JOHNSTOWN, Pa., August 2008 – Veteran outdoor journalist Betty Lou Fegely of Walnutport, Pa., received the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) Emerald Cornerstone Award for extraordinary volunteer service. In addition, the prestigious award was renamed the Betty Lou Fegely Emerald Cornerstone Award.
Fegely was honored during an emotional presentation by POMA Chairman Judd Cooney during POMA’s Third Annual Business Conference in 2008. Fegely is a founding board member of POMA and served as the organization’s first chairman and president.
“Without Betty Lou Fegely, POMA would not exist,” Cooney said with tears in his eyes. He added that the board of directors voted unanimously to change the name of the award to the Betty Lou Fegely Emerald Cornerstone Award.
“This is a tremendous honor,” Fegely said. “However, building this organization took the work of many and our industry should be proud and thankful for the thousands of hours of volunteer work that brought POMA into being and has ensured her strength. Today, the outdoor industry has a professional organization focused wholly on the traditional outdoor sports, the journalists who tell the story and the Corporate Partners who keep the industry going.”
The Betty Lou Fegely Emerald Cornerstone Award is not presented on a regular basis. It’s presented only to members who harbor a passion and dedication to the organization that result in selfless service to POMA that is truly extraordinary.
Media Contact: Laurie Lee Dovey, 814-539-6030, lldovey@professionaloutdoormedia.org