Festival Hall of Fame

Each year since 1992, the Waterfowl Festival Hall of Fame Awards have been given in recognition of the commitment and impact that individuals have made on the Festival and in turn our community. We proudly honor these people who have had a significant hand in shaping our event into one of the premiere wildlife and waterfowl art shows in the country.

Hall of Fame members have offered at least 10 years of significant support as a community volunteer, Festival leader, collector, artist or innovator. Nominations from the community are accepted each year in June and nominees can be active currently, or retired from their active service with us. Posthumous nominations are also accepted. And if you see someone wearing a silver “Hall of Fame” badge during the Festival weekend, please thank them for all they’ve done!

Our 2020-2021 Hall of Fame Award Winners

Instead of us telling you what we value about them — which is
many, many things — this year, we asked others in the Festival to
tell you about each one of these remarkable Festival friends who do so much behind the scenes to make our event work! Their responses give you, our visitors, an idea of the depth of our history, heritage and importance to the Eastern Shore community

2021: Sean Mann

Sean Mann has been involved in the Festival since the early 80’s. He is a two-time Goose Calling Champion and has  demonstrated a pure love for the Festival. After becoming the first person to win World Goose Calling Champion of Champions, retiring him from competing, he then became the Chair of the World Championships in 1998 and was the face of the contest for the next fourteen years, making it the premier Goose Calling Championship in the country. Sean raised the level of the contest to have its largest purse ever, and developed the prestige of the contest that is now known worldwide. Today, he is a Festival exhibitor and leads the Kids’ Calling Clinic, giving away donated calls to every kid that
signs up. Sean’s ongoing involvement in the World Calling Championships continues to protect the integrity of the contests, and his contributions to the sport are unmatched.

2020: Debbye Perry Jackson
(posthumously)

Debbye had a 50-year old, bird’s eye view of the Waterfowl Festival. As the daughter of one of the Festival founders, she was the original “ducksitter” (youth volunteer), so named because she actually did sit in the carving exhibitors’ booths, minding their birds when they needed a break. Through the years she served as a member and Chair of the Carving Committee and the Wm. A. Perry Scholarship Fund, and as a member of the Board of Directors, eventually being elected President of the Festival in 2018. She had a selfless dedication to the Festival and the community and was a yearround ambassador for the Art of Carving, especially encouraging young artists. Excited to serve as president for the 50th Festival, her dream was cut short by a serious illness requiring her to retire from the Presidency and the Board.

2020: William & David Turner

Turner Sculpture, the home of the father and son team of William and David Turner, was established in 1983 in Olney, Virginia. The two men have a long history and love of the Festival, having been some of our best ambassadors over the years. They have exhibited for decades and, as a trained wildlife biologist, David continues to bring the world of wildlife biology, beauty and art together for visitors. We are deeply grateful to Turner Sculpture for graciously being the foundry for Bart Walter’s featured sculpture in 2021.

2020: Doug Collison

Doug’s leadership is one of the biggest reasons so many of the Festival’s sculptors are able to keep doing the show year after year. He understands the commitment the artists make, and does everything he can to ensure they have a successful weekend. He makes set up a breeze, continually “makes the rounds” to ensure everything is running smoothly, and is always willing to work with the artists and buyers to negotiate a fair deal for everyone. He truly cares about the artists and his heart is in it, which makes all the difference to artists when they are deciding which shows to attend. Having Doug at the helm of the sculpture exhibit is near the top of the list of reasons many sculptors continue to be committed to the Festival year after year.