Ruth McKinney Chosen as NTA Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
September 23, 2009
Contact: September 23, 2009
Madeline Vied For Immediate Release
madeline.vied@ntastaff.com
859.226.4275
800.682.8886
Ruth McKinney Chosen as NTA Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The National Tour Association Board of Directors has chosen Ruth McKinney as this year’s Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement award winner. Established in 2003, the award honors an individual who has had an active dedication to the mission of NTA and the best interest of its members while making professional and personal contributions over a span of at least 20 years.
McKinney, formerly of Good Will Tours, had served on the NTA Board for three years and remained actively involved with NTA through volunteer committee service over the years. McKinney also served as president of the National Tour Foundation (now Tourism Cares) and was often found working the silent auction at NTA conventions and mentoring scholarship students. She was elected to the NTF (Tourism Cares) Hall of Fame in 1999 and became an honorary NTA member with her retirement.
"Ruth McKinney had more energy than anyone I’d ever seen at Convention, and we could not have accomplished the Foundation fund raising that we did without her," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP. "I have fond memories of Ruth spending countless hours mentoring tourism students – they were at the heart of her passion for NTA and its Foundation. Ruth exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism."
Nominations for the award come from members and those who nominated McKinney said that she was a lady of "high integrity" and was "instrumental in making the NTF (Tourism Cares) a viable part" of NTA. One nomination said that "no one worked harder as a volunteer than McKinney." She is seen as a woman who "embodies the qualities which have made NTA what it is today." At Convention, she was known as the woman with an icebreaker badge stating, "Don’t worry, I can’t remember your name either," while hugging and shaking hands with everyone who went through registration.
The award will be presented to McKinney, Sunday, Nov. 15, at the NTA Business Luncheon during NTA Convention ‘09 in Reno, Nevada.
McKinney currently resides in Chanute, Kan. and can still be found volunteering as a member of the local hospital board. She has four children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
The National Tour Association is the preferred association in the tourism industry for packaged travel professionals. NTA strives to provide value for its members by advancing the packaged travel industry through its advocacy efforts and progressive leadership. Connecting its members through business development, government relations, professional development and research, NTA has remained committed to serving its members with integrity and quality service since its founding in 1951. Today, the NTA membership represents 48 countries, and includes tour and travel packagers of all types. To learn more about the most important destination for packaged travel professionals, please visit http://www.NTAonline.com/.
– 30 –