Established in 2025, named after it's inaugural recipient, Jerry Smith, the progressive leadership is given annually to the person showing the utmost dedication to the operations of the NHPA within the past year. Given to someone from the NHPA staff each year following their efforts, anyone on the NHPA staff is eligible for nomination (council members, directors, committee members, etc).

Jerry Smith served the NHPA at the club, charter, and national levels for over 35 years, having started in 1985. He was Sec/Treas for the Northern California and Idaho charters for 10 or more years each. He served as newsletter editor and statistician in both charters before joining the NHPA as Third VP in 2014. He served as NHPA Historian for a number of years and was an integral part of the NHPA HOF Committee. He received an Achievement Award in 2012 and 2024, the Stokes Award in 2018, the HOF of the YOLO HSC in 1998, the NCHPA in 1999, and the Idaho Charter in 2018. Jerry was inducted into the NHPA Hall of Fame in 2023. Jerry stepped down from the executive council in 2023, but continued to support the NHPA council, assisting with shift directing and sanctioned league operations until 2026.