Deciding on who should receive the President’s Award seemed like a daunting task to me, until I realized that Derek Lowe hadn’t yet been a recipient of it. I cannot imagine the Association of Professional Piercers without Derek. I believe that one of the reasons the Conference Committee had chosen Derek Lowe as the speaker for our Conference’s Orientation for so long is that Derek embodies so many qualities that we want our organization to represent: strong, rational, mature, friendly and always there when you need him. Derek is a member of the Oversight Committee, and in that position is a resource to the Board offering historical context and insight when necessary. He has been an enormous influence on me as a person, a piercer, and an APP Member. It was truly an honor to be able to present the award to him, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to do so.