The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented annually during the CSCMP EDGE conference. The DSA honors an outstanding individual who exemplifies significant, consistent, and career-long contributions to the development of the logistics and supply chain management disciplines.
Any individual who has made significant contributions to the fields of logistics and supply chain management are eligible to receive the Distinguished Service Award. This includes practitioners with responsibilities in functional areas of logistics and supply chain management, consultants, and educators. For example, an individual could be nominated for contributions or innovations involving technology or in educating others about logistics and supply chain management, or for increasing awareness of the critical role that logistics and supply chain management plays in the global economy to the business community at large.
The nomination period for the 2024 Distinguished Service Award runs from January 8 – February 9 (No Extensions will be granted). Submit a nomination.
Theodore P. Stank
Bruce Chair & Professor of Supply Chain Management
University of Tennessee
Ted Stank is a University Chancellor’s Professor and the Harry J. and Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the Department of Supply Chain Management at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is Faculty Director of the Global Supply Chain Institute and Executive Director of the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative, a joint initiative between UT and leading Fortune 500 partner firms focused on better understanding innovative applications in SCM.
He assumed the Bruce Chair following six years in various administrative positions in the Haslam College of Business, including Department Head for Marketing and Logistics, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and Associate Dean of the Center for Executive Education. He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and Distribution from The University of Georgia, an M.A. in Business Administration from Webster University, and a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy.
Dr. Stank’s business background includes sales and marketing experience as an Abbott Laboratories Diagnostic Division employee. He also served as an operations officer in the United States Navy prior to his industry and academic experience. He has performed consulting and executive education services for numerous organizations, including Anheuser Busch InBev, Dell, IBM, Lowe’s, Norfolk Southern, OfficeMax, Pepsi, Siemens, Sony, Textron, Walgreens, Walmart, Whirlpool, and the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps. He formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Educational Advisor to the Health and Personal Care Logistics Conference and Senior Editor for the Journal of Business Logistics.
Past Recipients
2022: Masao Nishi, Principal of M. Nishi Strategic Advisory
2021: Dale Rogers, ON Semiconductor Professor of Business at Arizona State University
2020: Matthew A. Waller, Ph.D., Dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business
2019: Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Supply Chain Officer for Johnson & Johnson
2018: Dr. John Gattorna, Author, Academic and Principal of Gattorna Alignment
2017: Dr. Nancy Nix, Executive Director of Achieving Women's Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education (AWESOME)
2016: Dr. Chris Caplice, Executive Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics
2015: Robert Martichenko, Chief Executive Officer, LeanCor Supply Chain Group
2014: Mike Regan, Chief of Relationship Development, TranzAct Technologies, Inc.
2013: Abré Pienaar, CEO, iPlan
2012: Ann Drake, Chairman & CEO, DSC Logistics
2011: Dr. James R. Stock, Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing, University of South Florida
2010: Charles L. Taylor, Founder and Principal, Awake! Consulting
2009: Joel L. Sutherland, Managing Director of Lehigh University's Center for Value Chain Research
2008: Arthur Mesher, CEO, The Descartes Systems Group Inc.
2007: Thomas W. Speh, Distinguished Professor of Distribution, Miami University
2006: Herbert S. Shear, Chief Executive Officer, GENCO
2005: Martin G. Christopher, Professor of Marketing and Logistics, Cranfield University, UK
2004: John Thomas Mentzer, Distinguished Professor of Logistics, University of Tennessee
2003: H. Lee Scott, Jr., Chairman, Wal-Mart Corporation
2002: Donald J. Schneider, Chairman, Schneider Logistics, Inc.
2001: Ralph W. Drayer, Vice President Customer Service & Logistics, Procter & Gamble
1999: Richard F. Powers, President, Insight, Inc.
1998: William C. Copacino, Managing Partner, Andersen Consulting Strategic Services Practice
1997: Yossi Sheffi, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1996: Larry S. Mulkey, President, Ryder Integrated Logistics
1995: Joseph C. Andraski, Vice President Integrated Logistics, Nabisco Inc.
1994: Roger W. Carlson, Executive Vice President, Exel Logistics-North America
1993: C. John Langley, John H. Dove Distinguished Professor, University of Tennessee
1992: Howard S. Gochberg, Vice President (retired), Land O'Lakes, Inc.
1991: John J. Coyle, Exec. Director, Center for Logistics Research, Pennsylvania State University
1990: Roger W. Kallock, Chairman, Cleveland Consulting Associates
1989: Frederick W. Smith, CEO/Chairman, Federal Express Corporation
1988: George A. Gecowets, Executive Vice President, Council of Logistics Management
1987: Ronald E. Seger, Vice President, A.T. Kearney, Inc.
1986: Douglas M. Lambert, Professor of Marketing, University of South Florida
1985: Arthur W. Todd, Director of Purchasing, Lincoln Electric Company
1984: Bob Packwood, United States Senate
1983: Bernard J. Hale, Vice President, Distribution Services, Bergen Brunswig Corporation
1982: Jerome D. Krassenstein, Vice President, Chessie System
1981: Robert V. Delaney, Manager of Distribution, International Paper Company
1980: Clifford F. Lynch, Vice President of Distribution, Quaker Oats Company
1979: Wendell M. Stewart, Vice President, A.T. Kearney, Inc.
1978: Robert J. Franco, Vice Chairman, Spector Industries
1977: Kenneth B. Ackerman, Chairman, Distribution Centers, Inc.
1976: Bernard J. LaLonde, Professor of Marketing & Logistics, The Ohio State University
1975: Burr W. Hupp, Managing Director, Drake Sheahan/Stewart Dougall
1974: James L. Heskett, Professor of Business Logistics, Harvard University
1973: Robert E. Schellberg, Vice President, Distribution, Eastman Kodak Company
1972: Warren Blanding, Executive Vice President, Marketing Publications, Inc.
1971: Mark Egan, Tourism Advisor for Turkey
1970: Gayton E. Germane, Professor of Logistics, Stanford University
1969: Bruce J. Riggs, General Traffic Manager, Norton Company
1968: Edward W. Smykay, Professor, Michigan State University
1967: E. Grosvenor Plowman, Vice President, Traffic, US Steel
1966: Donald J. Bowersox, Vice President/General Manager, E.F. MacDonald Stamp Company
1965: Will Gribble, Director, Customer Service, Pillsbury Company