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2011 ABTA
Teacher of the Year - Finalists
Finalists:
Dick Early, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
David Glandorf, Houston, Texas
Linda King, Hollister, California
Gerry Lachance, Blue Mountain, Ontario
Jill McCormick, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Lyde McReynolds, Carmel, California
Mary Jane Orock, Fort Worth, Texas
Kathie Walsh, Hilton Head, South Carolina
The ABTA/ Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award will be awarded for the second time this year, at the ABTA conference in Toronto. Master Point Press of Toronto provides the award to recognize a bridge teacher who has inspired his or her students, day in and day out, promoting the game of bridge and providing learning in a friendly environment.
Nominations for the 2011 award were held from November 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. Over that time, twenty-two bridge teachers from across the USA and Canada were nominated. From these twenty-two, eight were selected as finalists. This selection process was not an easy job are there were many highly qualified nominees, all supported by enthusiastic students. Members of the selection committee carefully considered each of the eight finalists under four categories: teaching excellence, innovation, service to bridge and service to the community. The winner will receive a cash award and commemorative plaque at the Toronto conference. He or she will be highlighted in the next Quarterly and on the ABTA/Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award Facebook page.
The number of nominees this year was down from last year’s total of sixty-five, even though the award was promoted in the same way through articles in the Bridge Bulletin and the ABTA Quarterly and on Facebook. Teachers who were nominated last year were contacted and invited to have their 2010 nomination reinstated. Few opted for this. But the quality and sincerity of those who were nominated was very high.
Special thanks are expressed to Master Point Press for providing the award and to the members of the selection committee who spent many hours determining the winner. Members of the committee were Joyce Penn, Barbara Seagram, Brenda Simpson, Marti Ronemus and Linda Lee, Vice President of Master Point Press (non-voting).
Respectfully submitted,
Marilyn Kalbfleisch, Chair
ABTA/Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award Selection Committee |
