Awards

Meritorious Service Award

2025 Award Recipient:  

Alexiss Underwood

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Description: The Meritorious Service award is considered to have an extremely high value and importance and the recipient must have made significant contributions to the profession, association(s) or education in general.

Criteria for Selection: The selection is based upon leadership or work on special projects. The contribution/project can be a single accomplishment and is not required to last the entire year or for an extended length of time. Nominees may be financial aid administrators or related fields and does not need not be a member of ILASFAA.

New Professional Recognition Award

2025 Award Recipient:  

Davon Maxey

University of St. Francis

Description: The New Professional Recognition award is given annually to recognize the outstanding contributions of an individual who has been in the financial aid profession five years or less.

Criteria for Selection: Individuals will have demonstrated interest in ILASFAA activities, participated in professional meetings, and demonstrated growth within the financial aid profession. This individual will be held in high regard by his or her peers.



Committee of the Year

group working on desk

2024 Award Recipient:  

 Conference Facilities Committee Co-Chairs: Chelley Jackson and Amber Rivers

Conference Program

Committe Co-Chairs: Laci Engelbrecht and Bethany Carmien-Onwodi



Description: The Committee of the Year Award is given annually to the members of a committee who perform in an outstanding fashion.

Criteria for Selection: Consideration for this award shall be given to any ILASFAA Committee for a special function, conference, project or workshop during the President's term in office. The committee selected for the award should have made a contribution to the betterment of ILASFAA in a manner which is unique or truly significant and brings distinction to the group as a result.

President's Award

empty conference room

2024 Award Recipient:  

 Nathan Eaton

Illinois State University

Description: The President's Award is considered to be one of ILASFAA's highest awards. This award presented at the discretion of the President.

Criteria for Selection: The President selects the recipient of this award based on the individual's contribution to the Association during the President's term in office. The criteria to be used is based on the President's discretion or initiative, but may in fact be based on the completion of a special task, publication, survey or a host of other criteria.

President's Award

2022-2023Salinda Jo Branson

2021-2022

Kelly Owens

2020-21

Elyse Weller

2019-2020

Mary Shaw

2018-2019

Kim Eck

2017-2018

Aesha Engeldinger

2016-2017

Marcus D Szymanoski

2015-2016

Pam Lytel

2014-2015

Samuel T. Nelson

2013-2014

Jamie Petersen

2012-2013

Marchello Johnson

2011-2012

Cheryl Howerton

2010-2011

Mark Holysz

2009-2010

Jana Albrecht

2008-2009

Mary Shaw

2007-2008

Michelle Trame

2006-2007

Janet Ingargiola

2005-2006

Donna Sobie

2004-2005

Susan Swisher

2003-2004

Terri Hare

2002-2003

(Not Awarded)

2001-2002

Nancy Calvert

2000-2001

Michelle Trame

1999-2000

Lori Hall

1998-1999

Bob Anderson

1997-1998

Donna Peltz

1996-1997

Sharon Sweeney

1995-1996

Joanna Dill

1994-1995

Dan Mann

1993-1994

Donna Sobie

1992-1993

Howard Florine

1991-1992

Herschel Wallace

1990-1991

Jone Zieren

1989-1990

Francois Hajduk

1988-1989

Rich Stuedel

1987-1988

John Flynn

1986-1987

Nancy Donley

1985-1986

John Jennetten

1984-1985

Greg Miller

1983-1984

B. Ann Hageman

1982-1983

Dennis Wentworth

1981-1982

Steve Bellin

Recognition of Retirement Awards

plant blooming

2024 Award Recipients: 

Marie Gillibrand

Illinios State University

Description: The Recognition of Retirement award is given to those who retire from the financial aid profession during the current year.

Criteria for Selection: The criteria for this recognition is based on retirement from the financial aid profession due to reasons of health, age or institutional eligibility. The person must have served the most recent ten (10) years as a member of a financial aid office or in a position eligible for membership in ILASFAA. The retirement must have taken place during the current year or be scheduled to take place within 6 months immediately following the conference. The individual must be an ILASFAA member during the year prior to retirement.

Sustained Service Awards

person at computer

2024 Award Recipient:  

Dan Wellman

Illinios Department of Veteran Affairs

Description: The Sustained Service Award is presented to regular members of the Association and is considered to have high importance.

Criteria for Selection: The recipient must have been active in the profession for a minimum of 10 years and have made substantive contributions to ILASFAA.

Lifetime Achievement and Years of Service Awards

mountain

2024 Award Recipients:  


20 Years of Service

Mary Adkins - Moraine Valley Community College
Kelly Owens - Elgin Community College
Maribel Ruiz - Joliet Junior College
Jamie Petersen - Oakton Community College - DesPlaines
Nancy Perryman - Saint Frances Medical Center College of Nursing


25 Years of Service

Erica Guzman - University of St. Francis
Angela Weaver - Lewis & Clark Community College
Brian Drabik - Northwestern University - Evanston
Salinda Jo Branson - Spoon River College


30 Years of Service

Patrick James - School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Michelle Trame - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Scott Seibring - Illinois Weslyan University
Connie Negron - Oakton Community College-Skokie

35 Years of Service

Samuel Nelson - Illinois Student Assistance Commission


40 Years of Service

Tina Tindall - DePaul University
Mary Wright - Knox College
Barb Levin - Harper College


Description: The recipient of this award exemplifies the ideals of service to the profession, support of colleagues and advocacy for students. This award is the highest honor ILASFAA bestows upon an individual member and requires significant contributions over an extended period of time; therefore a recipient may not be named each and every year.

Years of Service: Each year ILASFAA honors those who are continuing members and have served students in the Financial Aid Profession for 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years.