Out of Home Advertising Industry Leaders Presented with Top Awards

The out of home (OOH) advertising industry honored seven leaders at its national convention on Tuesday. Richard Schaps, chairman and CEO of Van Wagner Communications based in New York, won the highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement Award of Excellence for long-time extraordinary contributions to the industry.

The seven awards were presented by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) on the last evening of the 2013 OAAA/TAB National Convention & Trade Show in Los Angeles.

For more than 40 years, Schaps has served the OOH advertising industry as a leader, innovator, philanthropist, and trend setter. He began his career by purchasing a stake in Van Wagner in 1971. By the early 80s, Schaps was helping revive outdoor advertising in Times Square. He is now CEO and principal shareholder of a successful OOH company that employs more than 400 people across the country.

Schaps has held multiple volunteer leadership positions at the industry’s trade association, OAAA, and is active in the industry’s political outreach. He has also served on the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) Board of Directors for more than 10 years.

“The ‘P’ in Schaps is for persistence,” said OAAA President and CEO Nancy Fletcher. “Yes, Richard is competitive. But when it comes to the industry, he’s always there.”

Schaps accepted the award from the 2011 recipient, Fairway Outdoor Advertising CEO Mark Moyer, who said: “Richard has been at the forefront of innovation for more than 40 years, while also proving it’s possible to thrive and still demonstrate immense personal generosity.”

The Marketing Award of Merit, the industry’s top marketing award, was presented to Jodi Senese, chief marketing officer at CBS Outdoor. Senese began her OOH career in 1981 at New York Subways, where she repositioned NY subway media. She went on to help transform commuter rail advertising and street furniture across the country, ensuring its permanent acceptance and respect in the larger OOH community.

Senese has served on the OAAA Marketing Committee more than a decade, most recently helping to navigate the industry through a brand-realignment, and she has been one of the most vocal supporters of TAB OOH Ratings, the industry’s new audience measurement system.

“Jodi is a true marketer in every sense of the word,” said OAAA Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Freitas. “Her love of transit and the OOH industry as a whole is obvious in her dedication to provide consumers with a positive advertising experience, and her commitment to excellence is unwavering.”

Andrea MacDonald, CEO of MacDonald Media and recipient of the 2011 Marketing Award of Merit, presented the award to Senese, commenting, “Jodi has moved the OOH industry forward with a tireless desire to constantly improve the effectiveness and quality of the medium.”

OAAA also inducted five industry leaders into the OAAA Hall of Fame:

Scott Butterfield, Lamar Advertising Company: Butterfield has nearly a quarter century of managerial and executive experience in the OOH advertising industry. He began his career with Whiteco in Tucson, AZ, and later formed Northwest Outdoor, which was purchased by Lamar. Butterfield has been instrumental in seeking and implementing digital billboard technologies and successfully advocated for legislation to protect property rights for billboards and landowners in Idaho. Butterfield is Lamar’s regional manager based in Boise, ID.

Ken Guy, Fairway Outdoor Advertising: Guy’s career in OOH advertising spans more than 30 years. He began as a billboard painter and went on to serve the industry’s operational needs in multiple OOH companies. Ken has served on the Board of Directors for the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia and currently serves on the Safety, Standards, and Technology Committee for OAAA. In 2008, Ken was awarded OAAA’s Excellence in Operations Management Award. Guy is Fairway’s National Director for Operations, based in Duncan, SC.

Bryan Parker, Clear Channel Outdoor: Parker, EVP of real estate & public affairs at Clear Channel Outdoor, has been with the company for more than 20 years. He has helped lead state, local, and national legislative coalitions on behalf of industry goals, helping to shepherd the introduction of digital technology, ensuring reasonable regulation, and advancing partnerships that showcase the effectiveness of the medium. Bryan is chairman of the OAAA Legislative Committee and has served in the leadership of the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association. Parker is based in Phoenix, AZ.

Bill Ripp, Lamar Advertising Company: Ripp, who joined the OOH industry in 1989, has led Lamar Advertising Company’s digital billboard efforts. He has served as an industry leader in the digital OOH platform, helping to develop industry-wide guidelines and establish partnerships with government agencies such as the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Ripp currently serves as the chair of the OAAA Digital Billboard Committee. Ripp, director of Lamar Digital, is based in Loma Linda, CA.

Joe Zukin, Meadow Outdoor Advertising: Zukin has been in the OOH advertising industry for more than 40 years. He began his association with the industry as a client as president & CEO of Frontier Village Amusement Park in San Jose, CA, in the 1960s. He then spent 30 years as president & CEO of Meadow Outdoor Advertising, a family owned, service-oriented firm that gave back to the communities in which it operated. Devoted to the industry, Zukin has served positions on the OAAA Board of Directors, supporting political outreach, and helping to ensure strong protections in laws and regulations across the country. He lives in Sebastopol, CA.