NBCE announces awards for distinguished service to chiropractic profession

Earlier this month The Paul M. Tullio Award for Distinguished Service to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) was awarded to Horace C. Elliott and Michele K. Fisher for their numerous years of individual contributions to the NBCE and the chiropractic profession.

To be considered for the Tullio Award the recipient must have distinguished themselves in the area of examination development, administration, analysis and/or scoring. Nominations may be made by any member of the NBCE Board of Directors and forwarded to the Executive Committee who then select a winner. Nominees are accepted annually but awarded only when an individual, who has exemplified significant service to the National Board and its mission, has been identified. Since its inception in 2007, the award has been presented twelve times.

Of this year’s nominees, NBCE Chief Executive Officer Norman Ouzts, D.C., proudly stated, “We would be here for days on end if we were to list out all the accomplishments and contributions these two have made to the chiropractic profession.”

Mr. Elliott was asked to present Michele K. Fisher with her award and then in turn was surprised with the presentation of his award by Dr. Norman Ouzts. Mr. Elliott stated, “Michele has been an integral component of the Part IV exam since its inception, and in my opinion, the Part IV exam would not be the success it is today—if it had not been for her contributions. I have had the pleasure of watching her, quite literally, grow up in the National Board. When she came to the NBCE 37 years ago she was fresh out from high school with special typing skills, and special work ethic, who was capable of most anything.”

Michele Fisher started her career at NBCE in the item pool department before being recruited by Dr. Paul Townsend to assist in developing the Part IV exam in 1997. In 2009 Michele was promoted to the Manager of Practical Exam Production and most recently promoted last year to Exam Production Manager. She not only made sure that a flawless exam was delivered every administration, but she developed and led the standardized patient training program at all of the practical exam test sites. Through her hard work, sheer grit, determination, and commitment to excellence in everything she does she has made herself a valuable and beloved leader at the NBCE.

Horace Elliott came to the NBCE in 1986 and it became evident very quickly that big things were going to happen. In the late 1980s he guided the development and implementation of chiropractic’s Written Clinical Competency Exam, now known as Part III. As the NBCE grew under Elliott’s steady hand, so did its need for administrative and meeting space. He was charged with overseeing the design and construction of NBCE’s current Greeley, Colorado campus, including the main building headquarters which opened in 1990, and the eventual expansion in 2010. This meeting space was named the Horace C. Elliott Center as a tribute to Horace and his impact on the chiropractic profession. In the mid-1990s Mr. Elliott oversaw the research and development necessary to introduce Part IV, the nation’s first examination of its kind in all healthcare to assess a provider’s readiness for practice. Horace has also been honored by others for his leadership. In 2001 he received the George Arvidson award for meritorious service by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. He is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate in humanities from the Texas Chiropractic College and an honorary doctorate and fellowship from the American College of Chiropractic. Horace C. Elliott’s impact on the profession not only extends to the profession as a whole and the NBCE, but also to numerous chiropractic leaders personally.

The NBCE Board of Directors were unanimous in their decision to award such dedicated individuals with The Paul M. Tullio Award. Daniel Côté, D.C., expressed, “We are so proud to honor two distinguished individuals who have dedicated their life’s work for the advancement of the chiropractic profession.”