2024 WBA AWARDS & ELIGIBILITY
WBA’s awards celebrate the achievements and excellence of our members!
Awards will be announced at the WBA Member Awards Night on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at the Embassy Suites in Brookfield, WI. All nominations for this year's awards must be received by Friday, March 1, 2024.
Recipients will be notified in advance and will receive tickets for their friends and family to attend the awards night. In recognition of the awards, honorees will receive trophies or plaques at the awards presentation.
Awards include Bakery of the Year, Bakers Hall of Fame, Baking Instructor of the Year, Partner of the Year, Tamara Mugerauer Legacy of Service Recognition, Most Valuable Baker (MVB), Rising Star, and Milestone Recognition!
BAKERY OF THE YEAR
The Bakery of the Year award is presented annually to one outstanding WBA Member bakery. The purpose of the award is to highlight and recognize the accomplishments of WBA Member bakeries. The Bakery of the Year Award is sponsored by Valley Bakers Cooperative Association.
Bakery of the Year Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA member
Contribute non-monetarily to their community, the baking industry, and WBA
Have something that qualifies the bakery as an outstanding business
BAKERS HALL OF FAME
Started in 2000, the Bakers Hall of Fame honors those individuals for their service to the baking industry. The purpose of the Bakers Hall of Fame is to honor those who have provided 20 years or more of outstanding service to the baking industry.
Bakers Hall of Fame Inductees Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be a past or present WBA member
Must have given outstanding service to the WBA and the baking industry over the years
BAKING INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
This award honors one Baking Instructor from a Wisconsin Technical College for their outstanding commitment to baking and pastry arts education and excellence in teaching baking skills to their students.
Baking Instructor of the Year Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA member
Be employed as an instructor at one of Wisconsin’s Technical Colleges
PARTNER OF THE YEAR
The Partner of the Year Award recognizes a WBA Member Partner who has demonstrated commitment to Wisconsin’s baking industry and the Wisconsin Bakers Association. This award is given to a WBA Member Partner who has shown commitment to quality, innovation and partnership.
Partner of the Year Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA Partner or Preferred Partner member
Demonstrate commitment to the overall success of the baking industry and WBA
THE TAMARA MUGERAUER LEGACY OF SERVICE RECOGNITION AWARD
Named after the 2018 recipient, Tamara Mugerauer, WBA’s Service Recognition Award recognizes a member who has demonstrated using their success to give back to their community, donates and/or volunteers for charitable causes locally, nationally or globally.
Legacy of Service Recognition Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA member
Be a community-minded or philanthropic business
Have an impact on your local community (donations/volunteering) and/or non-profit organizations
Empower individual members of your management team or staff to use your business as a platform for greater good
MOST VALUABLE BAKER (MVB)
Introduced in 2017, the Most Valuable Baker (MVB) is awarded to recognize an extraordinary WBA member who contributes above and beyond to the WBA.
Most Valuable Baker (MVB) Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA member
Contribute above and beyond to the overall success of the WBA
RISING STAR AWARD
The purpose behind WBA's Rising Star Award is to honor a WBA Academic member who has demonstrated a passion for their work in the industry and shows promise for future contributions to the baking industry and WBA.
Rising Star Award Recipients Must Meet the Following Criteria:
Be an active WBA Academic member
Be currently enrolled in a Baking & Pastry Arts program at a college or university
MILESTONE RECOGNITION
Is your bakery celebrating a milestone this year? Please email jessica@wibakers.com!
To nominate a member for an award please complete THIS FORM.