Manheim, Pa. “Alan Meltzer of Bethesda, Md., was named the recipient of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Meritorious Service Award for 2006.
The award is given annually to individuals that have given significant time and effort to the sport of wrestling. Those efforts must have had a significant impact on the preservation and promotion of the sport of amateur wrestling.
Meltzer is the President/CEO The Meltzer Group, a diversified financial services company founded in 1982 by Meltzer. The company serves thousands of individuals and companies and the company’s life insurance division, Meltzer Carroll Life, provides many of the Washington D.C. metro area’s wealthiest individuals with life and disability income insurance. Meltzer Group Benefits is the area’s largest group benefits provider with over a thousand organizations as clients.
Meltzer is a 15-time Agent of the Year for Mass Mutual.
“We’re very pleased to present Alan with this award,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “He’s been extremely generous to wrestling at every level, ranging from the Maryland Wrestling Association, Blair Academy and Harvard University as well as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, USA Wrestling and the NWCA.”
A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., Meltzer wrestled for the Eagles and also came to the rescue when the school had plans to axe the program.
‘He single-handedly saved the American University wrestling program,” said Moyer.
“The Meritorious Service Award is the most prestigious non-coaching award the NWCA presents,” said NWCA President Ron Beaschler. “Alan’s a great choice based on his long-time support of amateur wrestling across all levels.”
Meltzer’s firm is also littered with former wrestlers making a name for themselves in the business world.
“George Mason’s first All-American, Scotty Kirsch, oversees the group health division of The Meltzer Group,” said Moyer, the former coach at George Mason.
Meltzer’s son, Max, is a two-time NCAA qualifier and in 2006, was an EIWA runner-up at 141 pounds for Harvard.
Moyer also has Meltzer to thank on a personal level.
“He was my mentor in my development position when I was at George Mason,” said Moyer.
This after a chance meeting when Meltzer’s son Max, was a child.
“The first time I met Max was when he was seven years old when he came to my GMU wrestling camp “it was the first time I met Alan.”
Meltzer’s giving has also been very philanthropic beyond wrestling, he’s donated over a million dollars to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Last year’s winners of the Meritorious Service Award were Debbie Yow, AD at Maryland, Bill Graham of the Graham Company and Gary Abbott, Director of Special Projects for USA Wrestling.
Wrestling Gear
