The American Society of Transportation & Logistics (AST&L) has created a new membership designation, the Distinguished Logistics Professional. Announced last month following the group's annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the move will allow the society to "recognize that unique upper echelon of logistics professionals who have shown their mastery through significant and career-long contributions," says AST&L President John Ficker.

Earning the new designation for 2004 are:

• Dr. L.L. Waters, University Professor of Transportation Emeritus, Indiana University, who is widely acknowledged to be the "grandfather" of virtually all of the logistics, supply chain and transportation university-level programs in the United States today.
• William A. "Gus" Pagonis, executive vice president at Sears Logistics Inc., who earned his nod for transforming outdated technology, obsolete supply lines and disparate logistics operations units into a unified supply chain that successfully supported Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm, as well as his subsequent redesign and turnaround of supply chain operations as chief logistics officer at Sears.
• Don Schneider, chairman of the board at Schneider National Inc., based on his remarkable success in growing a family-based trucking company into one of the country's largest and most complete providers of logistics services, as well as his tireless efforts in support of education, professionalism, ethics and integrity in the logistics industry. Schneider is chairman of the Business Advisory Committee for Northwestern University's Transportation Center and is a member of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management's advisory board.
• Fredrick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO of FedEx Corp., who earned the designation based on his work in the logistics field, dating back to the founding of Federal Express 33 years ago. Smith, who is co-chairman of the U.S.World War II Memorial Project, is also a member of the board of the Business Roundtable, the Business Council, the Cato Institute, the Mayo Foundation, and a member of the board and former chairman of both the U.S. Transport Association and the International Air Transport Association.