Congratulations to 2009 ACE Award Winners!

The fourth annual A Champion in Education (ACE) Awards showcased the incredible contributions of nearly 150 teachers, administrators, classified staff and volunteers from the Eugene, Bethel and Springfield school districts.  At the awards ceremony on May 5, the four champion educators from each district were announced. Thanks to sponsors from the local business community, ACE Award Champions' schools each received a $750 monetary award.

 

4J's Champions in Education:

Peter Lawson is a special educator teaching high school students with developmental disabilities in the 4J Life Skills Network. Pete wholeheartedly engages every student in his classes, carefully guiding them toward increased independence and adulthood. He believes that each student has enormous potential, and he uses his high energy, progressive idealism and can-do spirit to motivate all his students. He also has helped create a culture of awareness, acceptance and inclusion, by developing a program that invites students without disabilities to become involved in the Life Skills Network. In just three short years, Pete has made an indelible impact on the Life Skills program, the high school, the teachers and, most importantly, the students.

Betsy Hoell is a tireless advocate for students at Churchill High School. As the Career Center Coordinator, Betsy meets with every student every year to help them figure out their goals and direct them toward scholarship, leadership and career opportunities. She truly wants all students to reach their full potential, regardless of what path that may take. Betsy’s unceasing energy, incredible organizational skills, and unfailing kindness have earned the appreciation and respect of her students and her peers. She truly is a champion in education.

BJ Blake shows every single day that she is dedicated to placing students’ needs first, as the principal of not just one elementary school community, but two — Meadowlark, a neighborhood school, and Buena Vista Spanish Immersion School.  Addressing the needs of two very different schools within one building requires integrity, balance, and extraordinary communication and organizational skills. BJ displays these qualities and more as she strives to do what is best for nearly 500 young students.

Rebecca Kovach must have discovered a way to slow down the world and pack two extra hours into each day. Wherever you turn at South Eugene High School, there she is, supporting the school community in an amazing variety of ways. As an intelligent, representative voice of South Eugene’s parent community, Rebecca is deeply involved as a decision-maker. But she also spends countless hours in the trenches, raising money and working with individual students. From her roles as site council representative to volleyball booster, career center helper to choir fundraiser, she is instrumental in the success of South’s students and programs.

Congratulations to these four champions among the Eugene School District's many outstanding educators!

 

Thanks to all those who took time to submit nominations.  We offer our hearty congratulations to these champion educators, as well as to each and every 4J staff member and volunteer whose excellence was recognized with a nomination.  Every one of these outstanding educators does amazing work each day to make a difference for the children of our community. 

4J LICENSED STAFF (TEACHER) NOMINEES: David Babcock, Bev Biehl, Patrice Cowman, Mary Christensen-Moore, Kelly Dahlgren, Judy Davies, Bill Deese, Gregory Dunkin, Josh Hamill, Chad Kessler, Steve Korin, Karen Lacey, Peter Lawson, Jane McCleery, Nancy Meyer, Steve Mustoe, Mary O'Conner, Christine Pettingill, Luz Ruiz-Stovall, Deon Saraceno, Virginia Seefeld, Jessie Sherman, Ben Van Dusen, Clair Wiles, Tracey Windom, and Scott Zarnegar.

4J CLASSIFIED STAFF NOMINEES: June Blackwell, Nancy Collie, Ardeen Cooper, Joni de Saint Phalle, Belva Ellison, Kim Ferguson, Ciccy Gonzales, Betsy Hoell, Tilly Jackson, Dan Jamieson, Julie Johnson, Stuart Koehnen, Regina Ligon, Diane Masson, Connie Minihan, Susan Schueller, and Craig Young.

4J ADMINISTRATOR NOMINEES: Eric Anderson, Randy Bernstein, BJ Blake, Wally Bryant, Yvonne Curtis, Karen Hardin, Leslie Jaeger, Brad New, Nancy Pollard, and Denisa Speicher-Taylor.

4J VOLUNTEER NOMINEES: Michele Harding-Kruse, Viriam Khalsa, Louanne Koch, Rebecca Kovach, and Harry Villec.

 

The ACE Awards program is a collaborative effort of the Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce and the 4J, Bethel and Springfield school districts.  The program and the associated cash awards this year are made possible by title sponsor Oregon Community Credit Union; award sponsors PacificSource Health Plans, SELCO Community Credit Union and PeaceHealth; media sponsor KMTR Newsource 16; and others from the local business and education communities.