Lynn C. Fritz Medal

Frequently Asked Questions

Statutes

Preamble

In every aspect of humanitarian Supply Chain Management, the ultimate goal is to meet the needs of the beneficiary, people who are affected by disaster. As disasters become more frequent and complex, there is a need to better understand and address the challenges faced by humanitarian logisticians to make timely delivery of the right supplies to people in need. With the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics, the Logistics Hall of Fame honors humanitarian organizations worldwide for outstanding logistics projects. The award is intended to motivate organizations to promote and continuously improve humanitarian supply chain as well as recognize its strategic value as a key competence for humanitarian action.

The award is presented by the Logistics Hall of Fame. The recipients of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics are documented in the Logistics Hall of Fame and freely accessible at any time at www.logisticshalloffame.net.

The Logistics Hall of Fame has been honoring milestones in logistics and its movers and shakers since the turn of the millennium. Its members are people who have developed logistics and supply chain beyond the boundaries of their own organization. In addition to its preservation function, the Logistics Hall of Fame, by awarding the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics, takes into account its task of documenting outstanding current achievements in logistics, honoring the movers, and initiating and promoting innovations.

In this way, the medal aims to publicize the efficiency and innovative strength of the industry as well as the social relevance of excellent logistics and to contribute to the competitiveness and image improvement of the entire logistics industry.

Initiator, donor and name giver

The initiator and donor of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics is the Fritz Institute, based in California, USA. The medal is named after its Chairman and CEO Lynn C. Fritz.

Fritz Institute was founded in 2001 by Mr. Lynn C. Fritz, a social entrepreneur and philanthropist who recognized that effective front-line humanitarian operations must be supported by strong operations capabilities: effective processes, appropriate use of enabling technologies, well-trained logistics personnel, objective performance metrics, and institutionalized learning across the humanitarian sector. Lynn C. Fritz is the former Chairman and CEO of Fritz Companies, a Fortune 1000 global logistics corporation.

The initiator, the donor and the name giver have no influence on the election and the operational implementation of the election process. The opinion of the donor must be heard and taken into account in strategic questions and directional decisions. These include:

• Change in the purpose and fundamental direction of the award.
• Serious changes in the election mode or the evaluation criteria.
• New projects and concepts that have far-reaching effects on the award.

1. The committees

1.1 The jury: Tasks and appointment of members

The jury selects the winning project each year. Its members represent the award in public, support and promote the objectives of the award.

The jury consists of international experts in humanitarian logistics, the professional public and society. Its members should reflect the entire breadth of the sector. Jurors come from the fields of science, business, politics and the media. Celebrities can also be a juror.

The members of the jury are appointed by the award organization (Logistics Hall of Fame) in consultation with the Fritz Institute. Membership of the jury is linked to the function. It ends automatically when the member leaves an office or professional function. A retired jury member may not be reappointed to the jury before the expiry of a period of at least six months.

An organization can only be represented on the jury by one person/vote per country.

Participation in the jury is free of charge.

The tasks of the jury include:

• Selection of the winning project
• Representing the award to the public
• Generating publicity

Should a member of the jury be involved in a project proposed for the award, he/she will automatically resign from the panel for the duration of the relevant election period. In this case, the membership ends on the date of the proposal and starts again after the announcement of the winner.

1.2 Expert Council: Tasks and appointment of members

The Expert Council is an operational body. Its members are recognized specialists in the field of humanitarian logistics. A member of the Expert Council may also be a member of the Jury. The members of the Expert Council identify suitable projects and actively support the applicants in their applications. In addition, they determine a shortlist of at least three projects from all proposals in the first round of voting, which are then presented to the jury for voting.

Participation in the Expert Council is free of charge.

The tasks of the Expert Council include:

• Setting the criteria for evaluating projects: i.e. individuals or teams, innovation or achieving results
• Researching and proposing suitable projects
• Answer questions of aid organizations in the application process
• Evaluation of all proposed projects
• Selecting the finalists (shortlist) and making a recommendation to the Jury
• Representing the award in public
• Proposing new jury members after the departure of members

The members of the Expert Council are appointed by the award organization (Logistics Hall of Fame) in consultation with the Fritz Institute. The membership of the Expert Council is linked to the function, it ends automatically with the retirement from an office or professional function.

Should a member of the Expert Council be involved in a project proposed for the award, he/she shall automatically resign from the body for the duration of the relevant election period. In this case, the membership ends with the date of the proposal and starts again after the announcement of the winner.

2. Application and nomination

Aid organizations from the field of humanitarian logistics are eligible to apply. Each organization can apply with its own projects. An application can also be submitted jointly by several participants (joint projects). The projects must be supply chain or logistics projects that have been implemented and proven in practice. Theoretical papers or declarations of intent are not sufficient.

