Distinguished Service Award

The BELMAS Distinguished Service Award is our highest accolade. Distinguished Fellows are individuals who, throughout their careers, have made significant contributions to BELMAS’s work in the field of educational leadership, management, and administration. These individuals have ‘moved knowledge forwards’ within the Society and the wider community.

DSA winners are given the title of Distinguished Fellow, or DFBelmas, granted lifetime membership of BELMAS and are invited to continue supporting BELMAS’ work by joining the Distinguished Fellows Advisory Board (DFAB). This Board convenes a number of times a year to provide field insights and feedback to the Chair of BELMAS and the Executive Officer, contributing to the ongoing work of the Society.

WATCH: Philip Woods receive his DSA at the 2019 Conference

Distinguished Fellows Advisory Board (DFAB)

The Distinguished Fellows Advisory Board (DFAB), made up of Distinguished Fellows, was established in 2023 to integrate the wealth of knowledge and experience into the new structures of BELMAS and to support its future projects and operations. The DFAB meets at least three times per year and has specific duties that include:

• Serving as a sounding board for the Chair of BELMAS and the Executive Officer
• Determining the context and speaker for the Annual DSA Keynote or Lecture
• Acting as the recommending body for new DFAB following a nomination process determined by the ABG
• Recommending BELMAS nominations for fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS)
• Raising the international profile of BELMAS through external links to media and other societies
• Awarding a ‘DSA Research Grant’ for field-leading research projects from a budget set by the Board of Trustees

Past Winners

2026 – Victoria Showunmi
2025 – Linda Hammersley-Fletcher
2024 – Steve Courtney / Marianne Coleman
2023 – Paul Miller
2022 – Saeeda Shah
2019 – Philip Woods
2018 – Colin Russell
2017 – Michael Bottery
2016 – Helen Gunter / Jacky Lumby
2015 – Megan Crawford / Peter Earley
2013 – David Cracknell
2011 – Chris James
2010 – Barbara Vann
2009 – Tim Simkins
2008 – Tony Bush
2007 – Ron Glatter
2006 – Peter Ribbins
2005 – Harry Tomlinson / Rene Saran