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Optica Treasurer's Award

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Optica Treasurer's Award

Presented to a staff member who makes significant contributions to organizational excellence, promotes and enacts innovative solutions, or exemplifies inspirational leadership.

View Past Winners.

Submit a nomination.

Deadlines


Nominations: 10 October

References: 10 October
Nominator Requirements

The nominator must be a current Optica member or staff member. Executive Staff may not submit nominations.
Nominee Requirements

1. A nominee must have two or more years of employment with the society to be nominated. Full and part-time staff are eligible.

2. This award is presented to an individual, joint nominations are not permitted.

3. An individual may not receive more than one society award in a year, nor may an individual receive more than one award for the same body of work.

4. Awards are not presented posthumously, except in the case that the recipient's death occurs after the Selection Committee decision has been made.

Important Note:  The nominee does not participate in the process. To maintain confidentiality, the necessary facts should be obtained from the nominee only if the complete and correct background information is not available elsewhere. Self-nomination is not permitted. We serve a diverse and inclusive community worldwide. Nominees that reflect and support this diversity across all areas including gender, race, educational/institutional background and geography are especially encouraged.
Nomination Categories

Candidates may be nominated in one of three categories, which best define their most significant contribution. The award Selection Committee will review the nomination with an emphasis on the selected category.

  1. Excellence - Recognizes an individual who continually seeks excellence in practice. They often "take it to the next level."
    • Displays initiative and excellence by increasing organizational efficiency, significantly improving systems, technical procedures or administrative practices.
    • Develops and uses novel approaches to work practices, adding a creative edge that otherwise was absent.
    • Provides a creative contribution to building a brand or identity for their team, department and the society.
    • Demonstrates through the execution of their job the brand values of the society.
       
  2. Innovation - Recognizes an individual who demonstrates or accomplishes innovation in the workplace.
    • Develops an effective solution to a difficult existing problem or improves overall effectiveness through a new method or approach.
    • Develops and implements an innovative plan for the good of the society.
    • Generates novel and valuable ideas and uses these ideas to develop new or improved processes, methods, systems, programs or services for their team/division.
       
  3. Inspirational Leadership - Recognizes an individual who inspires others to strive for perfection. They influence without authority, often putting others’ interests ahead of their own. "A champion of the staff."
    • Fosters an atmosphere of collaboration and creativity, which contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of productivity.
    • Shows true leadership qualities in managing their staff/service/system effectively.
    • Leads transformational change for the benefit of peers.
    • Inspires and motivates others to take advantage of opportunities to enhance their own lives whether professionally or personally.
Nomination Requirements

All nomination materials are submitted online through BEAM. Any documents must be uploaded as PDF files. The following is needed for a nomination:

  1. Nominee’s name, affiliation and primary email address.*
     
  2. A concise (~30 word) citation that highlights the nominee’s contributions.*
     
  3. An original, one (1) to two (2) page narrative/support statement describing the nominee's dedication, efficiency and/or innovation and leadership, with an emphasis on contributions that align with the selected nomination category.
     
  4.  Nomination category.
     
  5. Two (2) to three (3) references*. At least one (1) reference must be from staff. Executive Staff may not serve as references. Important – while staff will send reminders to references, it is the nominator's responsibility to ensure that all required references have been submitted by the deadline.

* This information is all entered directly into BEAM.

If you have any difficulty using BEAM, please contact us at awards@optica.org.
Nomination Do's and Don'ts

Don’t:

  1. Include the nominee in the submission process!
     
  2. Forget to check for spelling errors, typos and grammatical errors.
     
  3. Assume that the reviewer knows your candidate well.
     
  4. Use generalizations.
     
  5. Just say your nominee is outstanding – prove it!
Do:
  1. Communicate with your references! Confirm that they are willing to be a reference and will be enthusiastic about your nominee before you add them to the system.
     

  2. Make the narrative clear and easy to read. Consider using bullet points and section headers.

  3. Give specific examples that explain the impact of the nominee’s work.

  4. Proofread your material for typos and mistakes.

  5. Include qualitative and quantitative facts, statistics, metrics, etc.

  6. Avoid providing an extended resume, job description or list of appointments/posts.
Selection Process

The Selection Committee reviews and discusses all eligible nominees. After careful consideration, they make a recommendation that is approved by the Awards Council and Board of Directors.

Please note that a minimum of four eligible nominations are required before the Selection Committee may select a recipient. If the minimum is not met, all nominations will be held for consideration the following year.

All nominations are automatically considered for up to three review cycles. After consideration by three Selection Committees, the nomination is retired but may be renominated.
Using BEAM

1. Log in to BEAM, our Awards and Honors system, with your Optica credentials.

2. Be sure you are on the "Nominators" tab.

3. Click the "Submit a New Nomination" button and select the appropriate award/medal from the drop-down menu.

4. Enter the name and email address of the nominee. 

5. Input the required supporting information and references. Note - references will automatically receive an email with a link to the reference form as soon as you select them as a reference, even if you have not completed/submitted the nomination.

6. Review and submit the nomination prior to the deadline.

7. After submitting the nomination you will receive a confirmation email.

 

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