The Mulrooney Award

In its rich history, the North American Wholesale Lumber Association has seen many great leaders. One of those was John J. Mulrooney, a career lumber wholesaler who later served as NAWLA’s chief executive for nearly 20 years until his untimely death in 1979.

NAWLA established the John J. Mulrooney Award to commemorate his life and career, emphasizing his important contributions to the forest products industry. Since his passing, NAWLA has recognized an elite group of individuals who exemplify the qualities Mulrooney embodied: steadfast leadership, strategic thinking, personal integrity, and service to others.

Nominations for the 2024 John J. Mulrooney Award have closed.

 

Congratulations to the 2023 John J. Mulrooney Award recipient, Jonathan E. Martin. 

After graduating from the Culver Military Academy in 1965 and from Louisiana State University in 1971, Jonathan E. Martin married his wife Maggie and made their home in the small town of Ringgold, Louisiana where he started work in the family sawmill business as a plant manager. From 1971 until his death in 2019, Jonathan served in many roles at RoyOMartin, including chairman, CEO and past president. During his time at RoyOMartin, he was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004 for the Gulf Coast region. He also received the American Panel Association’s Bronson Lewis Award for lifetime leadership in 2015 and the Alexandria Rotary Club’s Service Above Self Award in 2019.

The presentation of the 2023 John J. Mulrooney Award was held at the 2023 NAWLA Leadership Summit event on March 13, 2023 in Palm Desert, California. NAWLA was proud to welcome Jonathan's wife, Dr. Maggie Martin to accept the award on her late husbands behalf.