SAE International understands the importance of recognizing our most engaged volunteers for their dedication to the success of our organization. Their time, knowledge, and passion for the betterment of the mobility community allows SAE to develop world-class content, publish leading technical standards in both the Aero and Ground Vehicle communities, inspire the minds of future engineers, and serve the needs of students and members worldwide.
SAE has established an annual event dedicated to recognizing their top volunteers for their contributions to the organization. As part of this invitation-only event, SAE hosts an Awards dinner, where the Contributor of the Year, SAE's highest honor bestowed on a volunteer, is presented to one of the attendees (see more information below on the Contributor of the Year Award).
To be invited to the celebration, SAE Staff nominates individuals based on their volunteer and engagement contributions across the entire organization. Staff is looking for individuals who provided valuable insight and played a key role in advancing the mobility industry through involvement in SAE activities. For example, he/she might have provided an exceptional level of support and/or leadership over an extended period or served as a judge at a Collegiate Design Series event.
Those interested in being considered as part of a future year’s Top Contributor Class should contact your staff representative and express interest. Your staff representative can guide you on ways to become more engaged with the organization based on your current level of involvement.
SAE’s Contributor of the Year is our highest honor bestowed on a volunteer for their contributions to SAE. From the nominations, a Top Contributor Class is identified and invited to attend the yearly Celebration trip. The Volunteer of the Year is chosen from the Top Contributor Class and announced at the annual Awards dinner.
Myra Blanco
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Director of Advancement, Partnerships & Outreach
Myra is the ultimate advocate and ally to develop opportunities for women in STEM and diversity, equity, and inclusion. These topics were in the spotlight during 2020 and she found multiple opportunities to advance these critical initiatives, creatively integrating them through SAE engagement, VTTI and her work with Daimler. Myra's support of SAE Awards helps to generate awareness while her leadership by example in submitting nominations for colleagues and peers not only recognized them, but aids in encouraging others to nominate.
Myra's enthusiasm and passion for DEI is contagious, shining through her volunteer contributions and leadership. Her many contributions have enabled SAE to deliver on the mission of advancing mobility knowledge and solutions. Myra is a connector and an outstanding role model for life-long learning, work-life integration, and resilience to inspire and enable future growth across generations.
| Richard Fox, Aircraft Environment Solutions Inc. | Matthew Meyer, General Motors | Mike O’Neil, Essex Parts Services, Inc. |
| John Steiner, Mecanica Scientific Services Corp. | Mark Pope, DG Technologies | Steve Sayovitz, Energy Harbor |
| Christian Yaeger, Leap Racing | Seong Rhee, SKR Consulting LLC | Myra Blanco, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute |
| Dave Andrea, Plante Moran | Barbara Wendling, Quantitative Scientific Solutions | Gregory Saunders, Retired from Department of Defense |
| Rhonda Brender, Nexteer Automotive | Steve Woodard, Retired | Kevin Walsh, The Boeing Company |
| Allison Collins, Ford Motor Company | Mark Zachos, DG Technologies |
Ritesh Ghimire, U. S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), |
| Roy W. Goudy, Nissan Technical Center North America |
Chad Zagorski, General Motors |
Robert Ireland, Airlines for America |
| Fred J. Kelley II, Prysmian Group | Mark Boeckmann, Polaris Inc. |
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| Roy Link, Link Engineering Co | Tim Fornes, Parker-Lord |
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Amalia Batori |
Derek Logan |
Kelly Schmitz |
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Anne O'Neil |
Don Robins |
Mark Herman |
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Brandon Hance |
George Nicols |
Maura Chmielowiec |
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Carla Bailo |
Glenn Cashion |
Dr. Richard Greaves FREng. FSAE FInstP |
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Craig Barnes |
James Shaw |
Scott Sluder |
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Danny Bocci |
Jason Rounds |
Steve Rohde |
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Dave Andrea |
Jennifer Bastiaan |
Sue Bai |
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David Downey |
Jennifer Morrison |
Ward Atkinson |
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Dean Case |
Justin McNew |
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