Carolyn Quire Service Award

Recognizes an outstanding high school guidance counselor for his/her demonstrated service and contributions to the profession of counseling students in transition.

Carolyn Quire, our friend, our mentor and our counselor died in October 2005. Carolyn was a gift, a priceless and timeless gift who always kept on giving. Carolyn was a tremendous high school guidance counselor. She worked many years at Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville. She left PRP to go with her dear friend Sandy Allen to be a high school counselor at Ballard High School. After only one year at Ballard Dr. W. D. Bruce moved Carolyn to the Jefferson County Board of Education.  She became the new Director of Guidance Services for the entire school district. Carolyn was an active member of her professional organizations, at the local, state and national levels. She served as a member and a leader of all her professional organizations. The name Carolyn Quire means something special to everyone who knew her.

1998 Gail Brown, Jeffersontown High School	2011 Barbara Sue Longacre, Fairdale High School
1999 Joan Giancola, Butler High School	2012 Jim Brown, Retired
2000 Prudie Campbell, West Jessamine High School	2013 Dianne Meredith, Jefferson High School
2001 Dian Graham, Ballard High School	2014 Danny Easley, Kentucky Country Day School
2002 Sue Ruddy, Tates Creek High School	2015 Chris Reeves, Beechwood High School
2003 Diane Crouch, Tates Creek High School	2016 Tiffani Williams, Pleasure Ridge Park High School
2004 John Rogers, Lexington Catholic High School	2017 Leigh Jackson, Assumption High School
2005 Elaine Salvo, Assumption High School	2018 Susan Daugherty, Saint Henry District High School
2006 Michael Meredith, Grayson County High School	2019 Trinity Walsh, Highlands High School
2007 Linda Ilnick, Pleasure Ridge Park High School Mary Ann Pieper, Pleasure Ridge Park High School	2020 Jill Crutcher, Louisville Male High School
2008 Jennifer Martin, Trinity High School	2021 Joel Ford, Conner High School
2009 Susan Williams, Calloway County High School	2022
2010 Ron Padgett, Sacred Heart Academy	2023 Jennifer English, Henderson County High School

James Leslie “Les” Grigsby Service Award

Recognizes an outstanding college admission professional for his/her demonstrated service and contributions to the profession of counseling students in transition.

Les Grigsby received his bachelor and master degrees from Eastern Kentucky University.  He began working in admissions there in 1974 and served as Director of Admissions for 26 years. During Les’s career at EKU he was heavily involved with the Kentucky Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO) serving as an officer and chairing numerous committees. Les became involved with a newly formed organization in the early 80’s called KACAC – the Kentucky Association of College and Admission Counselors that was later changed to KASCAC then to KYACAC.  The Les Grigsby Award is to recognize a college or university counselor who has been outstanding in helping students and their parents in the transition from high school to college while making contributions to the KYACAC organization. Upon retiring from EKU Les and his wife Cherilyn moved to South Carolina and he began working at Clemson University as the International Admissions Coordinator. He held this position until his death in 2009.

1999 Paul Radke, Murray State University	2012 William "Billy" Sarge, Thomas More College
2000 Kelly Sullivan Holland, University of Kentucky	2013 Roslyn White, Murray State University
2001 Doris Clark Parham, Murray State University	2014 Kim Schroader, Transylvania University
2002 Brad Goan, University of Kentucky	2015 Kim Merritt, Eastern Kentucky University
2003 Donna Robbins, University of Louisville	2016 Jennifer Young, Murray State University
2004 Sarah Coen, Transylvania University	2017 Joe Fries, Sallie Mae
2005 Rebecca Groh, Transylvania University	2018 Ashley Figgins, Northern Kentucky University
2006 Bob Nesmith, Centre College	2019 David DeWitt, Centre College
2007 Jason Headrick, University of Kentucky	2020  Kendrick Quisenberry, Murray State University
2008 Sara Yount, Bellarmine University	2021 Ticha Chikuni, Georgetown College
2009 Deana Ison, Transylvania University	2022
2010 Johnnie Johnson, Georgetown College	2023 Rachel Stanfield, Mason County High School
2011 Scott Gordon, Western Kentucky University

Lifetime Membership Award

There are some awards that KYACAC holds for special circumstances. The next award has only been presented a handful of times in the history of KYACAC. The Lifetime membership award is given to a member who has provided leadership, support, encouragement and much more through many years of service within KYACAC.

