In September, the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC) will award the William D. Beiswenger Volunteer Award to Frank E. Friddle, Jr., CO, FAAOP. According to ABC, Friddle was chosen to receive the Beiswenger Award for his “extraordinary volunteer work supporting ABC’s mission and for embodying the spirit of the award.” He will be presented with the award at the national assembly of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) in Seattle, Washington, which will be held from September 20-23.
The William D. Beiswenger Volunteer Award was established in 2000 to honor William Beiswenger, CPO, FAAOP, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, for his outstanding record of volunteerism and his commitment to the ABC mission. ABC stated in a press release that the award “is intended to recognize volunteers who demonstrate dedicated service to ABC and the promotion of its mission to provide the highest standards of excellence in patient care.”
“Frank has given countless hours of assistance to the exam process, served in leadership roles and taken time away from his personal, corporate, and financial objectives for the good of ABC,” said Robert Lin CPO, FAAOP, president of ABC’s board of directors. “He truly epitomizes the spirit of the Beiswenger Volunteer Award, and his continued work with NCOPE [National Committee on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education] speaks to his dedication to the O&P profession.”
According to ABC, Friddle began his service to the organization in 1983 as an examiner for the technician and CPM examinations. He was chosen to serve on the ABC board of directors in 1999 and served for eight years, including a term as president in 2004. Currently, Friddle serves as an orthotic-certification examiner, the candidate liaison on the orthotic exam committee, and the logistical coordinator for the technician and CPM examinations.
In 2009, Friddle joined the NCOPE board of directors. He also served three terms as the president of the South Carolina Society of Orthotists and Prosthetists and was president of an AOPA region in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“I’m extremely humbled to be associated with this award. I am personally close to the previous recipients of this award and to be considered in same realm of volunteerism as them is very humbling,” said Friddle. “I am blessed to have a family that allows me to volunteer my time, since the commitment takes me away from them a good deal of the time. I’m a third-generation practitioner, and this profession has been very good to my family, so the more I can give back, the better I feel.”
The Beiswenger award has only been given out only three times since its inception. Previous recipients include Steven R. Whiteside, CO, FAAOP (2002) and William Teague, CP (2005).
