Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award
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The American Advertising Federation board of directors established the Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award in 1997 to recognize and honor employees of AAF member clubs, federations, districts and national AAF.
The award is named in honor of the late Betty Riehl, who served on the staff of the American Advertising Federation for over two decades, prior to her retirement in 1995.
Betty Riehl served as executive assistant to the president and staff liaison to the AAF board of directors and board committees. She was respected and revered throughout the membership for her dedication to her job, her organizational skills, and her grace, good humor and caring nature in addressing and responding to member needs throughout her AAF career.
Download the 2013 Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award Call for Nominations form.
2012 Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award Recipients:
Pearl Ford-Fyffe & Sara McCatherine
Pearl Ford-Fyffe
When Pearl Ford-Fyffe signed on as Executive Director of the Tucson Advertising Federation, now knownas AAF Tucson, in 2001, the club’s ship was springing multiple leaks. With her incredible talent andknowledge of association management, Ford-Fyffe immediately began working with the club’s leadershipto mend the holes in the club’s organization and set it on a course toward credibility and success.Over the years, AAF Tucson has benefited from the wide array of Ford-Fyffe’s skills—including her tireless
attention to detail, knowledge of process, ongoing commitment and an uncanny ability to recitebylaws, policies and minutes of previous meetings.
Today, Ford-Fyffe manages all of the club’s communications, including administering their website. She overseesthe financial and budgeting needs of the club; twists the occasional arm to cajole membership renewals,and keeps a watchful eye over the successful Ad 2 division of AAF Tucson. In many ways, Ford-Fyffe isthe heart of AAF–Tucson, beating solidly and regularly—continually providing what the club needs to surviveand thrive. As a result of her hard work—in conjunction with the club’s volunteer leaders (many of whom sherecruited and trained)—AAF Tucson is a regular winner in AAF club achievement competitions.Ford-Fyffe exhibits the same commitment to her work at the district and national levels of the AAF. Overthe years, she has chaired numerous district committees and overseen a like amount of district-wideevents, in addition to leading countless workshops and roundtable discussions. Since 2003, she hasbeen an influential member of the National ADDY Committee.
More than a list of committees and accomplishments, it is Ford-Fyffe’s openness with her peers, her utterenthusiasm for any challenge, and her generosity in sharing her time and talents that continues to define heras an important cog in AAF’s overall success and continued growth at the club, district and national levels.
Sara McCatherine
For the last 19 years, Sara McCatherine has dedicated her professional life to the advertising industry in
Dayton, Ohio. Through her significant contributions to the AAF on the local, district and national level, her
considerable energy and gifts have benefited the industry far beyond any single market.
McCatherine’s AAF involvement began in 1990, when she was working for a group of radio stations in
Toledo, Ohio. After a job change led her to Dayton in 1993, she switched her membership from the Toledo
club to the Dayton Advertising Club, now known as AAF Dayton. Just as her professional career led her to
jobs in the media and ad agencies, her “volunteer career” led her to positions on and chairing every major
committee in the club. She became an officer in 1997. From 1999 through 2001, McCatherine served an
unprecedented three-year term as club president, one of the most dynamic in Dayton and AAF history.
When she finally ended her term as club president, McCatherine took her talents the next step up the
AAF leadership ladder and was elected governor of AAF’s District 5. During her term as governor, the
district had tremendous success with both the NSAC Competition and ADDY Awards.
Given her devotion to both her professional and volunteer careers, it was not surprising that the two
would one day merge as AAF Dayton hired McCatherine as executive director in 2002. In fact, McCatherine’s
phenomenal success as a volunteer leader is a significant part of the reason why the club was in
a strong enough position to hire her as a full-time executive director. As both a club volunteer and professional,
McCatherine has helped the club win much recognition for its work on behalf of the advertising
community in Dayton, throughout Ohio, and nationwide.
For award criteria, click here.
For more information, contact Joanne Schecter, EVP, AAF Club Services at (800) 999-2231 or jschecter@aaf.org.