Peter Swanson announced SMART Fellowship awards at the 25th Anniversary Seminar to individuals to thank them for their active participation in the furtherance of the aims of The SMART Group

Importantly, the list includes SMART members who are regular attendees or extraordinary contributors to the association's seminars, forums and events. You do not have to be a committee member to be a valued SMART participant. Being a regular attendee, asking questions or using the benefits of membership are just as important. These activities inspire the spread of technology throughout the member's company, The SMART Group and the industry itself.

We started SMART Fellowships in 1998. As in past years, I asked for nominations from all SMART Committee members, and also from the membership at large. After the nominations were received, the Fellowships were voted upon by the Steering Committee and Directors of SMART Group. You cannot receive this award twice.

This year there are ten Fellows:

Peter Allgood – Allgood Technology Ltd
Iain Braddock – MBDA UK Ltd
Steve Eglinton – PEM Professional Electronic Manufacturing South Africa
Ingmar Grewar – PEM Professional Electronic Manufacturing South Africa
Chris Hunt – NPL National Physical Laboratory
Naim Kapadia – JJS El ect ronics Ltd
David Llewellyn – DEK
Martin Tarr – SMART Group Scotland
Rex Waygood – Han sa tech EMS Ltd

Peter, Iain and Rex are all fantastic contributors to and attendees of our events and forums. Chris and Naim are long term and dutiful members of our Technical Committee. Steve and Igmar have been heavily involved in the establishing of SMART Group SA. David is retiring from DEK having served 35 yea rs in the industry and a SMART supporter since the beginning. Martin, before he retired recently, threw enormous energy into activities with SMART Group Scotland. We congratulate them all.

SMART Fellowships cannot be awarded to the Steering Committee members, as they do the selection. Nevertheless, they are highly sought after by the Steering Committee guys, and no-one is more vocal about it than our Chairman, Keith Bryant, to whom I am proud to present this special, SMART Bellow award.

Actually, with his firm leadership of the Group through the recession, his energy and vision in establishing SMART Group South Africa, and his long-term commitment to SMART, there are few more deserving of our tenth SMART Fellowship this year.