News from	Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30, 2802 Moore Hwy Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5051 mchason@abac.edu

For IMMEDIATE Release November 16, 2009

ABAC ALUMNI AWARDS NOMINATIONS DUE JANUARY 15

TIFTON--Nominations are now being accepted for the awards to be presented by the ABAC Alumni Association at the Celebrate ABAC alumni weekend on March 6, 2010 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Nominations are due by Jan. 15, 2010.

All awards are based on professional achievement, community service, and service to the college. Anyone who has attended ABAC for one full year and has 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of credit is eligible for nomination.

Nomination forms may be obtained by contacting the Office of College Advancement at (229) 391-4900 or by logging onto www.abac.edu/alumni and clicking on the “Alumni Awards ” link.  Completed nominations can be mailed to the ABAC Alumni Office, ABAC 13, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA 31793-2601, or returned as an e-mail attachment to kbarber@abac.edu no later than Jan. 15.

Nominations should provide specific details about the person being nominated. Nominations may be made by alumni, friends, family members, or ABAC faculty and staff.

For more information about the nomination process, contact ABAC Vice President for External Affairs and Advancement Keith Barber at (229) 391-4900, or e-mail him at kbarber@abac.edu. A brief description of each alumni award follows:

The Master Farmer Award recognizes individuals who earn at least two-thirds of their income from some area of farming.

The J. Lamar Branch Award for Outstanding Leadership in Agriculture recognizes individuals who are engaged in some area of agriculture other than farming, which includes, but is not limited to, research, extension, education, and sales.

The Outstanding Educator Award honors people who have dedicated their lives to

some area of education on any level. Recipients may be active or retired.

The Outstanding Health Care Professional Award is presented to individuals

in any area of health care, including physicians, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, dentists, and other health care professionals.

The Outstanding Business Leader Award recognizes people who have excelled in some area of business.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest honor presented by the Alumni Association, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to society, regardless of their professions.

The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award is presented to alumni 35 years of age and under who show potential for making exceptional contributions in their careers and communities.

The Helen Brown Sasser Award (formerly known as the Master Homemaker Award) recognizes individuals who are making significant contributions to promoting home and family, either personally or professionally. This award is not restricted to full-time homemakers or to those who majored in family and consumer sciences (home economics).

The Honorary Alumnus Award honors individuals who did not attend ABAC, but who have made profound contributions to the success of the college. Past recipients have included faculty and staff, donors who have made significant financial contributions, and government officials.

The ABAC Family Legacy Award honors a family that epitomizes the family spirit ABAC is famous for, had two or more generations (five or more family members) attend ABAC, and made contributions for the betterment of the college, Alumni Association, or ABAC Foundation.

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