The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) proudly announces the establishment of the Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service, an honor named after longtime practitioner, BOC board member and leader James Newberry, Jr., BOCP, BOCO, BOCPD, who passed away in 2016.
“Jim was completely devoted to BOC and to the O&P profession. He cared so deeply about helping others and wanted nothing more than to make a positive difference in this world. Jim would have been so pleased that this award is named in his honor,” said Lynne Newberry, Jim’s wife of more than 45 years.
BOC President & CEO Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, said, “All of us at BOC recognize the legacy Jim left behind and we hope this award encourages others to make similar contributions to BOC and the professional communities we serve.”
About the Award
The Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service will recognize outstanding individuals who perform extraordinary service to BOC and its community of stakeholders, and who live out the superior example modeled by Newberry during his more than four decades in the field of orthotics and prosthetics. Winners might include—but are not limited to—current or former board members, test development volunteers, vendors or other business partners, certificants, personnel from BOC-accredited facilities, consultants and staff members.
Effective immediately, BOC is accepting nominations for the award and will consider nominees on an ongoing basis. Typically, there will be no more than one winner per year, and there is no requirement for BOC to name a winner every year. Upon recommendation from the chair of the BOC board of directors, in rare instances the board may select more than one winner in a given year.
The BOC board will invite winners to be their guests at a board meeting or other appropriate event to receive the award, with travel, lodging and meal expenses covered by BOC. BOC will also recognize winners in a news release and other promotional materials, including signage at BOC headquarters. Each honoree also will receive a special commemorative plaque.
To submit a nomination, visit the Jim Newberry Award page.
About Jim Newberry
A graduate of New York University, Newberry began his career as an orthotist/prosthetist while serving in the United States Air Force. Following his military service, he joined Mahnke’s Orthotics and Prosthetics in Oakland Park, Florida, where he spent more than 40 years as owner, practitioner and director of orthotics/prosthetics.
Newberry was well-known for providing orthoses to athletes of all ages, including the Miami Dolphins. He also supplied prop orthotics for Tom Selleck in the 1992 movie “Folks.” Newberry’s longtime passion was improving the lives of children. In addition to providing them with scoliosis orthoses, prosthetic limbs and cranial remolding helmets, Newberry also established four pediatric orthopedic clinics. In his free time, Newberry enjoyed boating, fishing, scuba diving and snow-skiing, and volunteered as a youth counselor for his local church.
For more than 30 years, Newberry served BOC in numerous capacities. He held many leadership positions for the BOC Board of Directors, including Chair, and was Interim Executive Director after the retirement of BOC’s founder, Donald O. Fedder, DrPH, MPH, BSP, FAPhA. Newberry was a facility accreditation site surveyor, a video practical exam reviewer and a test development volunteer for BOC’s orthotist, prosthetist and pedorthist exams.