Award Winners

Chapter Resources

Award Winners 2023

2023 National Awards (for efforts in 2022)

54 Founders Award

Considered the League's highest honor, this award is bestowed to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the conservation of America's natural resources.

Wes Sheets of the Lincoln Chapter (Nebraska)

Stanford Adams Memorial Award for League Leadership

This IWLA Executive Board’s award recognizes the national director or director-at-large for their continued commitment to the duties and responsibilities that come with their elected leadership position.

James D. Storer of the Ohio Division

Hall of Fame Award

Recognizes a member’s outstanding accomplishments in furthering the mission and goals of the League.

Robert Blosser of the Monongalia County Chapter (West Virginia)

Robert J. Pavlick, Sr. of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter (Maryland)

Jim Piateski of the Wildlife Achievement Chapter (Maryland)

Richard C. Staffon of the W. J. McCabe Chapter (Minnesota)

Ted Suss of the Minnesota Valley Chapter (Minnesota)

Conservation Awards

Recognizes member contributions to conservation in the name of the League.

David Besterman of the Porter County Chapter (Indiana)

Dan Dutton of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter (Maryland)

Kurt Feldmann of the Free State Chapter (Maryland)

Rod Frost of the Fremont Chapter (Nebraska)

Carrol Henderson of the Walter J. Breckenridge Chapter (Minnesota)

Phillip Mariscal of the Rockville Chapter (Maryland)

Luann Noll of the Chicago No. 1 Chapter (Illinois)

Bill and Margarete Schmoldt - Posthumous - of the Elgin Chapter (Illinois)

Joe Walther of the Rockville Chapter (Maryland)

John Wheeler of the Sioux Falls Chapter (South Dakota)

Tyler Winter of the Walter J. Breckenridge Chapter (Minnesota)

Save Our Streams Awards

Recognizes outstanding work in environmental education and citizen activism for clean water.

Grace Kann of the Linn County Chapter (Iowa)

Colleen Miltenberger of the Michigan City Chapter (Indiana)

Edgar "Butch" Morris of the Fredericksburg-Rappahannock Chapter (Virginia)

Thelma "Pete" Reed Award

Recognizes the member who has volunteered in many conservation projects, educational efforts, community service, or chapter leadership development, and is not serving as a national leader of the League but is considered an “up and coming” future League leader.

Joseph Barisonzi of the Minnesota Valley Chapter (Minnesota)

Outdoor America's Future Award

Recognizes the IWLA youth or student member who has volunteered in many conservation projects, educational efforts, community service, or chapter leadership development and is considered a young “up and coming” future League leader.

Camille Morton of the Minnesota Valley Chapter (Minnesota)

Shooting Sports Awards

Presented to individuals, groups, or organizations judged to have done outstanding work to promote shooting sports.

Harrisburg Tiger Trap Shooting Club (South Dakota)

Rockville Chapter IWLA Shooting Sports Program (Maryland)

Norb Ruhland of the McCook Lake Chapter (South Dakota)

Honor Roll Awards

Recognizes outstanding accomplishments in conservation, public education, and/or publicity in keeping with the League’s goals by an individual or organization.

Jim Louderman of Indiana

Steve Moyer of Trout Unlimited

Poolesville High School Global Ecology Program, Maryland

Chapter and Division Awards

Arthur R. Thompson Memorial Award

Recognizes the state division that has carried out the most outstanding conservation program.

Minnesota Division

James Lawton Childs Awards

Recognizes chapter accomplishments in conservation.

Under 500 members: Porter County Chapter (Indiana)
Over 500 members: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter (Maryland)

Robert C. O’Hair Award

Recognizes outstanding chapter youth programs.

Under 500 members: Minnesota Valley Chapter (Minnesota)
Over 500 members: Rockville Chapter (Maryland)

Best Chapter and Division Newsletter Awards

Based on appearance, originality, timeliness, and news coverage, including national and state news and community conservation.

