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Previous Jo Warner Award
Winners
Dr. Christensen, BA, MA, Ed D. I would like to nominate Dr. G. Jay Christensen for the Jo Warner Award. Dr. Christensen, BA, MA, Ed D., is a Full Professor of Management at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and a past national president of BFMA, ‘74 - ‘75. His bio appears on the website for past presidents of BFMA. Dr. Christensen was a major contributor to BFMA in its early years, serving on the National Organizing Committee (Education Chairman), filling several offices in the Los Angeles Chapter (including president), giving forms management seminars at regional and national meetings, and starting one of the first Forms Management Seminars in the country (15 weeks, 125 students and co-instructed with George Bubnash). He is a lifetime member of BFMA. Dr. Christensen has also been an International President of the International Word Processing Association, International Vice President of the Association for Information Systems Professionals, and Los Angeles Chapter President of the Administrative Management Society. Dr. Christensen taught a forms management seminar on the same program with Les Matthies (Systemation) at Dallas-Fort Worth and other venues and was a major luncheon speaker at the San Francisco National Conference for BFMA in '72. He also conducted research projects for BFMA in 1973 dealing with paper shortage and in 1975 dealing with what forms users think of forms vendor service. Dr. Christensen has taught various business subjects for many years. He began his teaching at the middle school/high school level teaching typing, shorthand, business law and business math for four years. He then moved on to the University level where he has taught for 41 years and is now a full professor. In University, his teaching career has been marked by innovation, striving to keep abreast of the enormous change that has dramatically altered business operations. His courses have included Analysis of Communications for Business, Administrative Office Management, and Office Systems Analysis. He was one of the few professors dealing with these subjects to include material on forms and process analysis. He also started one of the first (15-week) Word Processing Management seminars in the country. This course eventually evolved into a recognized catalog course for CSUN in Word Processing Management. In the last few years, Dr. Christensen has developed 51 websites on business writing Another of his websites, "E-mail Needs Attention: Importance of Knowing E-mail and E-mail Etiquette Creates Educated Businessperson," was recommended to its students by the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University of Singapore. Dr. Christensen has recognized the importance of multimedia in his classes and has created four videos on business report writing, resumes, and memos. These videos now appear as streaming videos with his website link on Resumes and Employment Communications. Dr. Christensen has also co-authored a business communication textbook, "On-the-Job Communications, the Professions, Government, and Industry", 2d ed., published by Simon and Schuster Custom Publishing. He now writes a monthly column for HireViews, official newsletter of Professional Resume Writing and Research Association (http://www.prwra.com/) called "From the Classroom," featuring articles on resumes, application letters, thank-you letters, and networking. Five columns have already appeared. Dr. Christensen has also been published by Management World, The Journal of Forms Management, The Records Management Quarterly, the Journal of Business Communication, The Office, and Format. For his significant contributions to the business education profession, and his contribution to the growth and development of the association and the education of its members, I recommend Dr. Jay Christensen for the Jo Warner Award. Author: Dr. Ben S. Graham, Jr., CFSP Source: May/June 2005 inFOCUS To Me, He Was Affectionately Known As 'Big Guy' The biggest thing Gary had was Heart. I met Gary over 10 years ago, but made the first inroads toward friendship at the Ontario Symposium. We had a unique relationship. But then, I think everyone had a unique relationship with Gary. Gary was always there, unassuming, but with a strong presence. In St. Louis, we roomed together for the first time at Symposium. Often, the lights would be turned off and the discussions about BFMA would last another couple of hours. He taught me more about the character and the strength of BFMA than anyone-with the possible exception of past president and educator, Norm Chilton. And that is esteemed company. Our conversations were mostly BFMA related. With regards to any questions I had about BFMA, Gary always shared his thoughts and I respected them greatly as he had been my mentor in recent years. However, as much as Gary loved BFMA, he loved his hockey, his Labatt's, and his Canada, too. "I'm Canadian," he'd always inform people. What an ambassador to the USA and other countries that participate in BFMA Symposiums! Gary's love for his wife and son was very obvious. His son's soccer team was so important to him that Gary even missed a Fall board meeting to take special training. Gary's history in BFMA is well documented, more than I could ever remember. Gary has held almost every office at the chapter and national level and nothing could have been more fitting for Gary than becoming Association President-and to take on that challenge when the economy was going through some rough times. Gary led us through those times. The prestige of BFMA is greater than ever and the quality continues