Dr. John T. (Tom) Mentzer, the Harry J. and Vivienne R. Bruce Excellence Chair of Business Policy at the University of Tennessee, received the Council of Logistics Management's (CLM) Distinguished Service Award during a special ceremony on October 4 at the organization's Annual Conference in Philadelphia. He is the 39th person to receive this award since it was inaugurated in 1965 as a tribute to John Drury Sheahan, pioneer logistics consultant and a partner in the consulting firm that bore his name.
Mentzer has compiled many accomplishments within the logistics discipline and for CLM. These include 25 years of training logistics professionals at the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech University, publication of innovative research on a wide variety of problems and issues critical to the discipline, an extensive variety of service contributions to the profession, and leadership in every organization in which he participates.
Mentzer has trained many current academics through the Ph.D. programs at both of the universities. Those former students, now faculty members at universities across the country, stand as a continuing legacy to his academic contributions to the discipline. Mentzer has been at the cutting edge of the academic ranks of the discipline in promoting rigorous methods in the research processes used to investigate logistics and supply chain management issues. He is world-renowned for his expertise in the area of forecast management. Most importantly, his research and executive training over the years have significantly increased the critical role that forecasting plays in the management of demand and supply chain management in many business organizations.
As a past president of the Council of Logistics Management, he has demonstrated his continual commitment to the growth and development of the discipline through his leadership at the highest levels of the profession as he contributed for many years on the Executive Committee.
The Council of Logistics Management presents the Distinguished Service Award annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the art and science of logistics management. The award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual for achievement in logistics.
