Lawrence J. Hill, right, was honored with the 2005 Joel E. Rubin Founder's Award as part of the Keynote Session which kicked off the 2005 Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Toronto in March. The award was presented by Bruce Brockman, left.

Photo/Richard Finkelstein

by Bruce Brockman
USITT's Immediate Past President

Remarks by Bruce Brockman, USITT's Immediate Past President, in introducing the recipient of the Joel E. Rubin Founder's Award during the Keynote at the 2005 Annual Conference & Stage Expo. The award is kept secret until immediately before it is presented.

Each year we identify a member or members of USITT who have made outstanding continuing contributions to the institute and the membership. This year's recipient certainly qualifies on all counts. His affiliation with USITT goes back to 1968, and while there may be a bit of snow on the roof, there is still a significant fire in his belly!

As a member of this organization he has served on a number of leadership roles including:

• twice a member of the board of directors of USITT;
• a Fellow of the Institute;
• the chair of programming for one of our national conferences;
• a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Boundary section of USITT;
• five years as the chair of the finance committee of USITT.

Following a distinguished career as a theatre educator, designer, historian, and department head, Dr. Lawrence J. Hill took on the task of treasurer of USITT, a job he has now done for approximately four years, giving generously of his time at a point in life where retirement activities would seem far more interesting than the finances of USITT.

Dr. Hill has lead us through some amazing transformations of our financial procedures and processes. He has re-articulated the way we account for our funds, optimized the use of our investments, and lead us into an era of fundraising that will serve our membership for a very long time to come.

His careful and expert handling of the financial resources of USITT have earned him the title of USITT's Alan Greenspan, and while we all run the risk of having him say something like "declining equity escalating index hedgefund," it gives me great pleasure to present this years Joel E. Rubin Founder's Award to Dr. Lawrence J. Hill.

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