The Ralph J. Shoemaker Award, June 9, 2003

A Salute to Michael Jesse
By Linda Henderson

I was chair of the nominating committee that asked Michael to become chair-elect. It was the consensus of the committee that he had been staying too anonymously in the background and needed to be pressed into the service of the News Division. I am very glad that we made that decision.

Michael has been a true leader in his own quietly unassuming way. He has weighed in authoritatively on the big issues discussed on NewsLib and guided the division's path through the thicket of SLA rules and reorganizations with a steady hand. With a knowing smile and a mid-western "wellll.." he seems to get at the heart of a matter

He presented us with a very successful program last year in LA, which included our first webcasted session. I do think that he was a little TOO pleased when what went around came around and I followed Mike as chair-elect. I have leaned on his wisdom more that I can say in the months since. Anytime I needed a reality check, he was willing to listen to my over-caffienated ranting and bring me back to the right answers.

Those of you who don’t know Mike well may not have experienced his wickedly dry sense of humor - though it appears regularly on NewsLib. I prayed that his wife shared that sense of humor when last year she called the suite at 7 a.m. and I answered the phone. Seems there was only one phone line into all the rooms in the suite. We worked it out and I assume they are still happily married…

Now all Mike has left to do for us is to plan a fun night in Nashville and continue to guide the professional (and not so professional) discussions on the list. I look forward to continuing to serve with him on the board and asking for his insight into some tricky issue confronting the division.

It's a pure pleasure to present the Ralph J. Shoemaker award to our out-going chair, Michael Jesse.