Below, see the schedule of the 2012 Special Award recipient feature stories which will be written by CoSIDA members throughout the spring. The full slate of 2012 Special Awards was announced March 2. All awards will be presented during the 2012 CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis (June 23-26).
• Individual feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards
• CoSIDA St. Louis Convention awards presentation schedule
Clarion University's Rich Herman named 2012 Kenworthy Award recipient for community/civic involvement
by Bob McComas, Slippery Rock University Sports Information Director
We did it again. We as an organization stopped Rich Herman, Division II’s version of the Energizer bunny, dead in his tracks and caused him to become speechless and more than a little emotional.
It happened a year ago when he was informed of his impending induction into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and receipt of the Warren Berg Award given to an outstanding College Division SID.
And it happened again this spring, when the longtime (32 years) Clarion University SID learned CoSIDA’s Special Awards Committee had selected him as the 2012 recipient of the Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award.
The award is presented annually to a CoSIDA member for civic involvement and accomplishments outside of the sports information office and named in honor of a true gentleman who served many years as SID at Gettysburg College.
Having his name added to the impressive list of Kenworthy Award recipients was reason enough to be overwhelmed, Rich said when he learned of the newest honor to be bestowed upon him. The award is named for Bob Kenworthy, former Gettysburg College SID and CoSIDA Hall of Famer. [See list of previous Kenworthy Award recipients.]
To receive the award named in honor of a CoSIDA Hall of Famer and man for whom Rich, like many of us in our profession, has the utmost respect as a mentor and role model …
“That really means a lot,” Herman said. “I don’t know what else to say except, I am truly honored to receive this award.
Knowing him as we do, we’re sure Rich will have a lot more to say when he receives his award June 24 as part of the annual CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis, Mo.
Herman’s actions over the years have spoken louder than even his booming voice can, if that’s possible.
He served on the Clarion (Pa.) Borough’s Civil Service Commission from 1996-2001 and was elected to two four-year terms on the borough council (2001-2009). He also served as the borough’s Chair of Public Safety and on the borough’s recreation committee.
Never one to avoid the opportunity to speak and express his convictions, Herman gave official testimony to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Committee on Government and on statewide cable TV from the steps of Capitol in Harrisburg in reference to non-taxable properties.
In his role as Clarion’s chief athletics communications spokesman, Herman has won 19 CoSIDA citations for award-winning publications and has coordination the promotion of 87 Golden Eagles football All-America student-athletes.
Prior to his 2011 honors as a CoSIDA Hall of Fame inductee and Berg Award winner, Herman received the 1999 NCAA Division I "SID Of The Year" award from the National Wrestling Media Association.
Herman served a two-term term (2009-11) as president of D2SIDA after being the organization’s first vice president from 2006-09 and was vice president of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference SID organization from 1988-92. He served as the conference’s football SID from 1985-93.
Currently a vice chairman of CoSIDA’s Publications Contest Committee (1990-2011), “Herm” was a charter member of the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame, served on the board from 1989-2011 and was its chair from 1994-97 and again from 2003-11.
As a student-athlete, Herman was a four-year letterman as a catcher on the Point Park College baseball team that won three District 18 titles and placed fourth at the 1974 NAIA College Baseball World Series. A Dean's List student, he graduated in 1976 with a B.A. Degree in journalism & communications.
Herman got his start in the SID profession in 1980 as a graduate assistant at Edinboro University under CoSIDA Hall of Famer Paul Newman. One year later, he was hired as Clarion’s SID.
In addition to serving as SID, Herman was Clarion's head baseball coach for 11 years (1989-99) and assistant coach from 1980-87. He served on the NCAA Division II East Region Baseball Committee from 1993-95.
Rich and wife Paula reside in Clarion, Pa.
