NAEM Excellence Awards - FAQs

What is the purpose of NAEM Excellence Awards?

NAEM Excellence Awards exist to recognize and elevate professionals in the environmental, health and safety and sustainability communities as well as showcase best practices of EHS&S management.

What are the award categories?

This year NAEM will present our Lifetime Achievement Award as well as Leadership-in-Action Awards for current and NexGen Leaders. Following are definitions of the two award categories:

NAEM's Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious annual award honoring an individual's contribution to his/her company and the EHS and Sustainability fields. It recognizes the leader whose vision and commitment has positively shaped the EHS and and/or Sustainability corporate management profession.

The Leadership-in-Action Awards will recognize achievements in these focus areas:

NAEM's Leadership-in-Action Awards recognize current and NexGen EHS&S leaders whose influence and commitment have elevated the prioritization and impact of EHS&S initiative within their organizations. This year’s focus areas are:

Empowering Management Systems and People
Championing Technology Innovation
Keeping Employees Safe
Advancing Transparency
Managing Energy
Reducing Waste

Who is eligible to be nominated?

For the Lifetime Achievement Award, nominees should meet the following criteria:

20+ years of exceptional environmental, health and safety, and/or sustainability performance, currently serving as an in-house EHS&S leader. (Retired executives who worked part of 2025 are eligible.)
Distinguished service and leadership within the EHS and/or Sustainability profession.
Demonstrated impact on organizational performance.
Proven leadership effectiveness in the development of EHS and Sustainbility professionals.
Commitment to industry advancements and lifelong learning.

For the Leadership-in-Action Awards, nominees should meet the following criteria in their respective focus areas:

An Accomplished corporate EHS&S leader/manager:
- A minimum of 15 years of experience in the fields of environment, health and safety, and/or sustainability.
- Champion of EHS&S initiatives through resources and funding.
- Driver of transformational change to elevate EHS&S priority across the organization.
- Proven decision-making and/or problem-solving ability.
- Commitment to EHS&S stewardship, professionally and personally.
A NexGen leader :
- High-potential corporate professional with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the fields of environment, health and safety, and/or sustainability.
- Influence as an emerging EHS&S leader within his/her organization.
- Demonstrated results within area of responsibility.
- Proven decision-making and/or problem-solving ability.
- Dedication to professional development.
- Commitment to the EHS&S industry.

Can anyone submit a nomination form?

Yes. Anyone can nominate a candidate for the Lifetime Achievement and the Leadership-in-Action awards. Nominators and nominees need not be members of NAEM.

Can I nominate more than one person?

Yes. But you will need to complete a separate nomination for each nominee.

Is there a word count limit for the nomination responses?

Yes. Each required response is limited to a maximum of 500 words.

Are letters of recommendation required?

For the Lifetime Achievement Award, we ask that you submit two letters of recommendation. For the Leadership in Action Award, we ask that you submit one letter of recommendation. All letters of recommendation must be written by individuals other than the nominator.

When does the nomination period close?

Nominations must be submitted by midnight (PST) on Friday, August 22, 2025.

How do I submit a nomination?

You can submit using the online nomination form, available here.

Is there a fee to nominate?

No nomination fee is required.

Who will be judging the awards?

Nominees will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges. Neither NAEM nor its sponsors will influence the selection of award recipients.

Will there be an awards ceremony?

Yes. Award recipients will be recognized in front of their professional peers at an Awards Ceremony luncheon during NAEM’s 2025 EHS&S Management Forum on Thursday, October 23rd in Tucson, Arizona.

Will award recipients receive any other recognition or benefits?

Yes. Award recipients and their companies will receive the following recognition and benefits:

Profiles of award recipients and their companies will be featured in all of NAEM’s content channels, including NAEM’s blog, publications and e-newsletter that goes out to 13,500+ EHS&S professionals.
Profiles of award recipients, including photos and companies, will appear on NAEM’s website, receiving 1,000+ impressions each week.
Award recipients and their respective companies will be recognized on-stage during the awards ceremony luncheon and in the conference app at NAEM’s 2025 EHS&S Management Forum.
A commemorative award will be presented to each recipient during the Awards ceremony luncheon.
All award recipients will receive a complimentary one-day pass to the EHS&S Management Forum. They also can take advantage of a significantly discounted registration to the entire conference.
All award recipients and up to two representatives from each respective company will be invited to a complimentary networking event at NAEM's EHS&S Management Forum.
Award recipients may also be asked to participate in panel discussions at NAEM's EHS&S Management Forum and other NAEM programs throughout 2025-2026.

When will award nominees know if they’ve been selected?

Award recipients and/or finalists will be notified in September prior to NAEM's 2025 EHS&S Management Forum in order to arrange travel to attend the awards ceremony (and conference).

Public announcement of NAEM Excellence Award recipients will occur on October 23, 2025.