to improve. And always, Gary made the work of volunteers appreciated and enjoyable. Gary taught me so many things that I lose track. Sometimes I am working on something and think, "Gee, Gary taught me that." Gary's strengths are in many ways, the strengths of BFMA: learning to be more professional, learning new skills, learning new knowledge, learning how to improve, learning to do things more effectively, and enjoying yourself along the way. When I heard the news about Gary's passing, it was hard to believe. I had just received an email from him a few hours before. I wondered to myself what Symposium would be like without Gary? What would Symposium be like if we never had Gary? I will miss his insight, his knowledge, and the humor. What an honor, just to call this person "friend". I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the Jo Warner Award than this great leader of ours. Author: Bill Hill, CFSP, CFC Source: May/June 2004 inFOCUS
During Simard’s 27 years as a member, he consistently demonstrated professional leadership through his willingness to accept and serve in elected and appointed positions, including association president. As helmsman of BFMA, Simard was instrumental in bringing a new level of professionalism to the forms industry. Under his leadership, the CFSP program became a reality; BFMA’s Education Program was broadened with additional Regional Seminars, a new Speaker’s Director, the addition of Regional Education Coordinators, and program exposure through the association web site. The BFMA Symposium held during his tenure was one of the most successful in association history. Under his leadership, the first cash reserve for the association was established, and the Education Foundation was approved as part of BFMA’s long-term plan to provide for continuing education. His leadership qualities were evident by the productivity of the board of directors during his term of office. Simard also actively participated in educating members of the industry and promoted BFMA’s objectives while working for various forms companies and running his own forms business. He has spoken on various forms-related topics at chapter meetings and regional seminars throughout the United States and at Symposium. Source: May/June 2002 inFOCUS
Bubnash is closest thing BFMA has to a founding father. He was the association’s first president in 1959 and served for many years as the forms manager at Lockheed in Burbank, CA. During the decade following World War II, government agencies and large businesses began to focus on the business forms which were proliferating at a rate much greater than inflation. Initially, most activities involved “controlling’ forms, but interest soon evolved into the integrate disciplines known today as forms management. In 1957, a group of six individuals, including Bubnash, began meeting in Los Angeles to exchang ideas and experiences. The rest is history. Bubnash worked directly with Jo Warner to found the national, and now international, organization of BFMA. For many years, he helped spearhead and teach the first formal Forms Management Seminar, which ran one night a week for 15 weeks. Over the course of five years, he graduated 125 students. Bubnash is currently retired and lives with his wife in Pennsylvania. Source: May/June 2002 inFOCUS
With more than 25 years in the forms industry, Killam is both a student and an educator with a passion for learning. As a student, he continues to challenge himself to understand the technologies and business requirements that drive the forms industry. As an educator, he brings the experience of his learning to BFMA. He has presented educational sessions for BFMA for more than 10 years, not only at Symposium, but at regional seminars and local chapter meetings as well. Killam has served on BFMA International’s Board of Directors as Director of Marketing and Director of Education. He was the guiding force behind the development of the BFMA Education Foundation, which he has chaired since its inception. And he was instrumental in the revitalization of his local chapter in Omaha. Killam also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Recycled Paper Coalition, and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of IBFI, the association of International Business Forms Industries. Source: May/June 2001 inFOCUS
Congratulations to Robert Barnett, BFMA’s Jo Warner Award Winner for 1997. He is the first BFMA member outside the U.S. to win the association’s most prestigious award. As managing director of Robert Barnett and Associates in Australia, Barnett specializes in forms and procedure studies, forms management, business communications, and electronic forms. With more than 30 years of experience, he is recognized internationally as a leader in the forms profession, having introduced forms management programs into diverse organizations like Westpac, Capita, and the Department of Defense. Barnett lectures regularly in Australia and overseas, and he is a frequent speaker at BFMA’s annual symposiums. In addition, he is the author of Managing Business Forms, The Form Designer’s Quick Reference Guide, The Language of Business Forms, Practical Playscript, and the upcoming Forms for People. Source: May/June 1998 News & Views