Individual recipient feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards
General 2012 Special Awards release
March
Mon., 5: Kim Wenger (Centennial Conference): Rising Star Award (College Division) – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Wed, 7: Malcolm Moran: Jake Wade Award: by Joe Hornstein, CoSIDA 2nd Vice President
Fri., 9: Maurice Williams (Hampton University): Rising Star Award (University Division) – by Ed Hill, Jr. (Howard University)
Mon. 12: Bernie Cafarelli (Notre Dame): 25-Year Award - by Debbie White (Old Dominion)
Wed. 14: Peter Schlehr (Towson University): Lifetime Achievement Award – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Fri. 16: Debbie Copp (University of Oklahoma): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Mon. 19: Chuck Sadowski (University of Bridgeport): 25-Year Award - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Wed. 21: Bob Condron (USOC): Lifetime Achievement Award and Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award - by Mike Mahon, former Drake & South Dakota SID
Fri. 23: Jack Neumann (University of Calgary): Warren Berg Award - by Paul Carson, former University of Toronto SID
Mon. 26: John Lewandowki (Michigan State): 25-Year Award - by Jamie Weir-Baldwin (Michigan State)
Wed. 28: Kennan Timm (Wisconsin-Oshkosh): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Tim Peterman (UW-Eau Claire)
April
Mon., 2: Tom Di Camillo (Pac West Conference, Central Arizona College): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Dan Drutz (Saint Peter's College)
Wed., 4: Dave Wohlhueter (CoSIDA treasurer, Cornell-retired): Lester Jordan Award - by Dan O'Connell (Towson University)
Fri., 6: B.L. Efring (Southern Maine): 25-Year Award - by Sheila Stevenson (Rowan University)
Mon., 9: Lawrence Fan (San Jose State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame and Arch Ward Award - by Jack Neumann (University of Calgary)
Wed., 11: Sue Edson (Syracuse): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Larry Dougherty (Temple University)
Fri., 13: Mark Bankert (Malone University): 25-Year Award - by Mike Leggert (Malone University)
Mon., 16: Rich Herman (Clarion): Bob Kenworthy Award
Fri., 20: Shirley Jones Hill (Southern Mississippi): 25-Year Award
Mon., 23: Shelly Poe (Ohio State): Trailblazer Award
Tue., 24: Joe Dier (Mississippi State): 25-Year Award
Wed., 25: Michael MacEachern (Young Harris College): 25-Year Award
Fri. 27: Roy Pickerill (Kentucky Wesleyan): 25-Year Award
Mon., 30: Bob Noss (Wright State): 25-Year Award
May
Wed., 2: Wallace Dooley (formerly of Tennessee State): Lifetime Achievement Award
Fri., 4: Jeff Nelson (Penn State): Bill Esposito Award
Mon., 7: Bill Turnage (Florida Southern): Lifetime Achievement Award
Wed., 9: Herb Vincent (LSU): 25-Year Award
Fri., 11: Mike Mahon (formerly of Drake & South Dakota): Lifetime Achievement Award
Mon., 14: Bill Wagner (DePauw): 25-Year Award
Wed., 16: Fred Huff (formerly of Southern Illinois-Carbondale): CoSIDA Hall of Fame [Veteran Award Committee recipient]
Fri., 18: Phil Haddy (University of Iowa): Lifetime Achievement Award
Mon., 21: Dave Geringer (University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth): 25-Year Award
Wed., 23: Charles "Chuck" Prophet (deceased; formerly of Mississippi Valley State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame
Fri., 25: Robert Wilson (Florida State): 25-Year Award
Awards to be presented during CoSIDA St. Louis Convention, St. Louis, Missouri Sunday, June 24: Kickoff Luncheon
Awards presented: 25-Year Awards; Trailblazer, Kenworthy Community Service, Rising Star (University and College Divisions), Keith Jackson honors
Monday, June 25: (two award presentations)
CoSIDA Hall of Fame luncheon
Awards presented: Esposito, Lifetime Achievement, CoSIDA Hall of Fame awards
Capital One Special Awards Gala (dinner/ceremony)
Awards presented: Arch Ward, Warren Berg, Jake Wade, Lester Jordan, Enberg awards; Capital One Academic All-America® Hall of Fame induction