The General Assembly nominated Mr Gérard Ermisse, Mr Carol Couture and Mr Jonathan Rhys-Lewis as Fellows of ICA, to acknowledge and celebrate these three great professionals.
Gérard Ermisse (France)
Many members of the ICA, and especially throughout la francophonie, have benefitted from the expertise and careful advice of Gérard Ermisse over 45 years of active service. Throughout his professional career, in French departmental archives, and then in key positions in the Archives nationales, becomingdirecteur du Centre historique, he has also provided leadership in professional associations. After serving as President of l’Association des archivistes français in the 1970s, he went on to become member and chair of ICA/SPA from 1984-88 and later member of the Bureau of CITRA, 1988-92 and 2004-08. He played a key role in planning and launching the influential Portail international archivistique francophone(PIAF) and in advancing UNESCO’s adoption of the Universal Declaration on Archives. (2011). He has the distinction of being appointed Chevalierin the Légion d’honneur. The official citation reads:
…être irréprochable dans son métier et faire quelque chose en plus, qui sorte de
l’ordinaire et nous distingue: être créatif et donner aux autres.
Carol Couture (Canada)
During a professional career spanning over 4 decades, Carol Couture has provided exceptional leadership nationally and internationally. University archivist, professeur d’archivistique, conservateur et directeur general des archives du Québec, chair of ICA/SAE and a key organizer of both the ICA Congress 1992 and CITRA, 2007, he has played an influential role in both the ICA and the Portail international archivistique francophone. His colleague. Lise Bissonnette has described him best:
Toute personne familière avec le milieu des archives, au Québec, sait que Carol Couture y a certes mené une carrière exemplaire. Lire son imposant curriculum vitae nous apprend qu’il a été archiviste de pointe, professeur, chercheur, directeur, communicateur, essayiste, éditeur, ce qui constitue déjà un parcours intellectuel et scientifique d’une ampleur peu commune. Mais chacun le sait aussi, le cadre qui gouverne la constitution et la conservation de nos archives tient à son action, travail de conception et travail deterrain qui ont dépassé de beaucoup les limites des postes majeurs qu’il a occupés.
Mme Bissonnette adds:
Si BAnQ est reconnue aujourd’hui comme la plus importante institution culturelle du Québec, tant par sa taille que la diversité de ses missions, c’est aussi parce que sa Direction des archives, sous l’impulsion de Carol Couture, a franchi avec nous des frontières et métissages d’actions que tant d’augures disaient impraticables. Carol Couture’s contributions have been recognized with the award of the Prix Gérard Morisset by Quebec, the highest award for contributions to Quebec society
Jonathan Rhys-Lewis (United Kingdom)
Jonathan Rhys-Lewis has helped focus professional attention on the preservation of archival materials, particularly on creating the appropriate environment for the storage and handling of documentary materials. As lecturer and consultant and through workshops and his publications he has combined theory and practice in an engaging and practical way. He has participated in archive conservation projects in many African countries, including The Gambia, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kenya and has played a vital role in assisting in disaster response.
One of his nominators, Margaret Crockett summarized his recent contributions to ICA:
He has contributed his time and knowledge to the professional programmes of successive CITRAs, Annual Conferences and Congress. For the past four years he has been leading ICA’s Expert Group on Archive Buildings and the Environment where his most notable achievements have been:
· Leading the popular Annual Conference workshops
· Project managing the Bibliography of Archival Buildings and Equipment
· Conducting the survey of archival buildings in Africa
· Collaboration with the Expert Group on Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness on a workshop for the Caribbean branch and in providing ICA expertise on a UNESCO trip to survey earthquake damage in Mexico.
Jonathan is truly an international expert who generously shares his knowledge and
experience with others, works well with fellow professionals and, whilst articulating the gold standard, recognises that any improvement in measures which protect and preserve archives should be encouraged and applauded.