NESTVAL instituted its Distinguished Service Award in 1981 to recognize service to NESTVAL.
| Year | Awardee | Meeting | NESTVAL President |
| 2023 | Matt McCourt, University of Maine at Farmington | Virtual (hosted by University of Southern Maine) | Firooza Pavri |
| 2020 | Â Steven Silvern, Salem State, awarded in person 2022 | Virtual (hosted by Salem State) | Darren Bardati |
| 2019 | Judith Otto, Framingham State | Framingham State University | Patrick Heidkamp |
| 2018 | Patrick May, Plymouth State | Keene State College | Patrick Heidkamp |
| 2017 | Cynthia Pope, Central Connecticut State University | Central Connecticut State University | Chris Cusack |
| 2016 | Richard Kujawa, Saint Michael’s College | Bishop’s University | Chris Cusack |
| 2015 | Vernon Domingo*, Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater State University | Cynthia Pope |
| 2014 | John Hayes, Salem State University | University of New Hampshire | Cynthia Pope |
| 2013 | Steven Young, Salem State University Bryon Middlekauff*, Plymouth State University |
Clark University | John Hayes |
| 2012 | Cathleen McAnneny, University of Maine at Farmington | University of Maine at Farmington | John Hayes |
| 2011 | Concordia | Jo Beth Mullens | |
| 2010 | Storrs, CT | Jo Beth Mullens | |
| 2009 | Mark Okrant, Plymouth State University | Salem, MA | Sandra Clark |
| 2008* | Klaus Bayr*, Keene State College Tim Rickard*, Central Connecticut State |
Plymouth, NH | Sandra Clark |
| 2007 | Patricia Green–Milberg, John Abbott College | New Haven CT | Bryon Middlekauff |
| 2006 | Stan Demars, Rhode Island College Leon Yacher, Southern Connecticut State |
Burlington, VT | Bryon Middlekauff |
| 2005 | Keene, NH | Cathleen McAnneny | |
| 2004 | Portland, ME | Cathleen McAnneny | |
| 2003 | Paul Frederic, University of Maine at Farmington | Central Connecticut State University | Patricia Green-Milberg |
| 2002 | Concordia University | Patricia Green-Milberg | |
| 2001 | Bridgewater State College | Robert Bristow | |
| 2000 | Rhode Island College | Robert Bristow | |
| 1999 | John George, Salem State College (Awarded posthumously) | University of Maine at Farmington | Andrew Bodman |
| 1998 | John Abbott College | Andrew Bodman | |
| 1997 | Reed Stewart, Bridgewater State College | Salem State University | John E. Harmon |
| 1996 | William A. Koelsch, Clark University | Clark University | John E. Harmon |
| 1995 | David Frost, Concordia University | University of Vermont | Mark Okrant |
| 1994 | Theodore Pikora, Salem State College | University of Connecticut | Mark Okrant |
| 1993 | Chester Smolski, Rhode Island College | Keene State College | Leon Yacher |
| 1992 | Thomas Lewis, Manchester Community College | Portland, ME | Leon Yacher |
| 1991 | Mildred Berman, Salem State College | Concordia University | Paul Frederic |
| 1990 | Irene Nebiker, North Smithfield Public Schools | Norwich, CT | Paul Frederic |
| 1989 | Maynard Weston Dow, Plymouth State College; Peter Enggass, Mt Holyoke College | Boston University | David Frost |
| 1988 | Robert LeBlanc, University of New Hampshire; Albert Mitchell, University of Maine at Farmington | Dartmouth College | David Frost |
| 1987 | Harold Meeks, University of Vermont; Robert Huke, Dartmouth College | Bridgewater State College | David Frost |
| 1986 | Lewis Alexander, University of Rhode Island; Timothy Rickard and Geoffrey Martin, Central Connecticut State University | Rhode Island College | Thomas Lewis |
| 1985 | Trevor Lloyd, McGill University | SUNY Albany | Thomas Lewis |
| 1984 | Emanuel Maier, Bridgewater State College; Ada Shawkey, Framingham State College; George Lewis, Boston University | Plymouth State College | Theodore Pikora |
| 1983 | Marion Wright, Rhode Island College; William Wallace, University of New Hampshire; J. Rowland Illick, Middlebury College | University of Vermont | Theodore Pikora |
| 1982 | George Rumney, University of Connecticut; Edward Miles, University of Vermont | University of Maine | Peter Enggass |
| 1981 | Ella Keene, Keene State College; Minnie Lemaire, Mt Holyoke College; Myron Starbird, University of Maine at Farmington | Concordia University | Peter Enggass |
*Awards Acknowledged Lifetime Contribution to NESTVAL and Geography