When the Pioneer Award was established, it was called the Frank Jeter Award, in honor of the late North Carolinian. Within two years, the board changed the name to the Pioneer Award. The award honors communicators in each region who demonstrate exceptional leadership and technical skills and make significant contributions to ACE during their early careers (first 10 years of ACE membership), as did the pioneers of the profession whose hard work and vision founded the association in 1914.

Any ACE member may submit a nomination form to the appropriate regional director by February 10, 2012. A member may nominate a colleague from another region. No more than five awards will be given in any one year. Nominations are sent to the candidate’s regional director. Regions determine the method of selecting nominees, such as by vote of membership or by a panel appointed by the regional director. Selection should be made on the basis of skills, professional standards and service to ACE.

Each director then sends his/her region’s nominations to the ACE executive director, who forwards the nominations to other regional directors for final winner selections. Final winner selections must be made and sent to Headquarters by March 2, 2012. (Nominees of D.C. region judged by the northeastern region director; northeastern by the north central; north central by the western; western by the southern; and southern by D.C.) Names of those selected as award recipients are then presented to the board for final approval. 

Past Recipients