. “Then the Technical Achievement requirement, they have to have some sort of significant research or innovation or an adoption of a practice. So that one typically is a little more research-driven. That person could be directly in the almond industry day-to-day, or it could be a researcher that spans other commodities.”
Last year, George Goshgarian, Sr. was the winner of the AAA and Ken Stevenson was presented with the ATAA. All the information about award parameters and how to nominate an industry member is available online. Nominations for the 2022 achievement awards will need to be submitted by October 26. “To nominate someone is very simple. On our website, you can go to Almonds.com/AlmondAwards. There’s two separate forms just depending on who you want to nominate. There’s really just a couple of short questions. It should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes max to nominate someone,” said Nicolau.
Winners of the awards are recognized during the Almond Conference Annual Gala. This year, the gala has moved nights and will be held on the evening of December 7.
Listen to Nicolau’s interview below.
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