Karen Hewson Named 2011 Schroeder Award Winner
KAREN HEWSON NAMED 2011 SCHROEDER AWARD WINNER
Golf Canada staffer honoured for career contributions to sports heritage
Golf Canada’s Karen Hewson will be honored by the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) for her long-time service and contributions to the sports heritage industry.
Hewson, currently the Managing Director of Membership and Heritage Services with Golf Canada, will receive the prestigious Schroeder Award during the association’s annual conference in Oakville next month. The Schroeder Award is the highest honor presented by the ISHA and is awarded to an individual for his/her meritorious service of lasting nature in the sports heritage industry.
A native of Whitby, Ont., Hewson earned a degree in Canadian History from York University and was later hired by Golf Canada in 1989 as a curator, archivist and librarian.
In 1997, she was named the Director of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and during her tenure, Hewson conceptualized, designed and oversaw the construction and installations of the museum and a subsequent expansion. Under her direction, the museum was transformed to include an expanded collection of 6,000 books, 10,000 artifacts, 150,000 photographs and hundreds of linear feet of corporate and golf archives. In addition, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame established an archive program, an oral history program with Hall of Fame members, and also developed and implemented a multifaceted traveling exhibit program featuring various aspects of the game.
Having written numerous articles for golf publications in Canada, Hewson also served as editor and primary contributor of The Open Golf Championship of Canada 1904-2004: A Century of Champions and also planned and supervised the implementation of the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s Centennial program as well as the centennial of the RBC Canadian Open Championship.
In 2008, Hewson was named the Executive Director of the Golf Canada Foundation, a scholarship and grant issuing organization that manages over $1.5 million in endowments for post-secondary education. Since 2010 she has also served as Golf Canada’s Managing Director of Membership and Heritage Services.
A past president of both the International Sports Heritage Association and the Canadian Association for Sports Heritage, Hewson is also committed to serving her community. A founding board member of the Oakville Economic Development Alliance and a past board member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, she has been the chairperson of the Oakville Tourism Partnership and also sits on the board for the Regional Tourism Organization.
The International Sports Heritage Association’s annual conference is being hosted by the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum from October 12-14, 2011.