V38 N3 / 2023 ©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 2163-5315 AMWAJournal.org 42 The Golden Apple Award is given to an AMWA member in recognition of their consistent and outstanding excellence in leading AMWA workshops. This year’s Golden Apple recipient is Hope Lafferty, AM, ELS. Hope joined AMWA in 2003 and has been leading work- shops, roundtables, and hands-on intensives since 2009. She has taught 14 workshop sessions spanning 3 workshop cur- ricula for AMWA. Participants in her workshops consistently give Hope high ratings and excellent feedback. Hope’s involvement in AMWA is truly on a national scale. Beyond her national conference workshop leadership, she’s served 2 terms as the annual conference workshop coordinator and participated in the education committee. She also has been a member of at least 5 chapters, and in chapters where she wasn’t a member, she has led work- shops and talks at AMWA chapter events. Her dedication to learning, teaching, and growth is evi- dent in her career path and contributions. Hope received her certificate in medical writing and editing from the University of Chicago—where she also received her mas- ter’s degree specializing in group psychotherapy and cog- nitive-behavioral therapy. She is a past president of the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences and has served on the editorial board of the last 2 iterations of the AMA Manual of Style. Hope is a faculty member of the medical writing certif- icate program at the University of California, San Diego. The bulk of her medical communication work centers on the academic and research space—with 100% of the grants on which she worked receiving fundable scores. In 2015, Hope made a career pivot by stepping out from behind the desk to teach communication skills, sci- entific writing, public speaking, and leadership. In 2016, she received her training certificate from the Association for Talent Development. In 2020, Hope completed the Habit Finder coaching program, which is the founda- tional work behind this year’s AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference intensive, “How to Think Like a Leader.” Hope also holds instructor member status at the Robert S. Hartman Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on value theory, which is the math and science behind the Habit Finder assessment and Hope’s work as a coach. Hope made another career pivot—from writer and coach to playwright and performer—which led her to enroll in the Professional Training Program at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre at the age of 57. In 2019, Hope qualified to join the Dramatists Guild of America, the lead professional organization for playwrights and lyricists, and is an individual member of the American Association of Community Theatre. She is currently touring 2 solo shows across North America. Please join AMWA in congratulating Hope as she receives her award this fall at the Medical Writing & Communication Conference in Baltimore, MD. The Member Awards Recognition Committee members were Abbie Miller, MWC (chair); Loretta Bohn, ELS (Board of Directors liaison); Elizabeth Brown, MS, PMP; Joanne McAndrews, PhD; Christina Barnes, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC; Jerm-Day Storms, PhD, MWC; and Susan Aiello, DVM, ELS. Diane Noland served as staff liaison, and Susan Krug, MS, CAE, served as ex officio. Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in relation to this article. Author contact: Abbie.Roth@NationwideChildrens.org 2023 Golden Apple Award Recipient Hope Lafferty, AM, ELS AMWA NEWS Abbie Miller, MWC / 2022-2023 Chair, Member Awards Recognition Committee http://www.amwajournal.org