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Industry Awards:
Introducing the
2026 PLMA Emeritus Award

Audience member speaking to load flexibility professionals during a PLMA conference

PLMA’s new Emeritus Award has been developed to honor long-term contributors to PLMA who have made a meaningful impact on the organization over a period of seven years or more. It intends support these individuals in their continued engagement with PLMA by enabling them to pursue a PLMA-related project or initiative of their choice for the 12 months following their retirement.

Nominees for this first Emeritus Award should be PLMA member practitioners who are retired, or who are planning to retire by December 31, 2026, from a full-time role within a current or past PLMA member organization. In addition, nominees must be committed to remaining actively involved in continuing to support PLMA’s mission. This support should take the form of an existing or new PLMA-related project, initiative, or interest, for a minimum of the next 12 months.

Nominations will be evaluated on merit by the PLMA Awards
Co-Chairs who will recommend a deserving recipient to the PLMA Board of Directors.

PLMA’s Board of Directors has determined that one Emeritus Award may be presented annually during the PLMA Spring Conference. 

PLMA’s Board of Directors will have final approval of recommended award recipients.

2026 PLMA Emeritus Award

Emeritus Award Recognition

Recipients of a PLMA Emeritus Award receive the following:

  • A lifetime PLMA membership.
  • Two complimentary event passes to be used within a 24-month period from the time of the award presentation. Passes can be for PLMA Spring or Fall Conferences, or for PLMA Symposia.
  • A lifetime seat on the PLMA Leadership Council.
  • Recognition on PLMA’s website, on both the Awards page and also on the Leadership page.

  1. Nominee must be retired, or planning to retire by December 31, 2026, from a current or past PLMA member organization.
  2. Nominee should have a track record of significant and sustained PLMA contributions and meaningful service that extend over a seven-year (or greater) period of time. This could include serving in senior leadership roles such as board member, officer, taskforce leader, group co-chair, instructor, or staff member. It could also include presenting at a number of PLMA events as a subject matter expert.
  3. Nominee should have a specific PLMA project or initiative he/she wishes to work on, or continue to work on, in the 12 months following the 2026 Spring Conference. An option exists to extend this initiative into a second year pending Board approval. An aspirational project should be scoped such that the nominee can self-manage it with other volunteers, without
    the need for substantial staff time and support.
  4. Nominee should provide a brief description of their 12-month PLMA initiative, including a timeline and milestones to completion.
  5. Applicants for an Emeritus Award should be self-nominating, given the need to include a PLMA project as part of the nomination. However, PLMA recommends all member practitioners encourage deserving leaders to consider applying.

The following are key dates in the Emeritus Awards process. Please note the deadline for nominations is February 2, 2026:

Nomination Period

January 14 to February 2, 2026

Deadline for Nominations

11:59pm ET, February 2, 2026

Award Winner Notified

March 27, 2026

Award Presentation

May 12, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN

Emeritus (minimal) Project Period

May 12, 2026 to May 11, 2027

PLMA’s Board of Directors and the Awards Group reserve the right to:

  • Limit annual Emeritus Awardees to one per year;
  • Decline to select or approve an Emeritus Award recipient in any given year;
  • Extend an Emeritus Awardee’s project into a second year, at its discretion;
  • Make modifications to the Emeritus Award program in future years.