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SHARE Awards

The John R. Ehrman Award for Sustained Excellence in Technical Education

This award was established to recognize an outstanding body of contribution to SHARE’s technical program. It honors those who have provided the content of SHARE’s technical program, by delivering high quality presentations, contributing to strategic white papers and ongoing task forces, championing technical activities, and sharing technical expertise at a high level. There are two aspects of the award that must be satisfied: the demonstration of exceptional technical competence and knowledge, and the effective sharing of that competence and knowledge with fellow SHARE participants over time. Please submit your nominations by utilizing the link below.

Any participant is eligible for consideration, we recommend at least 5-10 years experience of SHARE contributions. Recipients need not be ribbon-wearers but must be long-term contributors to SHARE's technical program. Current and past volunteers, and IBM employees are eligible for the award.

Past Recipients

Steven Nathan, 2025

Jim Elliott, 2024

Mario Bezzi, 2024

Frank Kyne, 2024

Riaz Ahmad, 2023

Harv Emery, 2022

Glenn Anderson, 2019

Melinda Varian, 2019

Robert Rannie, 2018

Cheryl Watson, 2018

Click Here to Submit a Nomination for the John R. Ehrman Award

Laetitia Harrer Snow Memorial Award for Humanitarian Service to SHARE

To honor individuals who have shown a long-term dedication to SHARE, with contributions to SHARE's culture, people, and environment, and as a memorial to Tish Snow, who was, herself, an example of this type of individual.

Nominees must have five years or more of volunteer service to SHARE, but should not have been a member of SHARE Senior Management in the five years immediately preceding their nomination. During those five years, however, their service to SHARE will have continued, in the form of active mentoring volunteer support, informal committee or Board involvement, and will have demonstrated that their commitment to SHARE's people extended beyond their commitment to complete their formal volunteer duties.

Past Recipients

Robert Rosen, 2014

Ron Thielen, 2008

Robert Rannie, 2004

Anne Caluori, 2003

Chuck Forney, 1994

Bettye Odneal, 1993

John Hogan, 1993

Click Here to Submit a Nomination for the Laetitia Harrer Snow Memorial Award for Humanitarian Service to SHARE

SHARE President's Award

To honor the individual effort of a SHARE contributor who has, in the opinion of SHARE's President and CEO, performed outstanding service for SHARE during the preceding year.

Past Recipients

Becky Parchman, 2025

David Astemborski, 2025

Dusty Rivers, 2023

Dan Ruehl, 2023

James Vincent, 2022

Brian Peterson, 2018

Rosalind Radcliffe, 2018

Martha McConaghy, 2016

Donna Hudi, 2016

Karla Houser, 2015

Cheryl Watson, 2013

Ray Sun, 2013

Martin Zimelis, 2013

Ray Sun, 2012

Anne Caluori, 2012

Gary Ward, 2008

Anne Caluori, 2005

Steve Ryder, 2004

Christina McGill, 2003

David Vardi, 2001

Art Louise, 2001

Bob Archambeault, 1999

Lionel Dyck, 1999

Carl Youngren, 1998

Bob Shannon, 1998

Jonathan Burnett, 1996

Mike Halbert, 1995

Karla Houser, 1995

Lillian Cooper, 1995

Pam Henderson, 1994

Jerry Wetherington, 1994

Aron Eisenpress, 1994

Rich Olcott, 1993

John Bevis, 1993

John McCann, 1992

Ron Thielen, 1992

Jerry Feinman, 1991

Tony Leonardo, 1990

Mary Schafman, 1990

Ed Hart, 1990

Harvey Kramer, 1989

Anne-Marie Marcoux, 1989

Dana Godfrey, 1989

Bob Benson, 1989

Jim Boyce, 1988

Hank Hamilton, 1988

Joan Winters, 1988

Bob Pugsley, 1988

Melinda Varian, 1987

Andy Olivenbaum, 1987

Virginia Hetrick, 1987

Aron Eisenpress, 1987

Steve Vnuk, 1986

Bill Mosteller, 1986

Chris Thomas, 1985

Charles Daney, 1985

Sal Asad, 1985

Sandi Piazza, 1984

Sandra Hassenplug, 1984

Click Here to Submit a Nomination for the SHARE President's Award

SHARE Distinguished Service Award

To recognize outstanding service and support from someone in a provider role (as opposed to volunteer role) who has worked for and with SHARE management over a period of years, generally given upon their departure and/or retirement.

Nominees are any (generally senior) individual who has made an outstanding contribution to SHARE over a period of years of service in a provider role (as opposed to volunteer), in the opinion of the nominators and the judging committee.