Applications must be submitted in writing via the Internet form at www.logisticshalloffame.net . A project must not be older than three years.

An application must contain the following elements:

• Contact details of the applicant
• Detailed description of the logistics project and its practicality
• Key figures
• Links, PDFs, statements, pictures or videos

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of their application and will be informed after the selection.

The Expert Council evaluates each submission and determines the projects to be submitted to the jury for decision from all proposals received each year. Non-awarded projects may be submitted more than once.

Applications and proposals are secret and only accessible to the Expert Council and the jury.

3. Voting

The jury will select the winning project from the group of finalists. The voting will be carried out database-supported and secretly on the closed jury portal of the Logistics Hall of Fame on the Internet. The jury members of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics may communicate with each other.

After reviewing the applications on the jury portal, each jury member will assign a ranking in descending order. At position 1 of the ranking order, the jury member will place the project that she/he considers to be the best. The positions after that will be filled accordingly. Each ranking number may only be assigned once by each jury member.

Each jury member will give reasons for his/her judgement.

Evaluation criteria are: Economy, efficiency, innovation, sustainability, exemplary character for the field of humanitarian logistics and other sectors.

An overall ranking is formed from all the jurors' rankings. The top-ranked project with the highest number of points wins. If no project achieves a simple majority, the projects with the same number of points will be awarded as winners.

4. Secrecy

The members of the jury and the Expert Council undertake to keep the proposed and nominated projects secret and not to pass on the documents to which they have access to third parties.

5. Extraordinary exclusion from the Jury or the Expert Council

Extraordinary exclusion from the jury or the Expert Council is possible upon special request (written form to the Executive Jury Chairperson). It can take place if a member

• neglects or repeatedly fails to exercise the right to vote
• disregards the rule of secrecy
• disregards the statutes

6. Executive Chairperson of the jury

The Executive Jury Chairperson shall be appointed by the Logistics Hall of Fame on a permanent basis. He/she shall manage all activities and business of the award organization and shall be the Chairperson of the jury and the Chairperson of the Expert Council. He/she has regular voting rights in both bodies. The chairmanship of the jury is linked to the function and ends automatically when the person leaves the office or the professional function.

The duties of the Executive Jury Chairperson include all organizational and representative tasks as well as communication tasks of the award organization. These include:

• the operational management and control of all activities of the award
• the operational conduct of the election and all related communication and organizational tasks
• the convening, preparation and chairing of meetings
• contact person for all cooperation partners
• the operation of the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics website at www.logististicshalloffame.net 
• the management of internal and external international communication (information of the panels, press and public relations)
• the formal invitation of new Jury members
• monitoring the statutes
• planning the award ceremony
• further development of the award

7. Election Commissioner

The Election Commissioner is appointed by the Executive Jury Chairperson. He/she shall supervise the proper conduct of the election.

8. Withdrawal of the award

The Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics is awarded in perpetuity. Under special circumstances, an absolute majority of the jury may withdraw an award. Such a revocation requires a multi-step process:

• Expert review of the reasons for disqualification.
• Discussion in the Expert Council
• Two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the jury.

A request for disqualification must be submitted in writing to the Executive Jury Chairperson

9. Miscellaneous

There is no legal claim. Legal recourse is excluded.

Ismaning/Germany, August 22, 2022

Fritz Institute, San Francisco, California

Vision

Fritz Institute envisions a world where every community has the capacity to respond and recover from a major disaster, saving lives and reducing suffering.

Mission

Fritz Institute is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with governments, corporations, and other nonprofit organizations around the world to innovate solutions and facilitate the adoption of best practices for rapid and effective disaster response and recovery.
Fritz Institute was founded in 2001 by Mr. Lynn Fritz and Dr. Anisya Thomas Fritz, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists who recognized that effective front-line humanitarian operations must be supported by strong operations capabilities: effective processes, appropriate use of enabling technologies, well-trained logistics personnel, objective performance metrics, and institutionalized learning across the humanitarian sector.

Board of Directors

• Lynn Fritz, Chairman
• Robert Alspaugh
• David Coulter
• Goery Delacote
• Anisya Thomas Fritz
• Philip A. Marineau
• Barney Osher
• Richard Sambrook

Lynn C. Fritz

Chairman & CEO, Fritz Institute

A visionary in the global logistics industry, Lynn Fritz was the Chairman and CEO of Fritz Companies until May 2001 when it was acquired by UPS. During his 30 years of leading Fritz Companies, Inc, he developed his company from a small Customs Brokerage organization to a publicly traded international logistics services company of over 11,000 employees in 120 countries around the world achieving Fortune 1000 status in 1997. With an enduring contribution of redefining a fragmented and limited services industry through the use of technology, Mr. Fritz formed LynnCo Supply Chain Solutions and the Fritz Institute in 2001. The Fritz Institute has become recognized as the leader in developing programs to support operational effectiveness and logistics capabilities for the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Sector.

