Special Awards

The Alma Goldstein Award

The Alma Goldstein AwardAlma Goldstein was known throughout the camera club circuit not only locally in CACCA, Chicago Nature and Riverwoods Nature, but nationwide through the Photographic Society of America. She was particularly known for her knowledge of nature, her detailed research in the nature programs that she orchestrated which occasionally included her photography but generally served to showcase the fine photography of her husband, Ben. Thus Alma was known not as the competitive photographer so often found in camera clubs but as one who enjoyed nature, and willingly shared her knowledge with others, traveling far and wide to do so.

Riverwoods Nature Photographic Society will present a trophy in Alma’s name to an outstanding member of the Society. The award will be presented annually unless the award committee feels that there is not a deserving candidate that year. The awardee need not participate in competitions. He or she will be honored for something special he/she has done within the club and or in the greater photographic community. This honor may be awarded to a photographer who has shown remarkable improvement, to someone who is sharing of his or her knowledge and skills, or to an unsung hero who has served the club for many years, etc. 

The committee that selects the awardee will consist of 3 members of the Society. Members of the Society may submit written letters of nomination to the committee suggesting who should get the award. Such letters will be kept on file and reviewed annually by the selections committee. The committee may choose a member to be so honored even if he/she has not been nominated by the membership at large.

The first selection committee will consist of Rich Fisher, Pat Wadecki, and Ben Goldstein,. These 3 seed members will be replaced one per year in the order as listed by each subsequent year’s awardee. If any of these cannot serve, the Board will select a replacement. A member may not receive the award more than once in a period of 5 years and if honored additional times, it shall be for contributions he/she has made since last being honored.

The committee’s selection shall be kept secret until the year-end awards presentation.

Past recipients:

2007 Bob Brusenbach

2008 Mary Root

2009 Sheri Sparks

2010 Marty Winn

2011 Gene Burda

2012 Mel Ellingsen

2013 Rich Fisher

2014 Jim Sayre

2015 Jim and Diane Bodkin

2016 Kelly Happ

2017 Frank Witt

2018 Jamie Godshalk

2019 Matt Sparapani and Alison Newberry

2021 Lee Marin

2022 Karen Frischman

2023 Matt Plofsky

2024 Karolyn Berkiel