The 2016 Theodore C. Hines Award for continuous dedication and exceptional service to the American Society for Indexing (ASI) is awarded to Ina Gravitz.
"The Hines Committee received nominations for three excellent candidates. We looked at the length of their membership and service and at their contributions at both the national and chapter levels. One candidate in particular stood out. We are pleased to announce that the recipient for 2016 is Ina Gravitz," Hines Committee chair Sandi Schroeder said.
Ina was a member of the board of directors for five years and served as president when the board decided to transfer to a new association management company. Ina spent significant time in making this transfer seamless, and she was vital to the success of the process. In the words of Gwen Henson, ASI’s executive director, "Few can understand how much work Ina did the year of her presidency, when ASI chose to work with a new management company. She shared ASI history, operations, and traditions. Together we mapped out a plan to steer ASI in a positive direction. ASI is stronger and better because of her guidance, and I am thrilled that the committee has chosen Ina this year as the recipient of the Hines Award. She is truly deserving of this recognition."
In her nomination letter, Kendra Millis also mentioned the work Ina did during the transition process, noting that “Through the entire process [Ina] had ASI’s best interests front and center in her mind, and provided strong and effective leadership to the board as we all worked to get ASI through a difficult time.”
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are very important to ASI, and Ina has served as SIG coordinator, working closely with the chapter liaison at the time, Terri Hudoba, who wrote, “I recall Ina’s careful attention to whatever the topic at hand” during board meetings.
When Ina lived in New York, she was involved with the New York chapter, where she served on the board of directors and as treasurer. When she moved to the Minneapolis area, she became just as involved with the Upper Midwest Chapter.
In addition she has contributed to Marketing Your Indexing Services, spoken at conferences, and chaired chapter and SIG committees, webinar committees, and the Wilson/EIS/EBSCO award committee, and still has found the time to mentor new members and to participate actively on indexing discussion lists. Several of the people who wrote in support of her nomination made note of her willingness to freely give her time and expertise to others. Margie Towery noted that Ina “provides a calm, professional voice [. . .] She is also generous in nudging newer indexers into service to ASI in whatever role they feel best suits them. Her own service thus provides a role model for other indexers.”
Her dedication to ASI and generosity make Ina an excellent choice for the 2016 Hines Award.
Sandi Schroeder, Chair
Janet Perlman
Carolyn Weaver
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