There’s Always a First Time!
That time-worn cliché is actually quite true. Not only does it sum up the sentiment I heard from some of the winners in our Legends, Leaders, and Luminaries Awards who jumped into the lighting industry with both feet and never looked back, but it also brings up a novel occurrence with the awards themselves.
For the first time since we launched our leadership awards, we have a tie for the title of Legend in the Sales Representative category. Unlike some other competitions, where the winner is determined by the amount of votes received, we’ve always maintained that it’s the content of the nomination that counts. In all honesty, I did not know a few of the winners until the nominations came in (no favoritism here!). However, from the amount of detail and the genuine passion and respect conveyed in their nominations, I feel like I know those individuals now.
For every well-known person we might see around various markets and trade shows, there are others who work incredibly hard and just haven’t had the same visibility. I want to thank the many people who took the time to write in those detailed nominations about a rep, retailer, or manufacturer they admire. The volume of nominations is a good reminder that our industry is filled with thousands of talented individuals of all ages who are certainly worth of recognition.
There aren’t enough pages in the publishing world to devote to the wonderful people who make a difference in our industry, but each year as we call for nominations, I hope you will all keep on sending in those suggestions and introducing us to some of the unsung heroes in our industry as well as those who are well-known for having blazed a trail for their peers.
Until then, I hope you enjoy learning about each of this year’s award winners as much as we have.
