American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Wins Inaugural 2009 Council's Choice Award for Excellence in Association Communications from ASAE & The Center

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) announced today it has been recognized by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE & The Center) with the first-ever Council's Choice Award. The AAOS was nominated for this special award, due to its winning a 2009 Gold Circle Award from the same group, for excellence in communications in the Innovative Communications category.

This year the competition received more than 300 entries across several categories, including magazines, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and innovative communications. Several categories included both print and digital communications. The Gold Circle Award competition is the premier association communications award and is given to associations in each of two budget classes per category: associations with total budgets of $2 million or less, and those with total budgets over $2 million.

The winner of the Council's Choice Award is selected by the Communication Section Council from among 2009 Gold Circle Award winners as the most outstanding communications among associations.

"We are so proud of this Gold Circle Award, but winning the Council's Choice Award is really a true honor" said Academy CEO Karen L. Hackett, CAE, FACHE. "The Seventy-five Years of Orthopaedic History project invited the critical input of hundreds of our members, allied health professionals, specialty societies, industry partners and staff over a period of several years. It was possible and successful thanks to their tireless dedication of sharing orthopaedic history in such creative and celebratory ways."

"We are excited to inaugurate the Council's Choice Award this year," said Brad J. Monterio, chair of the Gold Circle Award Committee and member of ASAE & The Center's Communication Section Council. "Selecting one entry for this special designation from among the high caliber Gold Circle Award winners is no small challenge -- it's akin to selecting a 'best-in-show' winner. The Council's Choice Award winner represents a significant achievement for American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Their communications program celebrating the 75th anniversary of their industry serves as a stellar example of excellence and effectiveness to which associations can aspire."

"Our 35,000-plus orthopaedic surgeon members have a proud history," stated Sandra R. Gordon, Director of Public Relations at the AAOS. "It's a story of innovation and devotion to improving patients' quality of life. It was a rewarding challenge to execute this tactfully and an added bonus to be recognized for doing it well."

"Communications is a critical function for any association because it is the primary means for sharing information internally with staff and members as well as with external audiences," said ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE. "Winners of the Gold Circle Award competition have taken their projects to the next level, integrating the fundamentals of effective communications with elements of creativity, design, technology, innovation and metrics to measure effectiveness of their tactics. I congratulate each winner for their superior programs."

Entries for the Gold Circle Award competition are judged consistently in each category based on established criteria for excellence in association communications. In addition to a Gold Circle Award, an Honorable Mention may be awarded on an infrequent basis in some categories. Over 50 judges nationwide participated in the 2009 program.

"Being 'good' is not sufficient to win a Gold Circle Award - communications entries need to set a standard of excellence that surpasses expectations for reaching and engaging an audience while also telling a compelling story that makes us yearn for more," said Brad J. Monterio, chair of the Gold Circle Award Committee and member of the Communication Section Council.

Recipients will be presented with their awards during the Gold Circle Award Ceremony on August 16 in conjunction with the ASAE & The Center's 2009 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Toronto, Canada.

For more about the Seventy-Five Years in Orthopaedic History, visit www.aaos.org/75years.

For more information about the Gold Circle Awards program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/goldcircle.

About AAOS

An orthopaedic surgeon is a physician with extensive training in the diagnosis and non-surgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

With more than 35,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (www.orthoinfo.org) is the premier not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals, champions the interests of patients and advances the highest quality musculoskeletal health. Orthopaedic surgeons and the Academy are the authoritative sources of information for patients and the general public on musculoskeletal conditions, treatments and related issues. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (www.usbjd.org) -- the global initiative in the years 2002-2011 -- to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.

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About ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership

ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership (www.asaecenter.org) are two organizations linked together by a common belief and passion. We believe that associations have the power to transform society for the better. Our passion is to help associations and association professionals achieve previously unimaginable levels of performance and reach even higher goals. We accomplish this by fostering a learning community of association professionals, industry partners, outside thought leaders, and other stakeholders who embrace this vision.

The American Society of Association Executives is an individual membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in 50 countries around the globe. Our members' organizations represent such essential industries and professions as health care, manufacturing, banking, law, energy, insurance, and the list goes on. We are also a leading voice for the nonprofit sector, advocating for voluntary organizations so that they may continue to improve the quality of life in the United States.