Dennis Orthner, Ph.D. received the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) President’s Award at the organization’s 2011 conference in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 17.
Gary Bowen, Ph.D., NCFR president and Orthner’s colleague at the UNC School of Social Work, presented the award. This bi-annual award is given at the discretion of the president to a person whom the president considers to have advanced the organization and the president’s initiatives. Orthner has played a key role in NCFR for 40 years.
In his remarks, Bowen noted the instrumental role that Orthner had played in his professional career:
“He was the person who encouraged me to join NCFR in 1977 and, when I was elected president, he was the first person to congratulate me and offer his assistance. Dennis facilitated the work of the board in examining and revising the NCFR Ends (the organization’s desired results), which was the major focus of my efforts as president. I am a firm believer that there are no self-made people—we all stand on the shoulders of those who have stepped forward to nurture and mentor us. Dennis has been such a person in my life, and I am most appreciative of his wise counsel and his steadfast support through thick and thin. One of the most fortunate days of my life was the day I met Dennis Orthner.”