Jo Warner Winner Chose Forms Profession Growing up in southern California, Cher Paige knew she would someday design business forms. Well, not really. However, unlike many form systems professionals, Paige actively sought a career in the forms world. Paige, the 1997 winner of BFMA’s Jo Warner Award, first encountered the form systems profession in the 1970s, when she was working on procedures manuals at a bank. After collaborating with the bank’s forms department on some projects, she decided that forms would be the way for her to go. “I just thought that what they did was really cool,” Paige recalled during a telephone interview. By 1977, Paige had moved to Seattle, Washington, and begun work as a forms professional at the Washington Mutual Savings Bank. From that beginning, Paige went on to a diverse career. Recognized as a pioneering developer of software applications for forms professionals, she has twice been included in Marquis’ Who’s Who. She is a past president of BFMA and a member of the Form Systems Certification Board (FSCB). Her transition from forms designer to forms software developer was more serendipitous than her initial choice of forms as a career. Paige initially joined the team at Bloc Development after her mentor, forms professional Mike McCoy, turned down the job. The company needed held learning about the forms business, and McCoy recommended Paige. Bloc, of course, was the developer of the F3 Pro Designer, which is sometimes called the first professional-quality, forms composition system for the personal computer. When she arrived at Bloc, Paige had minimal PC skills. “I knew how to use Word-Perfect and Lotus 1-2-3 to a limited extent,” she recalled. “I learned about software development on the job for Bloc Development.” From that beginning, Paige has gone on to found or co-found two companies of her own. Currently, she is a principal and Director of Workflow Engineering at Workflow Solutions, Inc., a Seattle-based software application developer that specializes in expense management systems. Paige received the Jo Warner Award at the 1997 Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona. Presenting the award to Paige, former BFMA President Sue Hawkes noted that Paige has worked throughout her career to raise the profile and reputation of the form systems profession as a whole. “Cher is a recognized evangelist on behalf of form systems professionals,” Hawkes said. Paige has been a BFMA member since 1977. Besides serving as BFMA International President from 1987 through 1989, Paige has been Association Treasurer and Region I Vice President. She has held many chapter offices, including President, Program Chair, and Newsletter Editor. She has been a member of the FSCB, which oversees the Certified Form Systems Professional (CFSP) program, since its inception in 1995. As a software developer with a lengthy background in forms design and management, Paige is especially well positioned to comment upon the state of the industry today. Like many observers, Paige is concerned about the impact of technology on the forms profession. As it stands now, she sees a great deal of confusion among her colleagues about issues such a s forms automation and Internet networking. Her advice? Make sure to not let the pace of change stun you into inactivity. “Make a decision. Figure out what you want to do and do something,” she counsels. “At this point, you could spend years of your career in analysis trying to figure out what you’re going to do.” Source: September 1997 News & Views
As President Emeritus Sue Hawkes announced the Jo Warner recipient, Jacobs recognized himself almost immediately. “When she mentioned the author of the only college textbook on forms design—well, there is only one,” said Jacobs, who is a co-author of “Forms Design II: The Course for Paper and Electronic Forms.” The book, of course, is only one of Jacobs’ many noteworthy accomplishments in the forms world. Owner of Ameritype and Art Inc. since the early 1960s, he is a pioneering educator and author on forms design and management. He has taught forms seminars throughout the United States and at several Symposia. His second company, Words & Pictures, publishes books on forms and graphic design, including “Forms Design II.” Jacobs is a founding member of the Form Systems Certification Board and a former Region IV Vice President of BFMA. He is a former president of the Cleveland Chapter and editor of its newsletter. “I like the people in BFMA,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends.” Like many forms professionals, Jacobs entered the business by accident. After leaving the U.S. Army in the mid-1950s, he went to work at the National City Bank of Cleveland as a teller trainee. Within weeks, he was reassigned to the forms department, where he suddenly found himself in charge of 19,000 paper forms. “I’d never even seen a printing press in my life,” Jacobs recalled recently. After finding only one meaningful book on forms design and management, Jacobs began writing and publishing his own books about two years later. He founded Ameritype in 1962. In recent years, of course, Jacobs has found that the rise of desktop publishing has seriously encroached on his business. He has, however, tried to stay ahead of the game by incorporating computers into his own business and by offering specialized forms services that are not readily master by DTP novices. “For a small company, like myself, there’s always going to be some business,” he said. Jacobs founded Words and Pictures a few years ago, largely to distribute his own books. Source: May/June 1996 News & Views
