“And the winner is . . . ”

Mellor Honored with “Thomas Roe Award”

IJ President Chip Mellor was presented this year’s “Thomas Roe Award” from the State Policy Network (SPN) at its annual meeting, held in St. Louis in September. The meeting attracted nearly 140 participants representing free-market state think tank leaders from across the nation. (Above center)
The award embodies the values of Thomas Roe, the longtime SPN founder and Chairman Emeritus who died in January of this year, and who personified focused commitment to free enterprise and to the state think tank movement. The award recognized Mellor’s important contributions in advancing individual rights, especially economic liberty, through litigation, as well as his and IJ’s contributions to the effectiveness of the state think tank movement.

Bolick Recognized as “Champion of Choice”

Clint Bolick, the Institute’s litigation director, was honored for eight years of litigation at the tenth anniversary celebration of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program on September 21. At a dinner with several hundred guests, Bolick was recognized as a “Champion of Choice,” and the Institute for Justice also received an award for its legal defense of the program. Additionally, Bolick was presented with a proclamation from Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, declaring that Bolick was “instrumental in successfully defending this innovative program and others like it around the country from legal challenges.” (Above right)

Kramer Takes National PR Award

John Kramer, IJ’s vice president for communications, garnered his second national public relations award. The International Association of Business Communicators—one of the nation’s largest public relations associations—presented him with this year’s “Silver Inkwell” award, its top prize for media relations, recognizing IJ’s achievements in “personalizing, humanizing, and dramatizing” the fight for individual liberty. (Above left)

Kramer and IJ already earned the highest award for media relations from the Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s largest PR professional association.