Audrey Iszard, Retirees 1st VP, gets award for fighting for senior rights. She’s flanked by Institute for Senior Action’s Dorothy Epstein and Retirees Pres. Stuart Leibowitz.

Two DC 37 Retirees Association leaders — 1st Vice President Audrey Iszard and Vice President for Publicity and Public Relations Norman O. Davis — recently received high honors.

Mr. Davis won kudos from the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration for his dedication to volunteerism. The Joint Public Affairs Committee recognized Ms. Iszard’s “outstanding work fighting for senior rights.”

Ms. Iszard received the Dorothy Epstein/Institute for Senior Action Legacy Award July 21 at a citywide JPAC meeting. She was salutatorian of her graduating class at the Institute, which trains seniors in political and social action techniques, such as organizing demonstrations, lobbying and using the media.

Ms. Iszard won praise for her contributions to the school, which include recruiting 23 graduates. Many members of the Retirees Association have attended. The award is named for IFSA founder Dorothy Epstein, who cited Ms. Iszard as a “fighter for social justice.” In the 1930s, Ms. Epstein organized a local that helped found DC 37’s national union, AFSCME. Today’s SSEU Local 371 descended from that union, and 70 years later Ms. Epstein is still organizing.

Norman O. Davis, Retirees Association VP for publicity, receives Outstanding Contributor to Volunteerism award June 11 from American Society for Public Administration.

Mr. Davis received the “Outstanding Contributor to Volunteerism” award June 11 at the ASPA’s annual dinner. “I have given whatever and whenever any assistance I could,” said Mr. Davis. Other honorees included City Comptroller William C. Thompson and City Council member Gale Brewer.

Mr. Davis recalled that as a union leader and co-worker, he never hesitated to offer support to colleagues at the Parks Dept. He said his greatest rewards come from helping people advance their careers or resolve personal problems. “It was all about giving of myself to enrich another’s life.”