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Service Award Recipients


 In 1978, the Executive Board created the Service Award to recognize the achievements of members whose active participation on committees or other organization activities had contributed to the betterment of the association. An Executive Board member or a Committee Chairperson makes nominations for the Service Award. This recipient has served the association in one or more of the following ways: (1) increasing membership participation, (2) enhancing the image of the association in the wider community, (3) promoting professional development of the membership.



1978-79 Clarence Hicks

1979-80 No Award Given

1980-81 Diane Wilson

1981-82 No Award Given

1982-83 John Cantalupo

1983-84 Carl Emerick

1984-85 Roscoe Dann Jr.

1985-86 Richard Hanson

1986-87 Joni Som de Cerff

1987-88 Lou Vangieri

1988-89 Vince Pecora

1989-90 No Award Given

1990-91 William Phelps

1991-92 Terra Jones

1992-93 No Award Given

1993-94 Lynn Lee

1994-95 Vince Pecora

1995-96 Marilyn Ambrose

1995-96 Jerome Lovick

1996-97 Janet Walker

1997-98 No Award Given

1998-99 Sharon Austin Hassan

1999-00 Cissy VanSickle

2000-01 No Award Given

2001-02 Richard Gallagher

2002-03 Margaret Bowler

2003-04 Ellie Geiman

2004-05 Patricia Rhodes

2005-06 No Award Given

2006-07 Andrea Cipolla

2007-08 David Manning and Melissa Rakes

2008-09 Christine Lodge

2009-10 Pat Shoemaker

2010-11 Dawn Mosisa

2011-12 No Award Given

2012-13 Kerri Mosely-Hobbs

2013-14 Beth McSweeney

2014-15 Aristea Williams

2015-16 Melanie Mason

2016-17 Beth McSweeney

2017-18 Donna Thomas

2022-23 Mason White

Lifetime Membership

The Lifetime Membership award honors a longtime active member of the association for extraordinary service. Any association member may submit a nomination to the Awards Committee. After review, the Awards Committee submits the nomination to the Executive Board for approval. The winner of this award receives a plaque and lifetime membership to the association.


H. Palmer Hopkins

Roscoe Dann, Jr.

Dick Tombaugh

William Phelps

Herm Davis

Phyllis Chernault

Cissy VanSickle

Margaret Bowler (2008-2009)

Jacqueline Daughtry-Miller (2009-2010)

David Manning (2010-2011)

Margaret Bowler (2011-2012)

Barbara Williams (2012-2013) – American Law (Retired)

Ellie Geiman (2013-2014) – McDaniel (Retired)

Barb Miller (2016-2017)  - Stevenson University (Retired)

Richard Heath (2017-2018) - AACC (Retired)


Marilyn Brown Professional Excellence Award

The DE-DC-MD ASFAA Executive Board created the Marilyn Brown Professional Excellence Award in 1990 to honor the memory and life work of a dedicated financial aid administrator. Over a twenty-year career, Marilyn Brown could maintain equilibrium between the constant challenges of her profession and the needs of her students. Because of her expertise, students who would have fallen out of the system received financial aid that enabled them to complete their education. The recipients of this award demonstrate these qualities of professionalism and sensitivity. Recipients must show an exceptional contribution to students, school or the association; show professional ethics of the highest caliber; and with at least five years in the financial aid profession, show dedication to serving students in adverse situations. In the spirit of rewarding unrecognized excellence, the recipient need not be a member of the association.


1990-1991 Rosa Bailey

1991-1992 Sue Walker

1992-1993 Richard Hanson

1993-1994 Dennis Kemp

1994-1995 Veronica Pickett

1995-1996 Albertha Mellerson

1996-1997 Cindy Cole

1997-1998 Phyllis Chernault

1998-1999 No Award Given

1999-2000 Kathy Wallace

2000-2001 Ruth Kunselman

2001-2002 Barbara Smith

2003-2003 Elaine Sweeney

2003-2004 John Butler

2004-2005 Homa Arabshahi

2005-2006 No Award Given

2006-2007 Richard Heath

2007-2008 Jaqueline Cymek

2008-2009 Amy Spinnato

2009-2010 Margaret Vale

2010-2011 No Award Given

2011-2012 Deborah Yonker

2012-2013 Sue Koch

2013-2014 Carrie Ford

2014-2015 Peter Malinowski

2015-2016 No Award Given

2016-2017 Cissy VanSickle

2017-2018 Patricia "Paty" Lopez



Volunteer of the Year

Volunteer of the Year nominated by the Membership Committee and the Executive Board. 2002 first year of award.


