AGS Awards Titleholders, Guilds at Conclave

Washington, D.C.--The American Gem Society presented a number of awards at Conclave on Thursday, honoring excellence, professionalism and a commitment to ethics and consumer protection.

At the Titleholders Luncheon, AGS awarded the Sallie Morton Award to Marc Altman, the Guilds’ national treasurer.

This award recognizes the contribution of individuals who have gone over and above in their service to the AGS Guilds each year. It was named for Sallie Morton, who was instrumental in developing and promoting the AGS National Guilds.

“From day one, Marc Altman has given the AGS Guilds so much time and attention by handling all their financial details and helping publicize almost 300 meetings,” said Laura Stanley, chair of the AGS Guilds. “Taking that pressure off a local guild has given them the time to devote to organizing the meetings.”

During the event, Lisa Bridge and Anna Samsonova, co-chairs of the Young Titleholder’s Steering Committee, presented the Young Titleholder Award to Marc Nanasi for his service to the Young Titleholder Committee and to the AGS.

“Marc’s devotion to the Young Titleholders started from the beginning, and his enthusiasm and tenacity have contributed to the group’s growth and success,” Bridge said.

The Guild of the Year award, meanwhile, was given to the St. Louis Guild, which has “set an example of not only having great programs, but also working with the local GIA Alumnae group in the local area,” Stanley said.

Last to be presented was the John J. Kennedy Award, named in honor of the longtime president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance. The award is given to law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond to help members of the jewelry industry protect their stores and their teams.

This year’s recipients were Special Agents Jay Bartholomew and Eric Ives of the FBI.

“Special Agent Eric Ives and Special Agent Jay Bartholomew have helped organize and fund FBI speakers all around the country,” Stanley said. “Without them, we would never have been able to get so many inaugural guild meetings off to such a great start. An FBI special agent draws a big crowd and helps support interest in future meetings, too.”