The CGIA Career Excellence Award 

Regardless of what you aspire to do in life, how old or young you are, or how far along you are in your career, it always helps to have a role model. Role models can provide inspiration for dealing with life's challenges. What exactly is a role model and how do you recognize one when you see him or her? Well, first let's assume you have a general sense of what your goals are. Maybe you want to be the best sales person in your company. Or maybe you want to be a really effective boss, or a great team player, or achieve perfect balance between work and family life. A role model is a person who has achieved your goal in his or her own life, a person after whom you can model yourself. CGIA is looking for a role model, and we need your help.

The CGIA Board believes it is important to recognize role models within our industry. The Board has decided to seek out and recognize annually a CGIA member who is a role model for our members. For that purpose, we have created the CGIA Career Excellence Award.

Characteristics of Career Excellence
The CGIA Career Excellence Award will be presented annually to the CGIA member who best represents the fulfillment of the ideals embodied in the CGIA mission. CGIA's mission is to advance the level of knowledge, ethics and professionalism in the employee benefits industry. We believe there are certain qualities that demonstrate the fulfillment of these ideals. They include the following:

• Personal and professional integrity
• High ethical standards
• Contributions to the employee benefits industry
• Community involvement
• Balance between career, family, and health
• A positive image of the industry for those outside the industry
• A role model for others within the industry
• Proactive in seeking positive change in the industry
• Contact with a large circle of colleagues and acquaintances

Past Career Excellence Award Winners:

• 1997 - Mike Ferm
• 1998 - Peggy Sandbak
• 1999 - Jack Ehnes
• 2000 - Liz Leif
• 2004 - Randy Savona
• 2005 - John Chenier
• 2006 - Barbara Brett
• 2007 - Marty Hurd
• 2008 - John Kurath
  

The 2009 Career Excellence Award was presented to Dave Uppinghouse. Dave has more than 40 years in the Employee Benefits industry, with the majority of that time in the Broker and Consulting area.  As part of the Executive Team at Van Gilder, he is responsible for guiding all the client services for Health & Welfare benefit plans as well as Retirement Plans/ 401(k) programs.  A member of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, and a Fellow of the International Society, he serves on several Boards including the American Diabetes Association and the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.  Very often he serves as back-up consultant to Account Executives for Van Gilder clients.  He is active in the community and is a speaker on the subject of Healthcare Reform.

Congratulations to Dave for this well deserved honor!