The International Warehouse Logistics Association presented awards honoring members for their leadership and service to the industry at the IWLA 119 th Annual Convention in San Diego last week.

Frank Bender, former Chairman of the Bender Group, Reno, NV, was honored with IWLA Distinguished Service Award posthumously. The award was accepted by his daughter-in-law Priscilla Bender.

The honor recognizes Frank Bender's outstanding service to the third-party logistics industry and IWLA, particularly his long-time dedication to education and economic development, as well as his leadership and integrity.

When he died in December 2009, Mr. Bender left a legacy of more than 60 years of commitment and personal investment in shaping the growth of his community, his state and his industry.

Mr. Bender grew up in California and attended the University of California, Berkeley. He returned to Reno after service in the U.S. Navy during World War II to work with his father at Bender Moving and Warehouse, a company his father founded in 1945 with a 60,000-square-foot warehouse and a few trucks. He later succeeded his father and led the company to become nationally recognized in the warehousing industry.

Among his many accomplishments was his role in creating the Center for Logistics Management in the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1988. This successful program has attracted major employers from around the country and provides students with classroom study and hands-on training in distribution, manufacturing, warehousing, purchasing and marketing.