Recipients of USBC National Recognition Awards selected
January 29, 2015
ARLINGTON, Texas – Sue Pinski of Perrysburg, Ohio, Dick Atkinson of Harker Heights, Texas, and Joe Spain Jr. of Roswell, Georgia, have been named the recipients of the 2015 United States Bowling Congress National Recognition Awards.
Pinski has been named USBC Proprietor of the Year, Atkinson was selected for the USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award and Spain will receive the USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service.
The award winners will be recognized for their outstanding service and support of the sport during the 2015 USBC Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, in April. The winners were determined by the USBC Board of Directors based on submitted nominations.
Pinski is the owner/general manager of Interstate Lanes in Rossford, Ohio, and has been involved in bowling for most of her life.
Interstate Lanes has served as host to local and state tournaments, including the Ohio State USBC Championship team event, and the team event and Queens for the Ohio USBC WBA. The center actively promotes programs to draw in new bowlers and provides incentives to retain current members.
Pinski was one of the first proprietors in Ohio to implement the “After School Bus and Bowl” program and is active in the high school bowling program in Ohio.
She has served as president of the Greater Toledo Bowling Council, was selected as the 2012 Ohio Proprietor of the Year by the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio and is an Ohio Bowling Hall of Fame member.
Atkinson created the Texas High School Bowling Club in 2001 and continues to run the program, whichhas grown to nearly 200 schools. He also worked to have the Killeen-Fort Hood school district add In-School Bowling to its physical education curriculum.
He served in the U.S. Army before taking ownership of Hallmark Lanes in Killeen-Fort Hood. He has hosted the Killeen Open since 1998, making the PBA Southwest Region event one of the longest-running and most successful events in the region.
Atkinson served on the local association board for 21 years, spearheading the USBC merger for the Killeen-Fort Hood associations in 2005, has served as a director of the Texas State USBC and filled many roles with the Texas Bowling Centers Association. He is a life and hall of fame member of the Killeen-Fort Hood USBC.
Spain Jr. has been the association manager for Greater Atlanta USBC for the last decade after serving as secretary/executive director for Greater Atlanta BA from 1994 until the local organizations merged. He also is association manager of the Georgia State BA and executive vice president of the Southeastern Bowling Association.
He promotes and has served as the tournament director for local and state tournaments for more than 12 years and encourages support and participation in Bowlers To Veterans Link (BVL) and Bowl for the Cure events. His leadership has made Georgia a top BVL contributor.
A partner in a certified public accounting firm, Spain has served on the USBC Audit Committee and was the Georgia State USBC Youth Association Audit Chair. He is a member of the Greater Georgia USBC, Georgia State and Georgia State Youth Halls of Fame.
The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award annually recognizes a bowling center proprietor for outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs. The USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award, named in honor of the seventh president of the Women’s International Bowling Congress, recognizes organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to bowling by being motivators, visionaries, leaders and/or innovators. The USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, named in honor of the fifth president of the WIBC, annually recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to the local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of adult programs.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about the National Recognition Awards including a look at past recipients.
Pinski has been named USBC Proprietor of the Year, Atkinson was selected for the USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award and Spain will receive the USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service.
The award winners will be recognized for their outstanding service and support of the sport during the 2015 USBC Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, in April. The winners were determined by the USBC Board of Directors based on submitted nominations.
Pinski is the owner/general manager of Interstate Lanes in Rossford, Ohio, and has been involved in bowling for most of her life.
Interstate Lanes has served as host to local and state tournaments, including the Ohio State USBC Championship team event, and the team event and Queens for the Ohio USBC WBA. The center actively promotes programs to draw in new bowlers and provides incentives to retain current members.
Pinski was one of the first proprietors in Ohio to implement the “After School Bus and Bowl” program and is active in the high school bowling program in Ohio.
She has served as president of the Greater Toledo Bowling Council, was selected as the 2012 Ohio Proprietor of the Year by the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio and is an Ohio Bowling Hall of Fame member.
Atkinson created the Texas High School Bowling Club in 2001 and continues to run the program, whichhas grown to nearly 200 schools. He also worked to have the Killeen-Fort Hood school district add In-School Bowling to its physical education curriculum.
He served in the U.S. Army before taking ownership of Hallmark Lanes in Killeen-Fort Hood. He has hosted the Killeen Open since 1998, making the PBA Southwest Region event one of the longest-running and most successful events in the region.
Atkinson served on the local association board for 21 years, spearheading the USBC merger for the Killeen-Fort Hood associations in 2005, has served as a director of the Texas State USBC and filled many roles with the Texas Bowling Centers Association. He is a life and hall of fame member of the Killeen-Fort Hood USBC.
Spain Jr. has been the association manager for Greater Atlanta USBC for the last decade after serving as secretary/executive director for Greater Atlanta BA from 1994 until the local organizations merged. He also is association manager of the Georgia State BA and executive vice president of the Southeastern Bowling Association.
He promotes and has served as the tournament director for local and state tournaments for more than 12 years and encourages support and participation in Bowlers To Veterans Link (BVL) and Bowl for the Cure events. His leadership has made Georgia a top BVL contributor.
A partner in a certified public accounting firm, Spain has served on the USBC Audit Committee and was the Georgia State USBC Youth Association Audit Chair. He is a member of the Greater Georgia USBC, Georgia State and Georgia State Youth Halls of Fame.
The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award annually recognizes a bowling center proprietor for outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs. The USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award, named in honor of the seventh president of the Women’s International Bowling Congress, recognizes organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to bowling by being motivators, visionaries, leaders and/or innovators. The USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, named in honor of the fifth president of the WIBC, annually recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to the local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of adult programs.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about the National Recognition Awards including a look at past recipients.