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To ensure USFN’s annual awards program continues to reflect the strength and diversity of our membership, we’re making a few important updates to how and when awards are presented. Currently, most awards are distributed during the Member Retreat, which now occurs every other year. While this has served us well in the past, concentrating the awards in a single program limits visibility, reduces opportunities for broader participation, and often results in an extended program.
To better align with our overall member engagement strategy, we’re shifting toward a model that distributes awards across multiple USFN events throughout the year. This change will allow for more timely and meaningful recognition, delivered in settings that reach wider audiences, including members, associate members, and clients. Take a look at what’s changing and what to expect moving forward below.
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The majority of USFN's individual member awards
will now be announced each year at USFNdustry Forum, including:
- Associate Member of the Year
- Committee Chair of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
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Attorney & Non-Attorney
- “The Eddie” Member of the Year
- New member awards
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Select individual awards
will continue to be presented during USFN's Member Retreat. In years when the Member Retreat is not held but award recipients are selected, these
honors will be awarded at a member meeting or or other special event. The following awards fall into this category:
- Founders Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Outgoing President's Award
- Industry Innovator Award
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Beginning in 2026, Award of Excellence
recipients will be recognized annually at the USFN Executive Servicer Summit each fall. To support this transition, no new
recipients will be named in 2025.
Moving forward, the Award of Excellence application will cover a firm’s contributions and achievements from July 1 to June 30 each year, with the next class of honorees announced at ESS in 2026.
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These updates are designed to create more meaningful recognition opportunities, strengthen engagement across the association, and better reflect the contributions of our members throughout the year. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to celebrating your achievements in new and impactful ways. If you have any questions about the revised awards structure, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the USFN team by emailing
membership@usfn.org
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