2001-2002 David Manning

2002-2003 Ingrid Valentine

2003-2004 Sharon Hassan

2004-2005 Kenneth Robinson

2005-2006 Melissa Rakes

2006-2007 Angie Hovatter

2007-2008 Dawn Mosisa

2008-2009 Beth McSweeney

2008-2009 Pat Shoemaker

2009-2010 Danielle Ballantyne

2010-2011 Michael Poma

2011-2012 Pat Shoemaker

2012-2013 Vicki A. Smith

2013-2014 Debra Ensor

2014-2015 Andrew Harvey

2015-2016 Tisa Silver Canady

2016-2017 Breyann Williams

2017-2018 Jessica Schuler

2022-2023 Katrina Delgrosso


New Member of the Year

New Member of the Year nominated by Professional Development and Training Committee and Executive Board. 2002 first year of award.


2001-2002 Pat Shoemaker

2002-2003 Taisha Winters

2003-2004 Zhanna Golster

2004-2005 Kimberley Strickler

2005-2006 Hie Ju Seung

2006-2007 Dana Baumgartner

2007-2008 Donald Jones

2008-2009 Heather Owens

2009-2010 Alice Farnham

2010-2011 Sherrod Wilkerson

2011-2012 Brandon Hall

2012-2013 Elizabeth Chandler

2013-2014 none

2014-2015 Jennifer Sandler

2015-2016 James Roye

2016-2017 Kevin Towns

2017-2018 Vanessa Scott

2022-2023 Dr. Emma Torres


Committee of the Year

Selected by the Chair, Past-Chair and Chair-elect. 2001 first year of award.

2000-2001 Professional Development and Training

Rachel Brinkley, Co-Chair

Bridget Watson, Co-Chair

2001-2002 Development Committee

Susan Stitely, Chair

2002-2003 Federal Relations Committee

Holly Zalganiczny, Co-Chair

Sharon Clough, Co-Chair

2003-2004 Electronic Services and Technology

Patricia Rhodes, Chair

2004-2005 Professional Development and Training

Lynn Lee, Co-Chair

Melvina Johnson, Co-Chair

2005-2006 Historical Committee

Jacqueline Daughtry-Miller, Chair

2006-2007 Awards and Scholarships Committee

Vicki Smith, Chair

2007-2008 Federal Relations Committee

Dawn Mosisa, Co-Chair

Angie Hovatter, Co-Chair

2008-2009 Conference Committee

  Melissa Rakes, Chair

Professional Development and Training

  Aristea Williams, Co-Chair

  Andrea Cipolla, Co-Chair

MD State Committee

  Nasim Keshavarz, Chair

2009-2010 Federal Relations Committee

Dawn Mosisa, Co-Chair

Virginia Zawodny, Co-Chair

2010-2011 Conference Committee

Nasim Keshavarz

2011-2012 Professional Development and Training

Dawn Shockley, Co-Chair

Vianela Fernandez, Co-Chair

2012-2013 Federal Relations Committee

Dawn Mosisa, Co-Chair

Aristea Williams, Co-Chair

2013-2014 Conference Committee

Angie Hovatter, Chair

2014-2015 Electronic Services

Tisa Silver, Chair

2015-2016 Maryland State Committee

Sarah Mariner, Chair

2016-2017 Professional Development & Training Committee

Melanie Mason, Co-Chair

Kevin Painter, Co-Chair

2017-2018 Electronic Services & Social Media Committees

Tisa Silver Canady & Keia Brown


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