Judy Stropus, 2008 winner of the Jim Chapman Award, wrote the following for the February AARWBA newsletter. I am most grateful to Judy for this, which came as a surprise to me. Thanks for noticing, Judy, and this blog is part of what I see as the big picture learning experience for us all. I copy Judy's note here exactly as it appears in the newsletter:
“I had the greatest honor of receiving the Jim Chapman Award for Excellence in Motorsports Public Relations at the recent AARWBA awards dinner in Ontario, Calif.
“Receiving this award meant a lot to me, especially because it was given in the name of one of the titans of this business.
“Although I thanked nearly everyone who was instrumental in my career, I did not give true credit to the one man who has worked so tirelessly to maintain Jim Chapman's legacy through this award for so many years.
“Thank you Michael Knight for all your efforts in making sure the motorsports p.r. profession is duly respected. And thank you for your professional demeanor for so many years. Your belief in the value of good motorsports p.r. and publicity has kept this profession in the forefront. While we are so often forgotten or taken for granted, you have made sure that the media, the team owners, manufacturers and sponsors are made aware of the importance of high-quality p.r. and media relations.
“You are the example for that, and I have always respected your abilities. Through the years members of the media have on many occasions named you to me as the best p.r. person out there. So, congratulations also to you for initiating the Jim Chapman Award in memory of your friend and for everything you have done and continue to do.
“And thank you to all the AARWBA members for their hard work and support of the AARWBA awards programs.”
Warmest regards, Judy Stropus
[ more next Tuesday . . . ]
