DAVE G. HOUSER:

While he was still a student at the University of Florida School of Journalism in 1968 Dave got on the winning path with his writing and photography. First came a win in the “People” category of the national Kodak KINSA photo competition, followed by a Florida Bar Association award for “Best Editorial” by a Florida weekly newspaper. Dave was working as a student intern at the Bradford County Telegraph in Starke, Florida, when he was called upon to fill in at the editorial slot while the editor/publisher went on vacation. It was an editorial written by Dave about maximum security conditions at Raiford State Prison that was cited in the award.

Dave credits his parallel abilities as a writer and photographer for a successful 30-year career as a freelance travel journalist. He has been described as a master of the self-illustrated travel article and so it is no surprise that Dave’s long string of travel journalism awards is almost evenly divided between writing and photography. Here’s a partial list – the most important of Dave’s awards:

1984 - “Photographer of the Year” -- Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)

1984 - American Express Explore Canada Award – “Best Travel Photos" Presented by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada

1985 - “Travel Journalist of the Year – Runnerup” – Lowell Thomas Awards competition

1990 - “Gold Award” – Destination Travel Article – Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

1992 - “Grand Award” -- Best Overall Travel Story – Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

1992 - “Bahamas Discovery Award” – Best Travel Article – Presented by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

1992 - “Bronze Portfolio” - SATW Bill Muster Photo Showcase

1992 - “Best Self-Illustrated Article” – Lowell Thomas Awards competition

1993 - “Silver Portfolio” -- SATW Bill Muster Photo Showcase

1993 - “Charlie Award” – Magazine Photography (color) – Presented by the Florida Magazine Association

2003 - “Overall Photography” award – North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) travel journalism competition

2003 - “First Prize – Resort Article” -- North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) travel journalism competition

2004 - “First Prize – Destination Travel Article/Domestic” -- North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) travel journalism competition.

2005 - “First Prize – Destination Travel Article/Domestic” – North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) travel journalism competition

1997 -2006 - For seven out of ten years, Dave won the Gold Award for Best Self-Illustrated Article in SATW's Western Chapter Awards competition.

2007 - Five time winner - North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Travel Journalism Awards competition: First place in the “Destination Travel: Domestic/Magazine” category “Unlocking Key West,” MEN’S FOLIO Magazine; runner-up honors in the “Senior Travel” category for a Yuma, AZ, feature in WHERE TO RETIRE Magazine; another runner-up prize for “Best Cover Photograph” for a Santa Barbara photo gracing the cover of TRAILBLAZER Magazine; an honorable mention in the “Destination Travel; International/Newspaper” category for a feature on Tequila, Mexico, appearing in the Arkansas Democrat, and another honorable mention for photography accompanying his Oregon Coast article in MEN’S FOLIO.

2008 - First Prize – Resorts category - ("Nature Study: New Zealand" Men's Folio Magazine)- North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) travel journalism competition.

2009 Dave netted a pair of Golds, in the SATW Western Chapter Awards competition one in the"Internet Travel Article" category for his Universal Press Syndicate feature on Greenland as posted on DenverPost.com and another top prize in the "Newspaper Travel Article" category for a feature describing his visit to the monasteries of Mt. Athos, Greece. That story was for UPS as well and while it appeared in a number of papers the contest entry came from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

2009 - Dave returns to the podium for his THIRD Lowell Thomas Award -- a Bronze in the competition for the 2009 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award.

2010 - Dave's first-ever prize for environmental writing comes as a Gold Award for "Best Travel Article for Planet Earth" in the Bay Area Travel Writers "BATW Best of 2010" travel writing competition for, "Global Warming's Poster Child," from the Houston Chronicle.

2010 - The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) honors Dave with a rare Lifetime Membership status based on his 33 years of continuous membership.  ASMP is the nation's foremost organization of magazine photographers.

2010 - Dave wins his sixth first place (Gold) award in NATJA's annual awards competition. His winning entry - in the "cultural & educational internet" category - was an Aussie-feature "For Aboriginals, Diamond's Aren't Forever," published by DenverPost.com.