1. The nominee should be a member of The Massachusetts Environmental Health Association in good standing.
2. The nominee should be a Registered Sanitarian in Massachusetts or other jurisduction.
3. The nominee should have been engaged in the field for at least three (3) years.
4. The name of the nominee shall be submitted to the committee for evaluation at least sixty days before the Annual Meeting.
5. The Award can be given to the recipient only once.

In 1997 the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Environmental Health Association voted to recognized dedicated longstanding member of the Association by creating an award in his honor. The Vartkes’Vic” Karian Award is presented annually to an individual, organization or agency in recognition of outstanding contributions to and support of the practice of environmental health in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was approriate that the first awardee was Vartkes ”Vic” Karian.

Year Recipient 1998 Vartkes "Vic" K. Karian 1999 Scott Harshbarger 2000 John Higgins 2001 Richard Waskiewicz

Year Recipient 2002 Michael Cahill 2003 Mayor Thomas Menino 2004 Suzanne Condon

In tribute to Bob Periello for the many years of service and acomplishment during a career over thirty years of Public Health and academic service in New England, the Yankee conference Board of Directors established the “Robert C. Periello Merit Award”.
An outstanding Sanitarian from each state may be selected annually and presented thhis Certificate of Merit ad a savings bond in an amount approved by the Board of Directors at the Annual Yankee Conference.
The significance of this award is to acknowledge the professional achievements made by Sanitarians in the field of Environmental Health. Everyone recognises that there are individuals working at each level of responsibility who deserve recognition for their contribution to the field of public health.

CRITERIA
1. The sanitarian must be chosen for the award by the Board of Directors of each individual state association.
2. The nomination of the person receiving the award must be submitted to the Yankee Conference Board of directors not less than 45 days prior to the date of the Educational Conference.
3. The Sanitarian must be registered in their state where a state sanitarian Registration Act exists and be a member of the State's association.
4. The recipient must have performed a service that produced a positive benefit to the field of environmental health in their state. This service can be either a single new achievement or a continuing program of outstanding merit.
5. The Yankee conference Board of Directors must receive from the President of each State association a written description concerning the nominee including a biographical sketch and a short statement describing the nominee's accomplishment.