During his long career as a process improvement expert, Dr. Graham has trained over 30,000 people at corporations throughout North America. He is best known for his popular seminars on process charting and work simplification. He is currently president of the Ben Graham Corporation, which is based in Tipp City, Ohio. Dr. Graham’s career dates back to the early 1950s, when he was an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Air Force. After leaving the Air Force, Dr. Graham studied Industrial Engineering under Dr. Ralph Barnes, the author of “Motion and Time Study.” His formal education includes two Bachelor’s degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA and PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles. His many professional accomplishments include the development of a number of analytical techniques for improving information processing, including the Graham Charting Technique, which is now available as a software program. In 1991, Dr. Graham was named a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Source: June 1995 News & Views
Mr. Brannon has been an energetic association activist since he joined in 1974, and has been involved in the industry both as an end-user and as a vendor. He has served as the association’s president as well as in more than a dozen other chapter- and association-level offices. While BFMA President, he personally visited 70% of the association’s North American chapters. He has been an instructor at the association’s annual International Symposium since 1986, and has presented seminars at various chapters since 1987. He has authored articles for half a dozen trade journals. In discussing his being honored with the Jo Warner Award, Carl said, “No matter how much I try to ‘give back’ to this association for all the benefits I’ve enjoyed over my twenty-five-year membership, BFMA continues to enhance those benefits. I can’t keep up. My debt just keeps growing. As only the fifth recipient of the Jo Warner Award in its ten-year history, I am honored and humbled. But that certainly won’t stop me from grinning ear-to-ear every time I think of it.” Source: May/June 1994 News & Views
Because Norm’s reputation precedes him, the presenter of the award, Past President Carl Brannon, reversed the order of the presentation, announcing who won and then reading his achievements—“Because in two sentences you would all know who I’m talking about anyway,” Carl said. Norm was presented the award at the Symposium Awards Banquet. When his name was announced, he jumped to his feet and ran up the presentation stage steps—and some people report he clicked his heels as he bounded up to the podium. No one can doubt Norm’s joy and gratitude for the honor bestowed on him in Atlanta. The achievements that would have given the winner away are as follows: He has been a member of BFMA since 1969, joining the first BFMA chapter (the Los Angeles chapter). He is responsible for the formation of the second BFMA chapter (the Seattle chapter) and served as Chapter #2’s first president. He was also involved in the formation of BFMA chapters in San Diego, Denver, Portland (Oregon), and Vancouver (British Columbia). Norm has also served BFMA in the posts of International President, Vice President, Secretary, Director-at-Large, and Regional Vice President. He now sits on the board as the Director of Marketing, and in the past has served as Director of Education. In 1976-77 Norm served as Chair of the Seattle Symposium, which was recognized as one of the most successful Association symposiums. In addition, Norm has been a BFMA speaker and has taught numerous BFMA seminars and classes. He is also an instructor of a current traveling seminar on forms design, and beginning this Fall, he will be instructing the latest BFMA seminars on electronic forms and managing forms programs. Norm has published articles in the Journal of Forms Management, Business Forms & Systems, and Forms and Systems Professional. “Receiving the Jo Warner was one of the most exciting moments of my life. When I received it I felt like I had just won an Oscar. It was unexpected.” Norm said, “It is an extraordinary reward for whatever contributions I have made to the profession and the Association—which has given me back far more.” Source: May 1990 News & Views
Jo Warner Award: BFMA’s Search for Excellence Turns Up a Winner Swanee is an unusual name for a woman, but then, M.L. Reinoldson, owner of that name, is an unusual woman. In recognition of her unusual qualities, BFMA honored Swanee in May of this year with the Jo Warner Award for excellence of work and valuable contributions to BFMA. As the conference coordinator, Swanee was closely associated with the BFMA 15th Anniversary Celebration at the 15th Annual International Conference in Anaheim, CA. However, the announcement at the conference that she was the first recipient of the award since its establishment was a “total shock,” Swanee says. “How they did that, I’ll never know!” The Jo Warner Award was created in 1981 by BFMA to honor outstanding achievement by its members. Named for one of the primer “movers” in the critical years of the organization’s formation, the award is reserved for those members who exhibit extraordinary qualities in leadership and skill in the forms field. But more than that, the award is meant to honor persons who have strived consistently to improve the forms profession and “have gone the extra mile, so to speak, above and beyond the call of duty,” explains Norm Chilton, BFMA International President. Chilton calls the award “BFMA’s Medal of Honor.” The standards demanded for winning the Jo Warner Award are well embodied in Swanee Reinoldson. Her warm personality and concern for the organization on every level—local, regional, national, and international—were evident as she discussed her thirteen-year history of involvement. Although laughter at times punctuated her remarkes, it is also apparent that she takes the forms profession seriously. Swanee’s participation in forms came about because she “hated them,” she says. Her complaints about the dozen of forms she had to complete in her job led her employer, Kaiser Steel