Past WCA Award Winners

Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award
Outstanding Austin Communicator
Gladys Whitney Hearst Outstanding Member
Gene Barnwell Waugh Mentor Award
Leadership Award
Jump Start Award
Anne Durrum Robinson Creative Initiative Award (formerly Jump Start Award)
President’s Award
Scholarship Recipients

Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award

1993 – Liz Carpenter
1994 – Bert Kruger Smith
1995 – Annie Durrum Robinson
1996 – Dr. Inez Jeffrey
1997 – Mary Beth Rogers
1998 – Dr. Betty Sue Flowers
2000 – Sue Brandt McBee
2001 – Carol Thompson
2002 – Carol Hatfield
2003 – Cathy Bonner
2004 – Dianne T. Mendoza, Ph.D
2005 – Joe Ann Whitmore Watson
2007 – Molly Ivins (posthumous), Ann Richards (posthumous)
2008 – Kerry Tate
2009 – Tom Spencer
2010 – Harry Cabluck
2011 – Julian Read
2013 – Margaret Keys
2014 – Judy Maggio
2015 – Merily Keller
2016 – Michael Barnes
2017 – Wanda Cash
2019 – Colette Pierce Burnette, Rich Oppel
2020 – Gay Gaddis
2022 – Reenie Collins

Outstanding Austin Communicator

1973 – Aida Barrera Close, Sue Brandt McBee, Elsbeth Davies Rostow, Ada Simond, Sara Weddington
1974 – Wilhelmina Delco, Katherine Hart, Pat McGuire, Bernice M. Moore, Mary Pearl Williams
1975 – Judith Asel Newby, Marye Benjamin, Dr. Lorene Rogers, Bert Kruger Smith, Dr. Connie Yerwood
1976 – Shelby Hearon, Carole McClellan, Jane Mouton, Jane Wells, Janet Spence
1977 – Cathy Bonner, Peggy Brown, Beulah Hodge, Georgia Leggett, Jeanette Watson
1978 – Roberta Crenshaw, Betty Himmelblau, Alice King Johnson, Amy Jo Long, Ann Richards, Anne D. Robinson
1979 – Texana Conn, Jane Hickie, Inez Jeffery, Dorothy Rowland, Opal Washington
1980 – Carolyn Barta, William Broyles, Mary Denman, Mike Weingart, Bill Shadewald, Delores Lehr, Pat Wolf, Bobbie Wygant
1981 – Audrey Bateman, Barbara Miller, Ben Sargent, Ellie Rucker, Mary Beth Rogers
1982 – Barbara Vackar, Janet Poage, “Cactus” Pryor, Bess Whitehead Scott
1983 – Emma Long
1984 – Sally Shipman
1985 – Shannon Sedwick
1986 – Pat Baldwin
1987 – Jody Conradt
1988 – Lena Guerro
1989 – Denise Gamino
1990 – Margie Balough
1991 – Dr. Patricia Hayes
1992 – M.A. Bengston
1993 – Brigid Shea
1994 – Elizabeth Watson
1995 – Kerry Tate
1996 – Margaret Keys
1997 – Judy Maggio, Kim Tyson
1998 – Paige Gresset
1999 – Mike Cox
2000 – Susan Engelking
2001 – Leann Phenix
2002 – Michele Middlebrook-Gonzales
2003 – Angela Shelf Medearis
2004 – Lidia Graciela Agraz
2005 – Elizabeth Christian
2006 – Sylvia Acevedo
2007 – Ronne Rock
2008 – Dana Marruffo
2009 – Tela Mange
2010 – Patti Smith
2011 – Melinda Garvey
2012 – Evan Smith
2013 – Heather Ladage
2014 – Joy Schoffler and Deborah Hamilton Lynne
2015 – Kelli Kelley
2016 – Quita Culpepper
2017 – Valerie Salinas-Davis
2018 – Denise Bradley
2019 – Nicole Villalpando
2020 – Jenifer Sarver
2021 – Marika Flatt
2022 – Brianna McKinney, Katherine McLane
2023 – Michele Glaze, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Jessica Scanlon, Hot Dog Marketing

