70 New Challenges and Opportunities Kotoske, DO, also known as “Diamond Don” for his love of flashy, diamond-studded jewelry, suggested a more prestigious approach. Dr. Kotoske insisted that the award deserved a pin equal to its honor and proposed a design featuring no less than 10 diamonds on a gold pin fashioned in the likeness of the ACOFP logo. His suggestion eliminated the need for multiple pins, requiring only one to designate the award. With the help of a jeweler working with Justina Burk, the council staff liaison, a pin was crafted with five diamonds on each side of the ACOFP logo and four diamonds in the center representing the four core areas of service, arranged with two diamonds on each side of the caduceus. The inscription “Distinguished Fellow” was placed in a double banner at the top of the pin, and “Osteopathic” was placed in a single banner at the bottom. One option was a 14-carat gold pin with real diamonds, and Dr. Kotoske proudly owned that first solid gold pin. A more affordable version with gold plating and simulated diamonds was also made available. The pin remains just as impressive and modern today as when it was first issued. Many who wear it in public report being approached by individuals curious about its significance. Indeed, Dr. Kotoske’s vision of a pin equal to the honor has been realized. The inaugural class of distinguished fellows in 2004 was the largest in the organization’s history, featuring 21 of the most esteemed leaders in ACOFP and the osteopathic profession. Among them, Mary Burnett, DO, FACOFP dist., and John Sevastos, DO, FACOFP dist., were honored as the first recipients of the Distinguished Fellow Award. Over the next two decades, the ACOFP Distinguished Fellow Award program expanded, recognizing a total of 93 members by 2024. The 2024 class of distinguished fellows. The 2004 inaugural class of distinguished fellows. The first two Distinguished Fellow Awards were presented to Mary Burnett, DO, FACOFP dist., and John Sevastos, DO, FACOFP dist.
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