The Ernest E Waters Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor bestowed on a member of NAPM-Denver, Inc. The NAPM-Denver, Inc Board of Directors of 1967-68 year established the award to recognize outstanding service. The award was originally called the Distinguished Service Award. It was renamed the EE Waters Award in 1981 to honor Ernest (Ernie) E Waters, a long-time member and former Business Manager of NAPM-Denver, Inc.
The Ernest E Waters Distinguished Service Award is presented to a member of NAPM-Denver, Inc. who has:
- Demonstrated leadership, both in the Association and in the purchasing profession
- Provided outstanding service to the Association and to the purchasing profession
- Made contributions for the advancement of purchasing as a profession
- Experienced outstanding success in his or her own position
The recipients of the award, their company and the year they received the award are:
| Year | Recipient | Company |
| 2010 | Daniel J. Marin, C.P.M., A.P.P. | Cricket Communications |
| 2009 | Susan E. Kellar, C.P.M. | IHS |
| 2008 | Diana L. Ocaña, C.P.M. | Aimco Corporation |
| 2007 | Harold N. Okocha, C.P.M. | HealthTrans |
| 2006 | Ginger L. Young, C.P.M. | Denver Newspaper Agency |
| 2005 | Virginia (Vickki) Klingman, C.P.M. | University of Northern Colorado |
| 2004 | Stephen R. Robles, C.P.M., CPIM | Maxtor Corporation |
| 2003 | H Michael Hayes, Ph.D | University of Colorado at Denver |
| 2002 | MaryAnn Pittman, C.P.M. | University of Colorado at Boulder |
| 2001 | Michael C Kirby, C.P.M. | Mountain View Enterprises |
| 2000 | Sandra Schmitzer, C.P.M., CPPO | JD Edwards |
| 1999 | Douglas Henninger, C.P.M. | Denver Water |
| 1998 | Jennifer Fowler, C.P.M. | KN Energy |
| 1997 | D Diane Brown, C.P.M. | Ernst & Young |
| 1996 | Sally Erickson, C.P.M. | Coors Brewing Company |
| 1995 | Jerry L Sanburg, C.P.M. | CH 2 M Hill |
| 1994 | Thomas Sullivan | Arapahoe County |
| 1993 | Lynn Clever, C.P.M. | Full Circle Associates |
| 1992 | Preston J Leavitt, PhD., JD., C.P.M. | |
| 1991 | Donald R Peterson, C.P.M. | Coors Brewing Company |
| 1990 | Carol A Coke | NAPM-Denver |
| 1989 | Janice Beights, C.P.M. | Martin Marietta |
| 1988 | Wayne Benzen, C.P.M. | Rocky Mountain Motor Tariff Bureau |
| 1987 | Lawrence Bell , C.P.M. | MCI |
| 1986 | Richard Sesko | City of Aurora |
| 1985 | Kenneth Pearce, C.P.M. | City of Arvada |
| 1984 | Terri Chambers, C.P.M. | Samsonite Corp |
| 1983 | Robert Lea, C.P.M. | Eversman Inc |
| 1982 | Donald Dobler, PhD., C.P.M. | Colorado State University |
| 1981 | Rogers Coke, III C.P.M. | University of Colorado, Boulder |
| 1980 | Norman Harpole, C.P.M. | NCR Corp |
| 1979 | Marvin Ward, C.P.M. | Storage Technology Corp |
| 1978 | Bill Conard, C.P.M. | Coors Brewing Co |
| 1977 | James B Klein, C.P.M. | Denver Water |
| 1976 | Al Chase | Gates Rubber Co |
| 1975 | Bill Gardner | Public Service Co. of Colorado |
| 1974 | Stan Swenson | Climax Molybdenum |
| 1973 | Donald K Schwartz, C.P.M. | University of Colorado, Boulder |
| 1972 | Patrick Glenn, C.P.M. | Elba Corp |
| 1971 | Tom Childress, C.P.M. | Rockmont Envelope |
| 1970 | P Raymond Johnson, C.P.M. | University of Colorado, Boulder |
| 1969 | Bill Sparn | FTS Corporation |
| 1968 | Ernest E Waters | Colorado School of Mines |