Gerry Jackson Kerdok of Hudson, Massachusetts captured the top '"Best in Show" nationwide honor in the 15th annual Graceful Envelope calligraphy contest sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the Washington, DC Calligraphers Guild, the postal union announced today.

She was praised by the judges for the envelope's artistry, elegant lettering and integration of the contest's environmental theme into the design.

NALC President Fredric V. Rolando congratulated Ms. Kerdok on behalf of the postal union's 300,000 members for her Best in Show envelope incorporating the 2009 theme – "Address the Environment" – that promotes the preservation of our natural world. All winning envelopes can be viewed at: www.calligraphersguild.org.

The 2009 contest was juried by professional calligraphers Sammy Little and Marta Legeckis and NALC Secretary-Treasurer Jane E. Broendel. This year's adult competition attracted nearly 150 entries from throughout the United States, and another 250 entries in junior and children's divisions.

The contest was created in 1995 by the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum, which later delegated administration responsibilities to the Washington Calligraphers Guild. In 2003, the NALC joined as a co-sponsor. In addition to promoting the art of calligraphy, the contest celebrates the role of letters in binding people together and serves as a reminder that the people who deliver the mail are career government employees who take pride in their work and care about the communities they serve.

The 2009 "Best in Show" work, along with other winning envelopes will be on display at NALC headquarters in Washington beginning October 1. The NALC building is located near Union Station and the U.S. Capitol, at the intersection of Louisiana Avenue and First Street NW. The exhibit will be open to the public, free of charge, Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. For further information, call (202) 662-2851.

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