Trust also increases scholarship amount and agrees to fund an updated SBE CertPreview
The Harold Ennes Educational Foundation Trust, the educational foundation that grants scholarships and funds presentation of broadcast engineering-related educational programs, seminars and workshops, and helps underwrite costs with publishing technical books and manuals, has added a new scholarship to its current offerings. 
The new scholarship is in recognition of Gino Ricciardelli, an SBE Charter, Life and Fellow member who died in 2018. Ricciardelli, a long-time supporter of the SBE and the Ennes Educational Trust, and member of SBE Chapter 1, willed a significant part of his estate to the Trust.
With the new addition, the Trust now offers five scholarships:
• John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship (open to anyone)
• Harold E. Ennes Scholarship (open to anyone)
• Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship (open to anyone)
• Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship (open to anyone)
• Youth Scholarship (specifically for graduating high school seniors)
The addition was made at the trustees’ meeting on May 19, 2020. In addition, the trustees also voted to increase the amount of each scholarship from $1,500 to $2,500. Scholarships are awarded annually based on eligible applications received by July 1.
Ennes Trustee Dale Scherbring, CPBE, provided insight into creating the new scholarship. “Gino was a great example of a dedicated broadcast engineer. His leadership throughout his career will be honored by using his generous financial gift to continue to grow and educate youth and professionals in the broadcast Industry. I am honored to assist in recognizing Gino Ricciardelli.”
On the creation of the scholarship, Paul Kaminski, CBT, chair of SBE Chapter 1 Binghamton, said, “Gino was instrumental in making the transition from analog to digital television in the Binghamton market. At an age when many engineers would have retired, his contributions to the process made that transition easier for all involved. His legacy of professionalism, competence and dedication will live on through the Ennes Scholarship that bears his name.”
Separately, the Trust also approved a proposal to fund a new version the SBE Certification sample test software called SBE CertPreview. While the SBE Certification Committee develops the new ATSC 3.0 Specialist Certification, it will also need to add sample test questions for CertPreview, which is due for a program update.
About the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust
The Harold Ennes Scholarship Fund Trust was initiated by Indianapolis Chapter 25 in 1980 in memory of Harold E. Ennes, author of many textbooks for broadcast and broadcast-related communications training and a member of the Indianapolis chapter. Ennes (pronounced “ENN-ess”) was a member of the SBE’s national Certification Committee and made many contributions to the early development of the Certification Program. To encourage greater growth, the Scholarship Trust was transferred by Chapter 25 to the SBE national organization to administer in 1981. The name of the Trust was changed in 1995 to the “Harold Ennes Educational Foundation Trust” to fully embrace its expanded role.
Three trustees are appointed by the Society of Broadcast Engineers Board of Directors and are responsible for the operation of the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust. They are Douglas W. Garlinger, CPBE, CBNT, Fishers, IN; Tony Peterle, CPBE, Miami, FL; and Dale Scherbring, CPBE, Timonium, MD. The Trustees appoint a scholarship committee to select the recipients of the Ennes Scholarships each year. More information about the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust is available at sbe.org/ennes.
Who will the next SBE Engineer of the Year award recipient be? It could be you, it could be someone you nominate. This will be the eighth year that the Chapter Engineer of the Year award is nominated by SBE Chapters. The chapter honorees are then entered into consideration for the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year award. Each chapter can establish its own criteria for the chapter award. Individuals can also be nominated directly for the national award. For the national award, nominations need to be submitted to the National Office by June 15.
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