The Professional of the Year (POY) awards banquet provides HATS member organizations the opportunity to publicly recognize one of their own for exceptional professionalism.  Each member organization selects its own YPOY and the HATS YPOY Selection Committee selects one of the YPOYs as the recipient of the HATS Young Professional of the Year Award from those submitted.  The criteria for the awards are as follows.

1. He/she has retained membership in the professional organization (HASBAT) that is a member in good standing of HATS. He/she must be 35 years old or younger to qualify for the YPOY award.
2. He/she has demonstrated excellence in some professional (technical, managerial, or community) work or activity that is concerned with broad and beneficial technical, scientific, social or economic consequences. This excellence shall be exemplified in his or her workplace, in the professional organization in which they are participant members of, and/or in volunteer efforts in the community.
3. He/she has exhibited an extraordinary dedication, creativity or leadership in that work or activity that results in excellent contributions to the technical and economic development of the City of Huntsville and the surrounding areas, exemplifying “Passing the Torch” activities such as education, mentorship, training, knowledge transfer, STEM initiatives, etc. He/she exemplifies the dedication and importance of our young professional demographic to the community.

This award will be given to the YPOY from among the current year's group of nominees (nominated by their respective member organizations), who will stand out as one who has stood above their peers by providing exemplary leadership to the North Alabama technical community. This involvement and leadership shall have been long-standing, with commitment and consistency.