Awards Recognize
Service, Achievements
George E. Brummell was the National Director of the BVA Field Service Program for 10 years and is a confidant, counselor, mentor, and friend to others even in the face of great adversity in his own life. In recognition of his service, George received the 2005 Major General Melvin J. Maas Award.
Born and raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, George enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962 and was sent to South Vietnam. Rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant, George was blinded and paralyzed in one arm by a landmine explosion. He was medically discharged in 1966.
George has allowed neither his blindness nor any other obstacle to interfere with his travel dreams, adventuresome spirit, and desire to keep his body in top physical condition. Shortly after recovering from his injuries, George completed the comprehensive rehabilitation program at Hines and returned two additional times. He is also a graduate of Akron University, where he completed a B.A. in social work.
George’s list of professional accomplishments, many with BVA, is long and detailed. A major claim to fame, however, is his 1999 tandem bicycle ride of 1,200 miles from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with the World Team Sports’ Vietnam Challenge. He and his wife, Mary, currently reside in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group.
The winner of the 2005 Irving Diener Award was Gene R. Lowery of the Washington Regional Group. Gene was born in Muncie, Indiana, and began his military service in the U.S. Air Force in 1946, where he served in airborne radio operations, aircraft maintenance management control/operations, and communication maintenance management. His 22 years of active duty ended with a medical retirement due to loss of sight in his right eye and other infirmities.
Gene’s list of professional accomplishments, community service, and contributions to blinded veterans are nearly endless. Following his military retirement, Gene was employed as an industrial engineer for five years, after which he returned to school to earn B.A. degrees in both Managerial Accounting and Public Administration.
Although loss of sight in his “good” eye forced him to withdraw from a masters degree program, he regained enough sight to prepare tax returns and teach tax accounting at the local community college. He has also initiated a volunteer income tax assistance program for low income and senior citizens, chaired a supervisory/audit committee of a multi-million dollar credit union, and coordinated Lions/Kiwanis programs for recycling reading glasses.
Gene has a unique ability to reach out to people in need and ease their burdens, making him a most effective leader in the Washington Regional Group.
David T. May was this year’s recipient of the David Schnair Award for his energy, creativity, intellect, empathy, sensitivity, and warmth. Dave has used these attributes to improve the quality of life for countless blinded and disabled veterans. In appreciation for the help he received from VA, Dave turned to volunteerism in a variety of capacities as a way of “giving back to other blinded veterans” the help he received and needed in coping with his own blindness.
Dave is a former director of BVA’s District 2 (1997-2000). He has logged more than 7,300 volunteer hours, during which he has engaged in fund raising, media campaigns to locate veterans and educate them about sight loss, volunteer program development, speeches to school groups, and recreational programs for veterans. Dave has served on his county’s Veterans Service Commission, on the VISN 10 Blind Rehabilitation Work Group, and on the Cleveland Visual Impairment Services Team.
 Debra Tazewell accepts BVA's Certificate of Appreciation from President Appleby at Father Carroll Luncheon. |
Other award winners are:
2005 Gold Gavel Award
Florida Regional Group
(largest numerical increase—178)
2005 Silver Gavel Award
North Carolina Regional Group
(largest percentage member increase—8 percent)
2005 Certificates of Appreciation
Debra Tazewell
VIST Coordinator
Central Alabama Veterans Service Network
Tuskegee, Alabama
David M. Clarke
VIST Coordinator
Southern Arizona Health Care System
Tucson, Arizona
Special Plaque Presentations
Representative Michael Bilirakis
National President Neil Appleby |
