At the final meeting of the year, the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club presents awards to members for service during the year.

Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club Honorary Members

Honorary Members are recognized as a members of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club or mycologists who have rendered service distinguished from the ordinary to the WPMC. They have been approved by a super majority of the WPMC Board of Directors and majority of the WPMC members. The WPMC honors the following:

  • Gary Lincoff (d)
  • John (d) and Becky Plischke
  • John and Kim Plischke
  • Dick (d) and Mary Ellen (d) Dougall
  • Mike Lloyd
  • Dr. Ernst Both (d)
  • Barbara DeRiso
  • Dale Luthringer
  • Richard Jacob

(d) deceased

Outstanding Service Award

The Outstanding Service Award is awarded to one individual who in the year has performed signal service to the WPMC. Every year the president asks a board of 3 club members to choose the recipient for the Outstanding Service Award.

Recipients

  • 2002 John Plischke III
  • 2003 Dorothy Fornof
  • 2004 Valerie Baker
  • 2005 Becky Plischke
  • 2006 La Monte Yarroll
  • 2007 Glenn Carr
  • 2008 Kim Plischke
  • 2009 Joyce Gross
  • 2010 Jim Tunney
  • 2011 Barbara DeRiso
  • 2012 Bob & Ginny Sleigh
  • 2013 Richard Jacob
  • 2014 Martha Wasik
  • 2015 Barbara DeRiso
  • 2016 Dick & Mary Ellen Dougall
  • 2017 Cecily Franklin & La Monte Yarroll
  • 2018 Kim & John Plischke III
  • 2019 Jack & Valerie Baker
  • 2020 Jim Wasik
  • 2021 Fluff Berger
  • 2022 Kris Murawski
  • 2023 Jared Delaney

President’s Award

The President’s Award is awarded to an member whose service has contributed service to the President’s term.

Recipients

  • 2004 John Plischke
  • 2005 George & Mary Ann Yakulis
  • 2006 Jim Strutz
  • 2007 John Stuart
  • 2008 Dick Dougall
  • 2009 Bonnie Davis
  • 2010 Barbara DeRiso
  • 2011 Jim Wasik
  • 2012 —
  • 2013 Shirley Caseman
  • 2014 Michael Yeh
  • 2015 Cecily Franklin
  • 2016 Scott Pavelle
  • 2017 Ann ‘Fluff’ Berger
  • 2018 Rebecca Miller & Mark Spear
  • 2019 Adam Haritan
  • 2020 Richard Jacob
  • 2021 Cara Barkley Coulter
  • 2022 Julie Travaglini
  • 2023 Sara Klingensmith

Other awards

Club members have won a number of awards for their duties to Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club or the mycological community as a whole.  These awards are typically from the North American Mycological Association but could be from other organizations.

The Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award

The Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award was established by the NAMA Board of Trustees to recognize and encourage persons who have distinguished themselves in service to their local clubs. It is named for the Knightons, whose efforts began the North American Mycological Association in 1967.

  • 2003 John Plischke III
  • 2006 Dick Dougall
  • 2009 Joyce Gross
  • 2016 Richard Jacob

Gary Lincoff Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology

NAMA’s Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology is given annually to recognize a person who has contributed extraordinarily to the advancement of amateur mycology. Its recipients have often extensively conducted workshops, led forays, written or lectured widely about mushrooms and identifying mushrooms, all on a national or international level. In 2015, the name of the award was officially changed to recognize the contributions of Gary Lincoff; now the Gary Lincoff Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology.

  • 2017  John Plischke III