Corp., of Oakland, CA, to challenge her to design a better system. “And so I did, and then the next thing I knew they had me doing them all the time!” she laughingly relates. Her original distaste for forms quickly changed to fascination. “Nobody in forms goes into it as a voluntary, knowing thing,” Swanee claimes. “They just sort of end up there. And then you train yourself. Suddenly, you’re into it, and it’s so darned interesting that you get hooked.” Being “hooked” for Swanee meant being instrumental in the formation of the Golden Gate chapter of BFMA in 1971. From that beginning, she went on to provide the chapter with the direction and leadership that earned her the unofficial title of “Mother of the Golden Gate Chapter.” She served as chairperson of the chapter membership committee from 1971 to 1982, as nominations committee chairperson in 1972, as chapter president form 1972 to 1974, and then (as past president) she was a director-at-large form 1974 to 1976. Local chapter work led her to involvement at a higher level. From 1974 to 1975 she served as National Vice-President and moved to Region I Vice-President in 1975-75 when the Business Forms Management Association formed its regional network. From 1979 to 1980, Swanee was international director-at-large, and in both 1979 and 1982, she also worked as nominations committee chairperson for the international organization. From 1980 to 1983, when Swanee was serving as international treasurer, she undertook the job of totally restructuring the financial and accounting system on the international level. Again, she typically went “the extra mile,” even taking the accounting books home to set up on her personal computer. Somehow along the way, Swanee found time to earn her accreditation as a Certified Forms Consultant. In April of 1981, she became CFC No. 351. She is leaving her mark in this area, too, having served on the CFC Accreditation Board for NBFA from 1982 to present. Strangely enough, Swanee’s work in the local chapter has come full circle lately. She is once again the membership committee chairperson for the Golden Gate Chapter, maintaining the membership rolls and actively seeking new members for the chapter. And Golden Gate Chapter has ignored her unstinting efforts. June 14, 1984, was the chapter’s “Swanee Reinoldson Night,” in honor of her work for the organization. Swanee was also presented the association’s Lifetime Member Award in 1983. She is presently coordinating the audio-visual classes and classroom facilities for the 1985 BFMA conference. Swanee’s willingness to become involved and “make a difference” is plainly revealed in her work history at Kaiser Steel Corp., too. She recently assumed the position of Network Operations Supervisor for the company’s home office in Oakland. When asked for a description of her job at Kaiser, Swanee quipped: “It’s a lot like herding five thousand newly-born chicks in an open field!” More seriously, she explained that she heads up the department which handles “all the voice and data line and compute problems across the country.” When there are hitches in voice network or data lines, Swanee’s department sees that they are either repaired through home office capacities, or sends out repairmen for on-location repairs to the computer equipment. This position is the latest step in a career with Kaiser that has spanned 28 years. Swanee began with the company (at the same location) as a secretary. “I was a secretary,” she says, “but one of those who takes over everything. They figured they had to do something to get me out of their hair before I organized them to death!” Once she had been given the job of working over the forms, a full-fledged forms department was not long in following. Swanee trained the head of that department and when it later opened up, she was asked by Kaiser to take over the position herself. She eventually left the forms department and moved on to other things, among them helping with a word processing center for the company, and organizing an in-house graphics division. Despite the fact that she no longer works directly with forms at Kaiser, Swanee says, “I won’t give up BMFA. It’s a supportive organization and there’s always something to learn. I’m always learning, whether I’m in forms or not. There are many more things that I get out of BFMA form the learning standpoint than just forms. Anyway, it’s fun to learn.” Swanee was typically modest when asked for some advice to others who would like to strive for the Jo Warner Award. “Gosh, I don’t know,” she mused. “I never, ever thought I would even be worthy of it. I just hoped I would be someday. When they [the Board] first put it in, I thought it was a really neat thing and that I would really like to do that someday—that it would be nice to even be considered someday. It never occurred to me they would choose me. I don’t think of myself as doing a lot things. I just sort of do what has to be done.” The ‘someday’ Swanee thought about has finally arrived. The fact that BFMA has never before presented the award is an extra honor for her, one that makes the award particularly special, she says. For those who have wondered, Swanee’s nickname has been around since her first job at age eighteen. “When I walked in, they said, ‘My God, we’ve got five Marges in that room already. Isn’t there anything we can call you?’ And the only thing I could think of was Swanee, from my last name Swanson. That was my maiden name.” And so, Marjorie Luella became “Swanee”—a name as unique as the mark she has left on BFMA. Author: Patricia Cramer Source: February/April 1985 Journal of Forms Management |
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