Gladys Whitney Hearst Outstanding Member

1981 – Barbara Lau
1982 – Pam Johnson
1983 – Melissa Gaskill
1984 – Kathleen Crowley
1985 – Beverly Scarborough
1986 – Christina Walsh
1987 – Anne Durrum Robinson
1988 – Amy Browder Wick
1989 – Laura Tuma
1990 – Nan Schwetman
1991 – Pamela Cook
1994 – Leslie Kjellstrand
1994 – Brenda Thompson, Ann Friou
1995 – Patti DeNucci, Jennie Hentges
1996 – Patti DeNucci
1997 – Kelli Kelley, Pam English
1998 – Lisa Kerth
1999 – Tela Mange
2000 – Lisa Maxwell
2001 – Kelly Headrick
2002 – Amy Hufford
2003 – Cynthia Potter Burrow
2004 – Laura Figueroa
2005 – Amy Carr
2006 – Rebecca E. Giello
2007 – Julie Tereshchuk
2008 – Laura Bond Williams
2009 – Julie Garcia
2010 – Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR
2011 – Rachel Jordan-Shuss
2012 – Sheila Scarborough
2013 – Emily Fraser
2014 – Rosemary Hook
2015 – LuAnn Glowacz & Ginny Murphy; Michele Chan Santos & Christy Wylie
2016 – Sandra Kleinsasser
2017 – Lisa Elmore
2018 – Jennifer Stayton
2019 – Jane Baxter Lynn
2020 – LuAnn Glowacz
2021 – Jenny Magic
2022 – Monique Carreon
2023 – Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz

Gene Barnwell Waugh Mentor Award

1996 – Cathy Bonner
1997 – Laura Tuma
1998 – Kerry Tate, Patti DeNucci
1999 – Pam Johnson, Lynn Segall
2000 – Robin Loving
2001 – Renee Peterson Trudeau, Lauren Peters
2002 – Anne D. Robinson, Patty Gonzales
2003 – Elizabeth Gonzales
2004 – Not presented
2005 – Joe H. Morin, Karen Zelina Shultz
2006 – Holly Evans, Kim Lane
2007 – Amy Jones
2008 – Kristen Vassallo
2009 – Teresa Henderson
2010 – Dara Quackenbush
2011 – Sandra A. Martin
2012 – Sherry Lowry
2013 – Jenifer Sarver
2014 – Jane Baxter Lynn and Jenny Magic
2015 – Lara Zuehlke
2016 – Lee Moczygemba
2017 – Eleanor Moore
2018 – Darlene Templeton
2019 – Katie Ford
2020 – Val Benavidez
2021 – Dr. Cindy Royal
2022 – Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz
2023 – Kristen Longnecker

Leadership Award

1992 – Christina Walsh
1997 – Pam Johnson
2005 – Amy Hufford
2010 – Cory Leahy
2013 – Lisa Maxwell
2015 – Julie Tereshchuk
2021 – Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR 

Jump Start Award

1995 – Amy Smith
1996 – Kelli Dudley Kelley
1997 – Amy Hufford
1998 – Kerri Thomas

Anne Durrum Robinson Creative Initiative Award

(formerly Jump Start Award)
1999 – Amy Hufford
2000 – Chris Kosta
2001 – Jennifer Ransom Rice
2002 – Marika Flatt
2003 – Tiffany Plowman
2004 – Rebecca E. Giello, Lisa Maxwell
2005 – Kathryn Gragg
2006 – Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR
2007 – Andrea Schulle
2008 – Nicole Hubik, Camille Nisich
2009 – Stephanie Malone
2011 – Emily Babb
2012 – Ilene Haddad
2013 – Ann Friou, Kathy Estes
2014 – Samantha Furry
2015 – Monica Maldonado Williams
2016 – Rachel Clemens
2017 – Stephanie Chiarello Noppenberg
2018 – Simone Talma Flowers
2019 – Lani Rosales
2020 – Becky Bullard, Kristen Gynn and Ashley Cheng, Rouser; David and Chelle Neff, Weird Homes Tour
2021 – Courtney Santana, Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora
2022 – Kim and Mike Barnes
2023 – Elizabeth McQueen and Miles Bloxson