1999  Carolyn Quire, Jefferson County Public Schools   Ray Stines, University of Louisville	2014  Donna Robbins, University of Louisville
2000  Leonard Brown, Jefferson County Public Schools Jack Geary, Louisville Collegiate School	2016  Michael Meredith, Edmonson County High School
2001 Gail Brown, Jefferson County Public Schools	2020  Roslyn White, Murray State University
2004  Prudie Campbell, West Jessamine High School	2023 Amy Marvin, KHEAA
2008  Dian Graham, Jefferson County Public Schools Paul Radke, Murray State University

Ray Stines Founder’s Award

Recognizes a member who has made a lasting and significant impact on the organization. 

Ray Stines retired in 2007 after 38 years at University of Louisville. He began his U of L career as Director of Admissions and finished as Director of Student Services. Prior to moving to Louisville, Ray was Dean of the College and Physics professor at Sue Bennett College in London, KY. Ray coached basketball at Ferguson High School and coached basketball, baseball and taught mathematics at Somerset High School. He earned his B.S. degree in mathematics at Bethel University (TN) while leading their basketball team in scoring. With a strong commitment to his professional associations, Ray served as President of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO), as President of the Kentucky Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO), as President of the Kentucky Association of College Admission Counselors (now KYACAC) and obtained the charter for founding the initial organization KACAC. Other professional activities included three years as a member of the National Merit Scholarship Selection Committee, member of the Governor’s Scholar Selection Committee, and member of the NCAA Round Table Discussion for Student-Athlete eligibility issues. Ray’s most recent honor from his collegiate days and professional career was his induction into the Bethel University Hall of Fame in 2010.

2007  Paul Radke, Murray State University	2014 Michael Meredith, Edmonson County High School
2008  Prudie Campbell, Retired – West Jessamine High School	2018 Cheryl Hicks, Murray State University
2009  Gary Martin, Henry Clay High School	2020  Chris Reeves, Beechwood High School
2010  Carolyn Quire, Retired – Jefferson County Public Schools	2021 Melissa Gorbandt, Northern Kentucky University
2011  Buck Rogers, Centre College	2022
2013  Donna Robbins, University of Louisville	2023 Steve Held, KHEAA

KYACAC Supervisor Award

Recognizes a professional in a senior leadership role (high school principal, central office professional, Director of Admissions, Chief Enrollment Officer, etc.) who has demonstrated support for KYACAC through promoting awareness, encouraging participation and professional growth of its members, and by showing appreciation for the organization and its mission.

2010  Dr. Carol Montgomery, Jefferson County Public Schools	2015 Melissa Gorbandt, Northern Kentucky University
2011  Rob Akers, Woodford County Schools	2016 Susan Hopkins, KHEAA
2013  David Johnson, Pleasure Ridge Park	2018 Victoria Hidalgo, Hanover College
2014 Brad Goan, Transylvania University

Rising Star Award

Recognizes an outstanding new college admissions or secondary counseling professional (in the profession for fewer than five years) for his/her demonstrated service and contributions to the profession of counseling students in transition.

2011       Jordan Smith, Murray State University	2017       Meredith Norman, Western Kentucky University
2012       Betsey Bachert, Transylvania University	2018       Logan Sparks, University of Kentucky
2013       Anna Taul, University of Kentucky	2019       Katie Goben, Spalding University
2014       Tiffani Williams, Pleasure Ridge Park High School	2020  October Henson, Middle Tennessee State University
2015       Allie Kerns, Western Kentucky University	2021 Ann Knezetic, Saint Louis University
2016       Alison Lonneman, Beechwood High School	2023 Kelly Smith, KHEAA

Human Relations Award

1999       Jack Geary, Louisville Collegiate School	2005       Paul Radke, Murray State University
2000       Grant Talbott, Owensboro Community College	2008       Roslyn White, Murray State University
2001       Rhonda Webb, Northern Kentucky University	2009       Michael Meredith, Grayson County High School
2004       Doris Clark Parham, Murray State University	2010       Richard “Dick” McLaughlin, Metropolitan College

Inclusion, Access, and Success Award

2019  Lindsey Atkinson, University of Kentucky	2022 Amalia Gamez Guerra, University of Louisville
2020  Kevin Buckley, University of Louisville	2023 Jasmine Drinkard, JCPS
2021 Kendrick Quisenberry, Murray State University Karina Bruce, Western Kentucky University

Presidential Service Recognition Award

2020  Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University	2023 William "Billy" Sarge, St. Henry District High School
2021 Jasmine Drinkard, JCPS