KASCAC & KYACAC AWARD RECIPIENTS


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

1999 Joan Giancola, Butler High School

2000 Prudie Campbell, West Jessamine High School

2001 Dian Graham, Ballard High School

2002 Sue Ruddy, Tates Creek High School

2003 Diane Crouch, Tates Creek High School

2004 John Rogers, Lexington Catholic High School

2005 Elaine Salvo, Assumption High School

2006 Michael Meredith, Grayson County High School

2007 Linda Ilnick & Mary Ann Pieper, Pleasure Ridge Park High School

2008 Jennifer Martin, Trinity High School

2009 Susan Williams, Calloway County High School

2010 Ron Padgett, Sacred Heart Academy

2011 Barbara Sue Longacre, Fairdale High School

2012 Jim Brown, Retired

2013 Dianne Meredith, Jefferson High School

2014 Danny Easley, Kentucky Country Day School

2015 Chris Reeves, Beechwood High School

2016 Tiffani Williams, Pleasure Ridge Park High School

2017 Leigh Jackson, Assumption High School

2018 Susan Daugherty, Saint Henry District High School

2019 Trinity Walsh, Highlands High School

2020 Jill Crutcher, Louisville Male High School

2021 Joel Ford, Conner 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

2000 Kelly Sullivan Holland, University of Kentucky

2001 Doris Clark Parham, Murray State University

2002 Brad Goan, University of Kentucky

2003 Donna Robbins, University of Louisville

2004 Sarah Coen, Transylvania University

2005 Rebecca Groh, Transylvania University

2006 Bob Nesmith, Centre College

2007 Jason Headrick, University of Kentucky

2008 Sara Yount, Bellarmine University

2009 Deana Ison, Transylvania University

2010 Johnnie Johnson, Georgetown College

2011 Scott Gordon, Western Kentucky University

2012 William Sarge, Thomas More College

2013 Roslyn White, Murray State University

2014 Kim Schroader, Transylvania University

2015 Kim Merritt, Eastern Kentucky University

2016 Jennifer Young, Murray State University

2017 Joe Fries, Sallie Mae

2018 Ashley Figgins, Northern Kentucky University

2019 David DeWitt, Centre College

2020 Kendrick Quisenberry, Murray State University

2021 Ticha Chikuni, Georgetown College


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

2000 Leonard Brown, Jefferson County Public Schools

                Jack Geary, Louisville Collegiate School

2001 Gail Brown, Jefferson County Public Schools

2004 Prudie Campbell, West Jessamine High School

2008 Dian Graham, Jefferson County Public Schools

                Paul Radke, Murray State University

2014 Donna Robbins, University of Louisville

2016 Michael Meredith, Edmonson County High School

2020 Roslyn White, 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

2008 Prudie Campbell, Retired – West Jessamine High School

2009 Gary Martin, Henry Clay High School

2010 Carolyn Quire, Retired – Jefferson County Public Schools

2011 Buck Rogers

2013 Donna Robbins, University of Louisville

2014       Michael Meredith, Edmonson County High School

2018 Cheryl Hicks, Murray State University

2020 Chris Reeves, Beechwood High School

2021 Melissa Gorbandt, Northern Kentucky University


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

2011 Rob Akers, Woodford County Schools

2013       David Johnson, Pleasure Ridge Park

2014       Brad Goan, Transylvania University

2015       Melissa Gorbandt, Northern Kentucky University

2016       Susan Hopkins, KHEAA

2018       Victoria Hidalgo, Hanover College


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

2012       Betsey Bachert, Transylvania University

2013       Anna Taul, University of Kentucky

2014       Tiffani Williams, Pleasure Ridge Park High School

2015       Allie Kerns, Western Kentucky University

2016       Alison Lonneman, Beechwood High School

2017       Meredith Norman, Western Kentucky University

2018       Logan Sparks, University of Kentucky

2019       Katie Goben, Spalding University

2020 October Henson, Middle Tennessee State University

2021 Ann Knezetic, Saint Louis University


Human Relations Award

1999       Jack Geary, Louisville Collegiate School

2000       Grant Talbott, Owensboro Community College

2001       Rhonda Webb, Northern Kentucky University

2004       Doris Clark Parham, Murray State University

2005       Paul Radke, Murray State University

2008       Roslyn White, Murray State University

2009       Michael Meredith, Grayson County High School

2010       Richard “Dick” McLaughlin, Metropolitan College


Inclusion, Access, and Success Award

2019 Lindsey Atkinson, University of Kentucky

2020 Kevin Buckley, University of Louisville

2021 Kendrick Quisenberry, Murray State University

2021 Karina Bruce, Western Kentucky University


Presidential Service Recognition Award

2020 Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University

2021 Jasmine Drinkard, JCPS


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