Awards
Award winners are selected by the Issue Management Council’s board of directors.
The W. Howard Chase Award
The W. Howard Chase Award was created by the Issue Management Council to recognize organizational excellence in issue management. Presented for the first time in 1988, the award represents the highest distinction in the field. It is named after Howard Chase, who coined the term “issue management” in 1976 and founded the field’s early disciplines.
Recipients of the Chase Award demonstrate a commitment to a systems resolution of an issue that directly relates to the organization’s performance. Senior management support and involvement in the process is evident and cross-functional participation occurs at many levels throughout the organization. Additionally, the resolution of the issue has a social responsibility component, with benefits accruing to the winning organization, its stakeholder groups and society at large.
Award winners are selected by the Issue Management Council’s board of directors. The deadline for submissions is two months prior to the Annual Forum. For more information, contact the Issue Management Council, 207 Loudoun Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia 20175, U.S.A.

Organizational Award
The Chase Award winners are honored at the Issue Management Council Annual Forum.
Nominate an organization for the Chase Award here:
Previous winners of the Chase Award include:
General Mills (2019) – Pivoting from Carbon Neutral to Climate Positive: Regenerative Agriculture
Mars, Incorporated (2016) – Added Sugar Policy
DuPont (2013) – Food Security – Welcome to the Global Collaboratory
Colorado Springs Utilities (2008) – Construction of a Hydroelectric Facility
Swiss Re (2006) – Swiss Re’s Group Issue Management (GIM)
Washington Mutual (2005) – Financial Services for Those Who Serve
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (2002) – The Open Door Initiative
DaimlerChrysler Corporation (2001) – “Fit for a Kid” Initiative on Child Passenger Safety
McDonald’s Corporation (2001) – McDonald’s Animal Welfare Program (MAWP)
British Columbia Medical Association (2000) – Combining Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking and Issues Management Principles to Deal with the Crisis in British Columbia Health Care
Shell International Limited (1999) – Corporate Social Responsibilities: Living up to values
The Prudential Insurance Company of America (1997) – Declining Community Involvement in the US
Weyerhaeuser Company (1996) – Northern Spotted Owl
Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (1995) – Building Cross-Cultural Bridges for Community Solaridity
Baxter International, Inc. (1994) – Packaging Reduction
Equifax Inc. (1993) – Privacy
NYNEX Corporation (1992) – Customer Privacy
Northern States Power Company (1991) – Acid Rain and Environmental Protection
Society for Human Resource Management (1990) – Implementing Issue Management to Achieve Association Goals
Pacific Bell Telephone Company (1989) – Building a Public-Interest Vision
Dow Chemical Company (1988) – Product Stewardship
Individual Awards
In 1993, the Issue Management Council added an awards category to recognize individual contributions to the evolution of issue management. Individual Chase Award winners are honored at the Issue Management Council Annual Forum.
Nominate an organization for the Chase Award here:
Winners of individual awards include:
David Laufer, Laufer Public Affairs Strategies (2018)
Robert L. Heath, University of Houston (2007)
Tony Jaques, Dow Chemical Australia (2004)
Janet César de Pozarnik, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (1997)
William C. Ashley, president, Ashley & Associates (1996)
Kerry D. Tucker, president, Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc. (1995)
Philip Cochran, director, Center for the Study of Business & Public Issues, Pennsylvania State University (1994)
Raymond P. Ewing, senior consultant, issues management (1994)
John F. Mahon, DBA, professor of management, Boston University (1993)
Bruce Smart, Public Policy Committee of the Board, Chevron (1993)
W. Howard Chase, president, Howard Chase Enterprises (1993)
The following individuals have received leadership awards for extraordinary service to the Issue Management Council:
James Lamble, Bechtel (2018)
Nancy Pattarini, The Paige Group (2016)
Michael Dolan, UK Mobile Operators Association (2010)
Amy Dirks Stevens, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (2003)
Gary O’Malley, Weyerhaeuser Company (2001)
James R. Vaseff, Georgia Power (1999)
Ben Woodhouse, vice president, industry issues and affairs, The Dow Chemical Company (1994)
Recognition for Special Merit
In 2004, the Issue Management Council Board of Directors added recognition for special merit in broader categories of issue management achievement. Awards presented thus far include:
Mayo Clinic – for the development of an innovative Issue Management methodology, the Social Unrest Scorecard (2019)
Colorado Springs Utilities – for designing and launching an in-house issue management process (2004)
Intel Corporation – for extraordinary innovation in creating issue management tools, processes and teaming (2004)