Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum News Release - Museum volunteer honored by Indiana Lt. Governor with award

AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG MUSEUM 


July 2006

     AUBURN - Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum volunteer Jerry Beck was honored by
the state recently as a recipient of the 2006 Lieutenant Governor's Hoosier
Hospitality Award. A ceremony was held at the Indiana Statehouse in
Indianapolis, but Beck was unable to attend. Last night Beck was presented
the award by Auburn Mayor Norman Yoder during the museum's monthly
curatorial spotlight and volunteer association meeting.  

Sharon Fouke, museum program support manager, nominated Beck for the award,
which annually recognizes individuals who provide exceptional service to
guests visiting a Hoosier tourism attraction or hospitality business. The
nomination included a one-page essay on the candidate's contributions to
Indiana tourism. Jerry Beck was one of 21 winners who were honored by
Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman this year. "Customer service is a
critical part of our visitor's experience in Indiana," said Amy Vaughan,
Director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.  "Indiana is well
known for its outstanding hospitality, thanks to dedicated volunteers like
Jerry Beck.  We greatly appreciate and applaud his efforts." 

Beck has been a volunteer at the museum for over 14 years donating time as a
gallery host, docent and helping with school groups that regularly visit the
museum. Throughout the years Beck has served on the museum's board of
trustees, as president of the museum's volunteer association, and has been a
master trainer for many new docent and gallery host training sessions. Fouke
appreciates the hard work and dedication that Beck has given the museum and
the positive impact he has made on staff and visitors alike, "Jerry's
presence and knowledge is a reflection of how the museum would like to be
perceived by the public," said Fouke. "Jerry is a very dedicated person and
truly loves working with people, both young and old. Corporations have
changed their business dinner dates at the museum just to coincide with
Jerry's schedule. People love to be around Jerry and it shows. In my book,
Jerry Beck is Hoosier Hospitality at its finest." 

Beck loves to interact with visitors on a personal level, "I get a great
deal of satisfaction out of taking things I find interesting and talking
about them with the visitors at the museum. I love to see the responses on
their faces when they just learned something new," Beck said. "I am not
really interested about how many Auburns were produced in 1931 or other
years. I find interest in the added human element that took place here in
this building many years ago. I like to tell the stories about the human
side of people like E.L. Cord and what they were like and how they helped
mold Auburn Automobile Company into what it became."

Beck, Hoosier born and raised, resides in Fort Wayne with his wife of 39
years, Betty. Together they have a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.
Beck has been employed at OmniSource for 16 years as an industrial marketing
representative.

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum exhibits 120 classic, antique, vintage and
special interest cars in the restored 1930 art deco national headquarters of
the former Auburn Automobile Company. The museum, accredited by the American
Association of Museums in 1997, is designated as a National Historic
Landmark. It is open to visitors daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.