Vilardi Award
VILARDI AWARD (2009) aka EMMA MAE VILARDI HUMANITARIAN AWARD
(Per Decree Vol. 24, Vol. 3 - 2008)
In 1975, Emma Mae Vilardi established the free International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR). Through donations, Emma Mae was able to purchase an old bank building in Carson City, NV, which began housing the registry in 1989.
Tony married Emma Mae (his landlady) who was the daughter of an adopted woman. When Emma Mae’s mother died before discovering her origins, Emma Mae was inspired to help other people find each other before it was too late. Helping others search for biological family became her life mission; it became Tony Vilardi’s as well.
Emma Mae died in 1990, and the AAC named its “lifetime service award” in her honor, as the Emma Mae Humanitarian Award.
After Emma Mae passed away, her husband Tony Vilardi, continued to attend AAC Conferences and also kept the ISRR up and running. Tony Vilardi was the registrar for eleven (11) years. He remained instrumental in its operation and was also the Chairman of the ISRR’s Board of Trustees. Tony passed away June 14, 2009.
The award name was changed from the Emma Mae Humanitarian Award to the Vilardi award to honor both Emma Mae and Tony Vilardi after Tony passed away. (Per Decree Fall 2009 – Vol. 26, No. 3)
Emma Mae Vilardi AAC Award History
| Year | Vilardi Award Winner(s) |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | Norman Thibault |
| 2016 | Sandy Musser |
| 2015 | Pete Franklin |
| 2014 | Pam Hasegawa |
| 2013 | Paul Schibbelhute |
| 2012 | Ron Nydam |
| 2011 | Mary Martin Mason |
| 2010 | Carolyn Hoard |
| 2009 | Jean Strauss |
| 2008 | Pat Dennett |
| 2007 | Tony Vilardi |
| 2006 | NO CONFERENCE |
| 2005 | Monica Byrne |
| 2004 | Betsie Norris |
| 2003 | Nancy Verrier |
| 2002 | Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao |
| 2001 | Ken Watson & Jane Nast |
| 2000 | Ann Babb |
| 1999 | Linda Burgess |
| 1998 | David Kirk |
| 1997 | Fred Greenman, Caprice East, Denny Glad & Robert Turk |
| 1996 | Annette Baron |
| 1995 | Betty J. Lifton |
| 1994 | Dot Yturriaga & Doreen Alegrete |
| 1993 | Gayle Beckstead |
| 1992 | Susan Darke |
| 1991 | Dirck Brown |
| 1990 | Emma Vilardi Died in January |