MIHS PTSA Awards

MIHS PTSA rewards outstanding volunteers, educators, or staff members for his/her/their creativity, innovation, dedication and amazing work for our school community. Let’s show our volunteers and educators how much we appreciate them.

Click Here to Nominate

Deadline: 5pm, Monday, April 22, 2024 

Past Award Recipients

Golden Acorn Award: A Golden Acorn Award is presented, by a local PTA unit or council, to a volunteer in recognition of his/her dedication and service to children and youth. Since the beginning of this program, more than 44,000 Golden Acorns have been presented to volunteers throughout Washington State. A contribution in the name of the recipient(s) is made by the honoring PTA to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Program. From these contributions, WSPTA is able to provide grants to freshman students entering post-secondary education.

• 2015 – Toby Suhm, Becki Snellenberg, Paige Behrbaum
• 2017 – Tracey Dubofsky
• 2018 – Jackie Brown, Emily Thompson
• 2019 – Diane Tien, Ruth Cartwright
• 2020 – Ivy Suzuki-Jaecks
• 2021 – Elizabeth Evans
• 2022 - Sheri Blumenthal
• 2023 - Stacey Nakata & Suzanne Riley

Outstanding Advocate Award: In 2004, the Washington State PTA established the Outstanding Advocate Award, a new statewide volunteer recognition program to recognize and honor individuals for their advocacy work on behalf of children and youth. This award can be given by a PTA unit, council, or region. Recipients receive a certificate and pin and a contribution is made in their name to the WSPTA Scholarship Program.

• 2015 – John Parker, Ann Meisner, Debbie McKenzie, Barb Halgren, Traci Brandon, Terese Cannon, Chris Harnish
• 2016 – Erica Hill, Lanna Pangle
• 2017 – MJ Hillstrom
• 2018 – Jamie Prescott
• 2019 – Lori Cohen-Sanford, Cathy Gentino
• 2020 – Vicki Puckett
• 2021 – Kelly John-Lewis, Clay Laughery
• 2022 - Julie Ogata Ciobanu, Erica Hill, Student Voices for Change Club
• 2023 - Janelle Honeycutt, Tana Senn & Rachel Senn, Carrie Thompson & Cremt Learning Center

Volunteer Service Award: Given to an individual who contributed exceptional volunteer service for children, the PTA organization or the school community during the past years.

• 2015 – Vicki Pallis, Betsy Robertson, Lori Coe, Robyn Newell, Sue Reichert, Leslie Kamin
• 2016 – Jennifer McLellan, Amy Melick, Debbie Hanson, Sue Reichert, Dana Kim, Robyn Newell, Kathy Umlauf, Jill Swaya, Polly Prince
• 2017 – Nanette Bassett, Jane Rosenstein, Kathy Middleton, Diane Barrett Tien
• 2018 – Connie Shepherd, Gillian Peckham, Deb Voss, Margo Mansfield, Tsering Short, Michelle Mueller, Tom Callahan, Lori Coe
• 2019 – Anne-Christine Poncelet, Pirouze Saghafi, Suzanne Riley, Finley
• 2020 – Dana Pruchno, Kristin Sugamele, Sophy Yang
• 2021 – Jennifer Selby, Irene Geisner, Kim Comstock
• 2022 - Suzanne Plambeck, Tracy Samuels, Robin and Sarah Giese
• 2023 - Christine Nakano, Suzanne Plambeck

Senior Volunteer Service Award: Established in 2019 to recognize graduating senior parents (last child at MIHS) for their service for the entire period their children were in MISD.

• 2019 – Donita Lacrampe, Anne Hritzay, Leslie Moore, Betsy Robertson, Kim Baker, C.C. Crenshaw, Lori Hughes, Susie Stenberg, Kelly Rorem, Elizabeth Cross-Nichol, Nancy Waiss
• 2020 – Joe and Kimberly Chen, Erinann Childress, Anne Corbett, Ralph & Dawn Jorgensen, Meredith Miner, Megan Hand, Lisa Hankes, Dawson Stoops and Shelly Shay, Tammy Shoop, Heidi Singh, Stowe Sprague
• 2021 – Charlene Steinhauer, Deb Voss, Susan Empey, Karen Zimmer, Greta Stednick
• 2022 - Tammy Heydon, Karla Olson, Petra Varney
• 2023 - Megan Atkinson, Eunyoung Kim, Jodi McCarthy, Alison Monen, Anne-Christine Poncelet

Outstanding Educator Award: The Outstanding Educator Award was created to recognize individuals who have provided outstanding educational opportunities for children and youth that are beyond the normal scope of their job.

• 2015 – Parker Bixby, Bob Sagerson, Tom Cox, Marc Comptom
• 2016 – Chris Twombley, Dino Annest
• 2017 – Andrea Confalone
• 2018 – Daniela Melgar, Peggy Aguilar
• 2019 – Joe Bryant, Brian Hampsch
• 2020 – Ed Puchalla and Shannon Tapp
• 2021 – Laurie Schwartzberg
• 2022 - Rachael Sterrett, Leslie Seelye, Grant Weed
• 2023 - Jennifer Blaser, Lance Kinsey, Chantel Torrey

Outstanding Community Partner: The Community Partner award recognizes a local Island business or organization that goes above and beyond standard expectations to help and facilitate the work and mission of MIHS PTSA, including helping to build a cooperative relationship between students, schools, and community.

• 2018 – Pagliacci Pizza
• 2019 – MI Library (Carrie Bowman)
• 2020 – We Love MI
• 2021 – Einer and Marilyn Handeland
• 2022 - The Scooty Fund
• 2023 - Julie Yuan-Ru Hsieh

Honorary Lifetime Membership: The Honorary Lifetime Membership Award recognizes an individual who has contributed significantly to the development, growth, and sustainability of a local PTA or council. It is awarded to someone who has shown extraordinary commitment to the PTA’s vision and mission. 

• 2016 – Ann Meisner, Betsy O’Connell
• 2018 – Mary Kay Woolston
• 2019 – Debbie Hanson, Jennifer McLellan
• 2021 – Jackie Brown, Ivy Suzuki-Jaecks