Bob Flicker, Roger Winslow, and Hal
Hawk stand as examples of selfless service
WASHINGTON, April 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Battery Council International
(BCI) is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of its
Distinguished Service Award, recognizing exemplary service to the
energy storage industry.
The BCI Distinguished Service Award is BCI's highest individual
honor and recognizes those who have made a sustained, long-term,
and meaningful contribution to the advancement of both the
association and the battery industry. This year's honorees are:
- Roger Winslow, former CEO
of Voltmaster
- Bob Flicker, former COO
at East Penn Manufacturing
- Hal Hawk, current CEO of
Crown Battery
"There are many amazing leaders who work in the energy storage
industry, and Roger Winslow,
Bob Flicker and Hal Hawk are definitely the cream of the crop,"
said BCI's President and Executive Director Roger Miksad. "What really sets them apart,
however, is the extent to which these three executives worked
tirelessly to uphold the future of the industry through the
betterment of this trade association while also staying committed
to the growing needs of their own individual firms. As BCI turns
100, it's the perfect time to honor them for selflessly working to
build a world-class industry group that has withstood the test of
time."
These three inspiring individuals will be formally honored as
part of the association's 100th anniversary celebrations
at the 2024 BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, April 21-24 in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla.
Roger Winslow,
Voltmaster
Roger Winslow joined Voltmaster
in 1957, and purchased the business in 1972. As his business grew,
he invested in both his hometown of Corydon, Iowa, and other battery suppliers for
more than five decades.
Roger was a driving force behind the evolution of BCI as the
world-wide trade association moved more aggressively into public
policy, standard-setting and other pressing issues. In the
mid-1960s, Roger led the formation of the modern BCI Group Size
system, and was instrumental in the formation of a very active BCI
Data Book Committee.
Roger served as president of BCI from 1986-1988, and was also
president of the Independent Battery Manufacturers from 1973-1975.
He served on the BCI Board for roughly three decades until 2006,
and as a Board Member Emeritus until 2012. During his
tenure, Roger also developed and regularly led an informal
Board-member orientation meeting to make sure that non-battery
Board members understood the difficult industry issues.
BCI's success depends on leaders who are willing to look beyond
their individual businesses to the needs of the industry as a
whole. Roger's many years of dedicated service stands as an example
to us all.
Bob Flicker, East Penn
Manufacturing
Bob joined East Penn as an Engineering Technician in 1972, where
he served in various engineering leadership roles until becoming
Executive Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing in 1994.
He then assumed the position of Chief Operating Officer in 2014
until his retirement from East Penn in 2022 after 50 years of
service.
Bob was tasked by the BCI Board of Directors to chair the Data
Book Committee and help standardize the many battery types that
were starting to proliferate across the industry. At the time, a
single battery type had up to five group size designations
depending upon the manufacturer or the geography.
Fundamentally, vehicle manufacturers had to have faith in the
person representing BCI's idea and the industry as a whole. Bob was
the perfect person for that job, widely distributing Data Book
Guidelines and giving each battery design due consideration.
Worldwide acceptance of the BCI group numbering system could not
have happened without Bob Flicker
and his decade-long chairmanship of the Data Book Committee. He was
knowledgeable about the issues and had the respect of the technical
committee members throughout the process – and in fact, Bob also
served as Chairman of BCI's technical committee for over 10
years.
With five decades of experience and a selfless desire to serve
the industry and solve some of our biggest challenges, Bob's
impressive record of service has earned him respect and
appreciation across the industry.
Hal Hawk, Crown
Battery
Hal Hawk is the President of
Crown Battery and has been a part of the organization's success for
over 40 years. For much of his career, Hal has worked on behalf of
the entire industry as a supporter and key partner of the Battery
Council International.
Hal has been a fixture of the BCI Board of Directors since 1999
and currently is the longest-serving member on the Board. Hal also
served as President of BCI from 2006-2008. Hal was a key leader for
the entire industry during an important period of change, as the
members of the Independent Battery Manufacturers Association (IBMA)
were integrated into BCI to ensure that the industry association
represented the full breadth of the industry's participants.
Additionally, Hal has served as BCI Convention Chair for more
than two decades, is the Chair of the BCI Quarter Century Club, and
is a devoted leader of the annual BCI Golf Tournament. He also
continues to be active on numerous other BCI committees.
Hal's long-standing industry leadership and commitment to the
goals and efforts of the association on behalf of all members has
garnered him deep respect from across industry. His selfless
efforts to advance the industry as a whole and to foster a spirit
of community and collaboration within the association is worthy of
deep respect and gratitude.
About the Distinguished Service Award
The BCI Distinguished Service Award is presented by the BCI
Board of Directors to individuals who have made a sustained,
long-term, and meaningful contribution to the advancement of the
association and the industry. The BCI Distinguished Service
Award is BCI's highest individual honor recognizing those who have
made a sustained, long-term, and meaningful contribution to the
advancement of both the association and the battery industry.
Past recipients of the award (previously called the BCI Honorary
Lifetime Membership) include industry icons such as DeLight
Breidegam Jr., Peter Aspinall,
Norman R. Farsje, and Edward T. Foote. BCI first honored an individual
in 1945 by recognizing the service of Louis
B.F. Raycroft.
These inspiring individuals will be formally honored as part of
the association's 100th Anniversary celebrations at the
2024 BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, April
21-24 in Fort Lauderdale,
Fla.
About BCI
Battery Council International (BCI) is the leading trade
association representing the global battery industry and is the
premier authority on energy storage solutions. Celebrating its
100th anniversary in 2024, BCI advocates and educates on behalf of
battery manufacturers and recyclers, marketers and retailers,
suppliers of raw materials and equipment, and battery distributors.
With a unified voice, BCI conveys an industry-wide commitment to
sustainability, safety and science. The organization continues to
unite members within the industry to successfully communicate and
protect through education, science and advocacy efforts the most
successful circular economy on the planet. With 99% of used lead
batteries collected and recycled in the U.S. and the typical new
lead battery containing 80% or more of recycled materials, BCI
supports the path toward similar sustainability goals for all other
battery chemistries. For more information, visit
www.batterycouncil.org.
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SOURCE Battery Council International