The Lorinne Emery Award was created in 2000 by NCIV’s Community member organization in Dallas and the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) as a tribute to the memory and inspired leadership of Lorinne Emery of Dallas, Texas. The Award is presented to a long-term CIV volunteer who best exemplifies the characteristics of Mrs. Emery – someone who has demonstrated an outstanding volunteer spirit, dedication to citizen diplomacy and an enduring contribution to international understanding. This year’s Award was presented at the 2008 NCIV National Meeting, February 13 – 16, in Washington, DC.
Nominations should consist of no more than two pages describing the candidate’s qualifications for this Award and should list the candidate’s relevant achievements. The nomination package may also include the nominee’s resume or curriculum vitae. A Selection Committee of NCIV Board members and representatives of program agency and community-based members will review all nominations and select a winner. The Award recipient must be able to attend the 2008 NCIV National Meeting. The winner will receive an award and an all expense paid trip to the NCIV National Meeting.
Please submit nominations to Lorinne Emery Award for Volunteer Service; c/o NCIV; 1420 K St. NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005, or fax to 202/289-4625. Contact Mark Rebstock, Director of Membership and Training with questions at 202/842-1414 or mrebstock@nciv.org.
Nomination Deadline: TBA
Mrs. Lorinne Emery’s passion for service as a Citizen Diplomat began when she hosted twelve German students at Southern Methodist University Law School shortly after World War II. Subsequently, she helped found the organization that became the Dallas Committee for International Visitors (DCIV) in 1954 and played a key role in the founding of NCIV in 1961. Mrs. Emery’s stellar leadership of DCIV was marked by an extraordinary talent for recruiting, retaining, and rewarding volunteers. As volunteers in Dallas often commented fondly, “one never says ‘no’ to Mrs. Emery.” The leadership she provided to both DCIV and NCIV is testimony to her vision, superb organizational skills, and extraordinary ability to mobilize dedicated volunteers.
For more than four decades, Mrs. Emery excelled at citizen diplomacy. Her impact was great. She is remembered for her services to her community and country. Mrs. Emery once said, “Human courtesy…is making Dallas a city where the international visitor comes as a stranger and goes home as a neighbor and friend.”
Mrs. Emery passed away in 2001.
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Margaret Kidd
Board Member, Volunteer Programmer
International Hospitality Council of Austin
Margaret Kidd began her work as a citizen diplomat 43 years ago with her career in International Education Administration at the University of Texas in Austin. Since then, she has hosted hundreds of International Visitors, providing home hospitality and much more.
Ms. Kidd met Lorinne Emery, the director of the Dallas Committee for International Visitors, in 1979 when she transferred to the University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Kidd said that she found Ms. Emery’s enthusiasm for the International Visitor Leadership Program and her commitment to extending community hospitality to its participants “to be contagious!” She enthusiastically joined Ms. Emery and her large contingent of volunteers in the UTD area to establish a group of citizen diplomats in order to provide community contacts and hospitality to the influx of the diverse foreign visitors of the area.
Ms. Kidd returned to Austin in 1982 and assumed an active role in the IVLP, both as a professional and volunteer. She was pleased to personally provide both professional appointments and home hospitality to many International Visitors. During these years Ms. Kidd developed a number of long-term relationships from her IV contacts that have made her work even more beneficial.
In 2002, after retiring from the University of Texas, Ms. Kidd became even more actively involved as a volunteer in the International Hospitality Council of Austin (IHCA). During the past 5 years, she has served as Volunteer Coordinator and she continues to host visitors from the IVLP with memorable experiences. Ms. Kidd gleefully shares, “We have so enjoyed having them in our home and on our boat on Lake Travis!” In 2006, Ms. Kidd added the role of board member of IHCA to her responsibilities.
In addition, she coordinated a “Tuesday Coffee Morning” gathering for international women and continues as a volunteer. This group meets every Tuesday for conversation, an informative program, and homemade goodies. The coffee gathering is followed by a one-hour conversational English class.
Ms. Kidd’s involvement with several other organizations, including Partners of the Americas, Association of International Educators, American Association of University Women, and Association of International Educators has also benefited IHCA through each of the organization’s unique support.
Ms. Kidd’s efforts in recruiting, retaining and rewarding volunteers for IHCA have greatly enhanced the organization. She has an extraordinary ability to mobilize and inspire dedication from volunteers. The International Hospitality Council of Austin has been extremely fortunate to have her extraordinary service as an exceptional volunteer and citizen diplomat.
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2006 Eloise Brown, Volunteer Programmer, Tucson Council for International
2005 Grace Mayes, President Emeritus, Akron International Friendship
2005 Nancy F. Otte, Program Coordinator and Executive Director, Freeport Area International Visitors Council
2005 Lou & Carl Stewart, International Visitors Council of Metropolitan Detroit (Honorable Mention)
2004 Rosemarie Fowler, Council of International Visitors of Greater New Orleans
2003 Marianne & John Briscoe, International Diplomacy Council (San Francisco, CA)
2002 Dolores Mather, Mayor's Committee for International Friendship (Lincoln, NE)
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NCIV Southern Regional Meeting - August 6-8, 2008 - 