Past Recipients

Lionel Dyck, 2025

Cheryl Watson, 2024

Henry Givray, 2015

John Ehrman, 2012

David Thewlis, 2003

Bruno Farre, 2000

Buffy Schechter, 1999

Pete Simon, 1999

Robert Rannie, 1996

Sheila Hoffmeyer, 1996

Don Boos, 1993

Louise Ristau, 1990

Arnie Cashingino, 1990

Bob Yelavich, 1989

Pete Pakeltis, 1989

Deborah Curcio, 1989

Chuck Forney, 1988

Melinda Hickman, 1988

Elliott Nohr, 1985

Click Here to Submit a Nomination for the SHARE Distinguished Service Award

SHARE Distinguished Speaker Award

To recognize an outstanding speaker who demonstrates exceptional skill in delivering presentations with great content to the SHARE community. The speaker regularly presents at in-person events, often more than one session per event. Additionally, the speaker receives high evaluation marks by our attendees and is commonly awarded a Best Session when eligible.

Awardees are removed from the pool of eligible speakers for future Best Session Awards.

Past Recipients

Rick Barlow, 2023

Scott Chapman, 2023

Edward Jaffe, 2023

Edward Addison, 2020

Bill Bitner, 2020

Peter Enrico, 2020

Ezriel Gross, 2020

Gus Kassimis, 2020

Mark Wilson, 2020

Marna Walle, 2008

David Barnes, 2007

Randall Munson, 2007

John Ehrman, 2006

Jonathan Harter, 2006

Best of the Best Session Winners

At each SHARE event, from the hundreds of sessions presented, SHARE recognizes the Best of the Best from within the User and Vendor session categories. Those winners are selected based on session evaluations completed by event attendees and recognized at the subsequent event.

The Best of the Best Session Winners are awarded a Best of the Best digital badge that allows them to showcase their accomplishment across their professional networks. Look for these badges in the SHARE community.

Congratulations to these SHARE Cleveland Best of the Best Session Winners for their presentations at SHARE Washington, D.C.:

User Session: Navy Federal Credit Union’s Adoption of Ansible With CICS!

Speaker: William Prendergast, Stewart Francis

Vendor Session: How Busy Is That Mainframe, Really?

Speakers: Scott Chapman

Past Recipients

SHARE Orlando Best of the Best Session Winners for their presentations at SHARE New Orleans:

User Session: "ISPF Hidden Treasures" Liam Doherty
Vendor Session: "From Baffled to Amazed – My z/OSMF Journey" Jerry Spencer

View additional Best of the Best Session Winner information from past SHARE events.

SHARE Best Session Winners - SHARE Kansas City 2025

New and Innovative Technologies

AI-Powered Mainframe Modernization: Real or Hype?

Speaker: Misty Decker

Core Platforms

Performance Analysis of CPU Problems in z/OS

Speakers: Scott Chapman

Service Delivery

Mainframe Blackbox Network Pentesting: From Zero Access to Complete Compromise

Speaker: Michelle Eggers, David Bryan

Professional Skills

Embracing Challenge: The Key to Unstoppable Workforce Resilience

Speakers: David McKenna, Hunter Johnson, Angelica Giraldo, Jennifer Scott, David Bond

Application Development

CICS Technical Introduction for Non-CICS People

Speaker: Ezriel Gross

Strategic Partner

Broadcom: Stilettos in Tech: Women's Voices, Women's Challenges

Speakers: Rachita Issar, Angelica Giraldo, Jennifer Scott

IBM: Rexx Language Coding Techniques

Speakers: Tracy Dean

Past Recipients

SHARE Orlando 2024

At each SHARE event, from the hundreds of sessions presented, SHARE recognizes up to 2 User and 1 Vendor session per Focus Area and 1 winner from each strategic partner. Those winners are selected based on session evaluations completed by event attendees and recognized at the subsequent event.

The Best Session winners are awarded a Best Session digital badge that allows them to showcase their accomplishment across their professional networks. Look for these badges in the SHARE community.

SHARE Orlando Best Session Award winners were recognized for their presentations from the SHARE New Orleans conference.

User Sessions:

DevOps: Adopting the Culture
Lisa Fellows

Overcoming Mainframe CI/CD Challenges: The Evolution of CI/CD at Westfield Insurance
Keith Thomas Haynes

Experiences with GDPS, Hyperswap, PPRC, xDR, and GM with z/VM and Linux on IBM zSystems
Marcy Cortes

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself: Are You Prepared for a Cyber Attack?
Tom Conley

Vendor Sessions:

AppDev Modernization: Where Do I Start?
Vaughn Marshall; Sheree Britt

Zowe Day Part 1: Zowe Hot Topics: Installation & Administration
Sean Grady; Jan Prihoda; Joseph Winchester

Training, Engaging, and Retaining Your Organization's Modern Mainframe Workforce!
Darren Surch

Strategic Partner Sessions:

Mainframe Roles and Beyond: A Mainframe Open Education Working Session
William Cash

The Magic of PSWs and Registers
John Shebey; Laura Sperling