President’s Award

1999 – Amy Carr
2000 – Stephanie Wright Blado
2001 – Lisa Maxwell
2002 – Rebecca E. Giello
2003 – Sherry Wagner
2004 – Julie Tereshchuk
2005 – Christina Carey Jackson
2006 – Rachel Jordan
2007 – Erin Crook
2008 – Andrea Exter, Pam Losefsky
2009 – Amy Hufford, Lisa Maxwell
2010 – Diane Owens
2011 – Julie Wickert
2012 – Christy Agness
2013 – Kate Voth
2014 – Cristen James English
2015 – Maria Cammack, Julie Lara
2016 – Jennifer Perkins
2017 – Dana Marruffo
2018 – Jennifer Van Gilder
2019 – Leah Fisher Nyfeler
2020 – Jenevieve Andersen
2021 – Gina Helfrich

Scholarship Recipients

1989 – Emily Austin Hummel, The University of Texas at Austin
1990 – Mona Kiblawi, The University of Texas at Austin
1991 – Lisa Funk, The University of Texas at Austin
1992 – Marissa Castanon, Southwestern University
1993 – Toni Dinh, The University of Texas at Austin
1994 – Angela Spears, The University of Texas at Austin
1995 – Maggie Mills, St. Edwards University
1997 – Jamie Stockwell, The University of Texas at Austin; Lisa Wahrmund, Southwest Texas State University
1998 – Estella Duran, Southwest Texas State University; Tiffany Plowman, The University of Texas at Austin; Sabia Siddiqi, The University of Texas at Austin
1999 – Asa George, The University of Texas at Austin
2000 – Kirsten Knutson, The University of Texas at Austin; Meghen Murray, The University of Texas at Austin
2001 – Kami Anders, The University of Texas at Austin; Destiny Belknap, The University of Texas at Austin
2002 – Courtney Brianna Overstreet, Southwest Texas State University
2003 – Maureen King, The University of Texas at Austin; Rachel Gor, The University of Texas at Austin; Laketha “LK” Loflin, St. Edward’s University; Sheetal Patel, The University of Texas at Austin
2004 – Christi Snow, The University of Texas at Austin
2005 – Nancy Jeng, The University of Texas at Austin; Jessica Haddox, The University of Texas at Austin
2006 Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship Recipient – Meredith Adams, St. Edward’s University
2006 Anne Durrum Robinson Scholarship Recipient – Tanya Maldonado, The University of Texas at Austin
2007 – Chelsea Schilling, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
2008 – Grace Kelso, The University of Texas at Austin; Kaitlyn Wells, The University of Texas at Austin
2009 – Gabrielle Baffi, The University of Texas at Austin; Joy Si, The University of Texas at Austin
2010 – Melissa DeVarney, The University of Texas at Austin; Melissa Macaya, The University of Texas at Austin; Nicole Sanseverino, The University of Texas at Austin
2011 – Emily Hammon, Baylor University; Jordan Krieger, The University of Texas at Austin
2012 – Kayla Freeman, The University of Texas at Austin; Torrie Hardcastle, The University of Texas at Austin; Allison Wong, The University of Texas at Austin
2014 – Cassandra Jaramillo, The University of Texas at Austin; Katy Schaffer, The University of Texas at Austin
2015 – Chelsea Cua, Texas State University; Alanis King, The University of Texas at Austin
2016 – Autumn Bernhard, Texas State University; Chelsea Cua, Texas State University
2017 – Ala’a Ibrahim, The University of Texas at Austin; Sarah Bloodworth, The University of Texas at Austin
2018 – Ashley Tsao, The University of Texas at Austin; Dani Matias, The University of Texas at Austin
2019 – Allyson Ortegon, The University of Texas at Austin
2020 – Grace Hill, The University of Texas at Austin
2021 – Hannah Markins, Concordia University; Kenedi Houston, The University of Texas at Austin; Catherine (Cat) Mouer, The University of Texas at Austin
2022 – Kaitlynn Ariel Turner, Texas State University; Denim Delaynie Keeney, Texas State University; Jadah Burciaga, The University of Texas at Austin

2023 Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship: Megan Harvey, The University of Texas at Austin; Ava Motes, The University of Texas at Austin

2023 Julie Tereshchuk Scholarship: Melanie Love Salazar, Texas State University;

2024 Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship: Ashley Goforth, The University of Texas at Austin

2024 Julie Tereshchuk Scholarship: Saliyah Parker, Texas State University