Chapter under 500 members: Izaak Walton News and Views, Sioux Falls Chapter (South Dakota)
Chapter over 500 members: B-CC IWLA Monthly Newsletter, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter (Maryland)
Division: Maryland Waltonian, Maryland Division

Best Chapter and Division Website Award

Based on appearance, originality, and news coverage.

Sioux Falls Chapter (South Dakota)

John C. Gregory Award

For the division with the overall highest numerical increase in members.

Virginia Division, increase of 121 members

Membership Achievement Award

For the chapters with the greatest numerical increase and percentage increase in members.

Greatest percent increase: Chicago No. 1 Chapter (Illinois), increase of 80 percent
Greatest numerical increase: Lynchburg Chapter (Virginia), increase of 169 members

Membership Merit Awards

Recognize membership growth based on chapter size.

For the chapter with 50 and under members with both the greatest percent increase and net gain: Bon Homme County Chapter (South Dakota)

Also tied for the chapter with 50 and under members with the greatest percent increase: Cypress Chapter (Florida)

For the chapter with 51 to 250 members with the greatest percent increase: Chicago No. 1 Chapter (Illinois)

For the chapter with 51 to 250 members with the greatest net gain: Minnesota Valley Chapter (Minnesota)

For the chapter with 251 to 500 members with the greatest percent increase and net gain: Arlington-Fairfax Juniors Chapter (Virginia)

For the chapter with 501 and more members with both the greatest percent increase and net gain: Lynchburg Chapter (Virginia)

110-Percent Growth Awards

Further recognizes the chapters that grew by 10 percent or more in 2022.

California: Fullerton
Florida: Cypress
Georgia: Greater Atlanta
Idaho: Caldwell
Illinois: Chicago No. 1, Des Plaines and Havana
Indiana: Diana, Grant County and Miami
Iowa: Wapsi Valley
Minnesota: Cass County and Minnesota Valley
Nebraska: Columbus, Crete and Thayer County
Ohio: Buckeye State Youth, Cincinnati, Fremont, Headwaters, Lorain County - Ely, Seven Mile and Tallawanda
South Dakota: Beadle County, Bon Homme County, Rosebud, and Yankton Area
Virginia: Arlington-Fairfax Juniors, Lynchburg and Prince William
West Virginia: Monongalia County
Wisconsin: Manitowoc, Southern Brown County and Southwestern Wisconsin

Defenders Chapter Achievement Awards

This year, 44 League chapters were honored with a Defenders Chapter Achievement Award for their contributions to the League’s mission through their successful programs promoting membership, education, conservation, youth involvement, community outreach, and the principles of philanthropy.

Arlington-Fairfax (Virginia)
Austin (Minnesota)
Berkeley County (West Virginia)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase (Maryland)
Bill Cook (Wisconsin)
Brown County (Wisconsin)
Bush Lake (Minnesota)
Cass County (Minnesota)
Central New York (New York)
Des Moines (Iowa)
Dwight Lydell (Michigan)
Elgin (Illinois)
Frederick #1 (Maryland)
Fredericksburg-Rappahannock (Virginia)
Grand Island* (Nebraska)
Hamilton (Ohio)
Kampeska (South Dakota)
Lincoln (Nebraska)
Linn County (Iowa)
Lois Green-Sligo (Maryland)
Loudoun County (Virginia)
McCook Lake* (South Dakota)

Mid-Shore (Maryland)
Minnesota Valley (Minnesota)
Mountaineer (West Virginia)
New London (Minnesota)
New Ulm #79 (Minnesota)
Owatonna (Minnesota)
Prairie Woods (Minnesota)
Rochester (Minnesota)
Rockville (Maryland)
Sioux Falls (South Dakota)
Sportsman's (Maryland)
Sunshine* (South Dakota)
Tiffin-Seneca County (Ohio)
W.J. McCabe (Minnesota)
Walter J. Breckenridge (Minnesota)
Warren County (Iowa)
Warren County* (Virginia)
Wayne County (Ohio)
Wes Libby - Northern Lakes (Minnesota)
Wildlife Achievement* (Maryland)
Will Dilg (Minnesota)
York #67 (Pennsylvania)

* 20^th consecutive year!

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Izaak Walton League of America