Council of Excellence Award

Created in 2014, the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils Leonard H. Neiman & Walter Lee Davis, Jr. Council of Excellence Award recognizes councils that are successful in their efforts to provide a strong multi-disciplinary council for their members.  Created by a group of council leaders, past presidents of NAEPC, and current Board and Council Relations Committee members, with all council sizes in mind, the Council of Excellence Award is intended to honor those councils that truly work to grow their programs and services and provide an exceptional member experience. 

The award is named for two individuals who truly sought to strengthen the bond between NAEPC and its affiliated councils during their terms on the board.  Walter Lee Davis, Jr. served as president of the association in 2008 and was instrumental in forming the Council Relations Committee, a group of volunteer members who are charged with being a liaison between affiliates and the national association.  Leonard H. Neiman served the association as a board member for over fifteen years.  He worked tirelessly to gather information about estate planning councils from around the country, both affiliated and unaffiliated, and to make contact with their leadership.

We consider this application a roadmap of best practices; things that help a council run smoothly and support a great member experience.  NAEPC recommends that all councils review it each year to determine where they might like to make improvements or specific areas on which to focus its board efforts.  It has been developed over many years of interaction with councils and their leaders and represents our current understanding of the practices that breed success. At the same time, the application is a reciprocal learning experience.  The narrative portion gives NAEPC an opportunity to learn more about your council and what is happening within the council network.  There has never been a better and more important time for this type of information sharing.

The Council of Excellence Application for Awards Presented in 2027 is available now. All councils who did not apply or were not selected as winners in 2026 are eligible to apply. Winners of the Council of Excellence or Five-Star awards will continue to be recognized through 2027. As NAEPC transitions to a new schedule for its Annual Conference/Estate Planners Forum, the timing of the Council of Excellence Award period has also been adjusted. To align the awards with the new conference schedule, NAEPC is conducting two application periods in 2026. The first, for which applications were due in May, was for the 2026 award cycle. This second application period is for the Awards to be presented in 2027. This is a one-time transition that will establish the new award timeline beginning in 2027 and continuing in future years. Due to the shortened award cycle, 2026 Emerging Councils and Councils not selected will be eligible to complete an application addendum in lieu of a complete application, if they prefer. Contact councilservices@naepc.org to receive an application addendum.

2027 Application

     > "Achieving Excellence" PowerPoint Presentation

Need More Information?

Watch the March 2026 video from the Council Leader Education Series, "The Council of Excellence Program."