Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award

2024 Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award Winner 

TAPPI is pleased to announce that Paula Hajakian, TAPPI Fellow, has been named winner of the prominent Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award. Hajakian, who is the first woman to receive this distinguished honor in its 49-year history, is Principal Technical Specialist in Paper for United States Gypsum (USG) Company.

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Established in 1983, the TAPPI Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor the Association can bestow upon an individual for exemplary leadership that has significantly contributed to the advancement of the Association.

Herman L. Joachim was a TAPPI member for more than seventy years. He joined TAPPI while working as a chemist at the Bogalusa Paper Company in Louisiana. Later he managed paper mills throughout the United States and was responsible for expansions and modernizations in the industry. He also enjoyed a successful career as an engineering consultant.

In 1994, Herman L. Joachim’s gift of $500,000 was used to establish the Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award Fund. Since that time the Award has been accompanied by a cash honorarium worth 5% of the fund, which in recent years has been between $50,000 - $70,000. 

Nominations are due by August 1 each year for the award to be presented the following calendar year.

Online Application

The complete selection procedure is fully outlined in our Association Awards Manual. The manual also provides information on additional awards and other forms of recognition.

Previous Winners  

  • 1983 Harris O. Ware
  • 1984 Charles W. Cairns
  • 1985 Robert W. Hagemeyer
  • 1986 John N. McGovern
  • 1987 William O. Kroeschell
  • 1988 M. John Osborne
  • 1989 James P. McNamee
  • 1990 William H. Griggs
  • 1991 Ray S. Bender
  • 1992 Michael J. Kocurek
  • 1993 James M. Tucker, Jr.
  • 1994 Charles P. Klass
  • 1995 William S. Fuller
  • 1996 Paul W. Magnabosco
  • 1997 John D. Callahan
  • 1999 F. Keith Hall
  • 2000 David J. Bentley, Jr.
  • 2001 Harry T. Cullinan Jr.
  • 2002 Dale R. Dill
  • 2003 W. B. A. (Sandy) Sharp
  • 2004 Richard G. Barker
  • 2005 David E. Peakes
  • 2006 David A. Carlson
  • 2007 Michael D. Wallace
  • 2008 Barre Mitchell
  • 2009 James C. Abbott
  • 2010 Willis J. Potts, Jr.
  • 2011 Peter D. Wallace
  • 2012 Phil Jones
  • 2013 Robert B. Kinstrey
  • 2014 Hardev S. (Doug) Dugal
  • 2015 Jonathan C. Kerr
  • 2016 Mahendra Doshi
  • 2017 Thomas Rodencal
  • 2018 Jeff Reese
  • 2019 Kerry Figiel
  • 2020 Gordon Bugg
  • 2021 Frank Sutman
  • 2022 John Neun
  • 2023 Brian N. Brogdon
  • 2024 Paula Hajakian

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