Anisya Thomas Fritz

Co-Founder, Fritz Institute 

Dr. Anisya Thomas Fritz is a co-founder of Fritz Institute and served as its Managing Director from its inception in 2001 until July 2007. During her tenure, Fritz Institute developed the award-winning Humanitarian Logistics Software (HLS) and its successor HELIOS; launched the sector-wide Certification in Humanitarian Logistics (CHL); and spearheaded the creation of the New Partnership for African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (NEPARC). As part of her duties, Dr. Thomas led Fritz Institute’s beneficiary-focused research and initiated collaborations with leading universities worldwide. A respected scholar, Dr. Thomas is the author of numerous articles on the global system of humanitarian relief, competitive strategy, and international entrepreneurship.

Mitsuko "Mich" Mizushima

Chief Logistics Officer & Program Director, Fritz Institute

Mitsuko “Mich” Mizushima has led global teams and a multitude of projects in logistics and supply chain management for over 20 years. This expertise expands Fritz Institute’s capability to provide best practices from private sector logistics to support the operations of its partners in the humanitarian relief community. She has led the creation of both traditional and online supply chain organizations, processes, and services. Mizushima’s primary role has been to create and work with the Fritz Institute team to enhance the supply chain capability of humanitarian organizations by first determining the needs then conceptualizing the outcomes and finally developing and implementing solutions.

Lynn C. Fritz

Chairman & CEO, Fritz Institute

A visionary in the global logistics industry, Lynn Fritz was the Chairman and CEO of Fritz Companies until May 2001 when it was acquired by UPS. During his 30 years of leading Fritz Companies, Inc, he developed his company from a small Customs Brokerage organization to a publicly traded international logistics services company of over 11,000 employees in 120 countries around the world achieving Fortune 1000 status in 1997. With an enduring contribution of redefining a fragmented and limited services industry through the use of technology, Mr. Fritz formed LynnCo Supply Chain Solutions and the Fritz Institute in 2001. The Fritz Institute has become recognized as the leader in developing programs to support operational effectiveness and logistics capabilities for the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Sector.

A native of San Francisco, Fritz serves on the Boards of San Francisco’s Exploratorium and the University of California, Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. Fritz received his B.A. from Georgetown University and J.D. from Lincoln University School of Law. In recognition of his outstanding leadership and community service, he was honored with a Doctor of Laws degree by Pepperdine University in 1995 and a Doctor of Laws degree from Drexel University in 2004. He is the recipient of numerous awards for community service including the Citizen Diplomat Award from the International Diplomacy Council (2005) and the California Prize for Service of the Common Good from the University of San Francisco (2008). He was inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame (2021) in recognition of his long and significant contributions to humanitarian logistics.

Logistics Hall of Fame

The Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics is presented by the Logistics Hall of Fame.

Thilo Jörgl, Management Logistics Hall of Fame

Thilo Jörgl is Managing Partner of impact media projects GmbH in Ismaning near Munich. The journalist and moderator blogs at www.bestoflogistics.de. He also works in the management of the Logistics Hall of Fame and the IFOY AWARD.
Jörgl grew up in Krumbach/Bavaria. He started a traineeship at the "Augsburger Allgemeine/Allgäuer Zeitung" in 2001. As an editor, he went to EditorNetwork Medien GmbH in Munich at the beginning of 2006. In 2008, he started as an editor at the trade magazine LOGISTIK HEUTE from the Munich-based publishing house Huss Verlag. In 2010 he was appointed deputy editor-in-chief, and in 2013 editor-in-chief. In 2018, he founded impact media projects with Anita Würmser.

Mitsuko "Mich" Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer & Program Director, Fritz Institute

Mitsuko “Mich” Mizushima has led global teams and a multitude of projects in logistics and supply chain management for over 20 years. This expertise expands Fritz Institute’s capability to provide best practices from private sector logistics to support the operations of its partners in the humanitarian relief community. She has led the creation of both traditional and online supply chain organizations, processes, and services. Mizushima’s primary role has been to create and work with the Fritz Institute team to enhance the supply chain capability of humanitarian organizations by first determining the needs then conceptualizing the outcomes and finally developing and implementing solutions.
Best known for her leadership roles at global logistics company APL, Mizushima headed APL Business Logistics Services (BLS), a process-driven organization that uses proven, state-of-the art technology to deliver supply chain solutions to global clients. She also served as CEO of an internet start-up company that provides supply chain management services over the web.