A cavalcade of “stars” gathered for the grand finale of the 2018 Conference & Equipment Show, the Golden Age of Hollywood themed Thursday night dinner/dance. As these MSA celebrities walked the red carpet, most were looking forward to who was going to be named “Best in a Leading Role” also known as the Peter Walsh Award.
The naming of the winner is the highlight of the evenings festivities and is presented to a person who has served the MSA, their chapter and community. All the nominees are worthy of receiving the Association’s highest honor, but only one would walk away with the title of Peter Walsh Award winner.
Following a brief overview of each nominees qualifications, the 2017 winner Carl Valdez opened the envelope and happily revealed that the 2018 honoree was…. Bill Copeland. As he came forward to claim the award, Bill acknowledged the standing ovation that he received from the star-studded assembly.
Bill took a few minutes to thank the Association, his chapter and several individuals, with his typical sense of humor. He closed by saying that the award is shared with his late wife Beverley, who kept him in line and was the driving force behind the couples most important gift to the MSA, the Maintainer magazine. For twenty-two years the dynamic duo published the official magazine of the Maintenance Superintendents Association. Prior to publishing the magazine, the Association did not have a formal way of spreading the word about events, educational opportunities and getting the word out about the MSA. The magazine will remain the Copeland’s legacy
The popularity of this year’s winner was evident by the crowds of people who came forward to congratulate Bill following the award presentation. Mr. Copeland will now have his name forever emblazed on the perpetual trophy, which he’ll be guardian over for the next year.
During his acceptance speech, Bill told the crowd that he has been a member of the Association for so long that he’s probably the only member still around who actually knew Peter Walsh, who was a vendor member of the SF Bay Area Chapter in the 70’s. After accepting all the accolades, Bill was presented with his own “star” from the Walk of Fame, by event emcee Ken Fischer. He then posed with thirteen previous honorees who were in attendance. The group happily welcomed him to this exclusive fraternity.
The entire MSA joins together to congratulate one of its most popular members, Bill Copeland, as the 2018 Peter Walsh Award winner!
The nominees for the 2018 Peter W. Walsh Award were:
Central Coast Chapter
Nominates: Randy Carnahan, Santa Barbara County
Inland Empire/Desert Chapter
Nominates: Xavier Mendez, City of Montclair
San Diego Chapter
Nominates: Doug Blackstock, City of Del Mar - Retired
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
Nominates: Bill Copeland, City of Livermore - Retired