Gardner Receives AATCC Chapin Award
SAVANNAH, G.A., November 18, 2024 – In recognition of his outstanding service to the Association, AATCC has named Billy R. Gardner as recipient of the Harold C. Chapin Award for his contributions and dedication to the Piedmont Section and the AATCC Foundation.
AATCC Involvement
Gardner has been a member of the Association since 1973. As an active member of AATCC, he has been involved with the Piedmont Section, holding multiple positions such as Chair and Treasurer. He has also moderated and served on the planning committee for several Yarn Dyeing symposia. He currently serves as Chair of the Charles H. Stone and Piedmont Section Scholarship Committee.
As Chair of the scholarship committees, Gardner has been a stalwart member and proponent of advocating for the future of the global textile industry. He has been involved in the execution of scholarship interviews for many years, facilitating in-person and online interviews across university campuses. Gardner encourages students to pursue textile studies and is an advocate of making education more accessible, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder passionate students from exploring and contributing to the global textile industry.
Gardner’s service to AATCC is based on thoughtful and reasoned leadership and is founded on his extensive textile experiences. His dedication and devotion to the Association and the AATCC Foundation have been an inspiration to those who have had the privilege and pleasure of working with him.
Education and Accomplishments
Gardner graduated from North Carolina State University in 1973 with a BS in Chemistry and Textile Chemistry. Following graduation, Gardner worked as a lab manager in the dyehouse at Macfield Texturing from 1973 to 1986. He then went on to work in sales at Boehme Filatex and Dystar from 1986 to 2021, and in 2021, began working in sales with BRGardner Enterprise Inc., where he continues to work. He is dedicated to the textile industry, as well as his family.
Gardner has been married to his wife, Lynn, for 47 years, and together they have one daughter, Katie. His daughter and her husband have two wonderful grandchildren, Colton and Chloie, and Gardner is passionate about creating a sustainable world for them to live in.
The Chapin Award
The Chapin Award was established in 1958 in honor of Harold C. Chapin, professor of chemistry at Lowell Textile School, who served as national secretary of AATCC for nearly 25 years. The Association presented the Chapin Scroll to Gardner during the AATCC Textile Discovery Summit Awards Luncheon, on October 8, 2024, at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Savannah, GA, USA.
AATCC connects the global textile community to empower an innovative, informed, and sustainable future. Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, AATCC has provided standards development, testing materials, educational resources, and professional networking to the global textile industry for more than a century.
Media Contact: Bhavani Jayaraman; Marketing Associate; jayaramanb@aatcc.org
Administrative Contact: India Hansen; Administrative Associate and Foundation Coordinator; india@aatcc.org
https://www.aatcc.org/chapin24/
