Awards
To celebrate the achievement and success of vocational rehabilitation professionals, annually the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association solicits both Student and Professional Award nominees. In addition, annually both the Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Association and National Rehabilitation Association solicit award nominees.
PRA Awards History
KENNETH W. HYLBERT AWARD
1977 Kenneth W. Hylbert (State College)
1978 William Dunbar, M.D. (Philadelphia)
1979 Dr.Earl B.Young (Pittsburgh)
1983 Donald Krentzman (Philadelphia)
1986 Audrey J. Smith
1987 Lee H. Lacey (Pittsburgh)
1988 Jean Bloom, Ph.D. (Edinboro)
1990 Dr. Ralph Pacinelli (Philadelphia)
2011 Dr. Rebecca Spirito Dalgin (Scranton)
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD (DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION)
1977 James H. Chiles (Philadelphia)
1979 Joni Hollis (Pittsburgh)
1980 Harold Lynch (Mechanicsburg)
1981 Duke Ramsey (Pittsburgh)
1984 New Cumberland Army Depot (New Cumberland)
1987 John Elliott (Pittsburgh)
1988 Joseph Giglio (Pittsburgh)
1989 Peter A. Largey (St. Marys)
1990 Marlin G. Kester (Harrisburg)
1996 Patterson Dental Company, Eastern Dist. Center (Lancaster)
2014 Janell Shaffer-Yoder (Myerstown)
2019 Randy Reed & Jennifer Shroads of South Side Area School District
2021 Eric Kalet, Lowe’s, Langhorne, PA
CHARLES L. EBY AWARD – ADMINISTRATION
1977 Charles L. Eby (Harrisburg)
1978 H. Frazer Parry, M.D. (Philadelphia)
1979 Albert Bussone (Philadelphia)
1981 Donald Storch (Bellefonte)
1986 Joyce Burkholder
1987 Richard Petroski, Ph.D. (Altoona)
1988 Fred Enck (Pittsburgh)
1989 David Strauss, Ph.D. (Altoona)
1990 Susan Maczka (Pittsburgh)
1991 Kenneth Lewis (Philadelphia)
1993 Randall Brown (New Castle)
1994 Carl Marshall (Harrisburg)
1995 Marlin G. Kester (Lititz)
1996 Barbara Shadell (Philadelphia)
2006 A. Michele Bornman (Harrisburg)
2007 Roger Barton (Harrisburg)
2009 Rose Higby (Philadelphia)
2010 Catherine Farr (DuBois)
2012 Ryan Hyde (Harrisburg)
CHARLES L. EBY AWARD – COUNSELOR (B) - GAIN INDEPENDENCE
1995 Rita Powell (Irwin)
1996 Curtis R. Bucher (Pittsburgh)
1998 Rosemarie Freeman (Philadelphia)
2000 Bruce A. Balliet (Reading)
2001 Vicki Oman (Berwick)
2002 Dana Hodges (Wrightsville)
2002 Patricia McGeehan (Wilkes-Barre)
2002 Sara Reitenauer (Laurel dale)
2003 Sandra Long-Johnson (Lock Haven)
2004 Gail Warner-Lidondic (Norristown)
2006 Anne Gehling (Philadelphia)
2007 Sandra Magill (Allentown)
2008 Joan Shindel (York)
2010 Sharon Trabold (Johnstown)
2012 Ling-Mei "Chris" Tsai (Williamsport)
2013 Crystal L. Mangir (Philadelphia)
2014 Gary Hoffman (York)
2015 Shalonda Griffin (Philadelphia)
2016 Amber Phillips (Allentown)
2018 Shasta Dreese (Altoona)
2019 Steve Kechisen (Altoona)
CHARLES L. EBY AWARD – COUNSELOR - PLACEMENT
1995 Joy Best (Felton)
1996 Eugene Kannanocky (Pittsburgh)
1998 Wayne Trout (Philadelphia)
1998 David Mitten (Reading)
1999 Lisa Purnell-Noll (Williamsport)
2000 Leonard Yerger (Reading)
2001 Robert Kennedy (Shavertown)
2001 Lynn Zale (Reading)
2001 Terry Dailey (York)
2003 Christine M. Smith (Oakmont)
2003 Yvelisse Gonzalez (Sinking Spring)
2004 Brian Hoerz (Downingtown)
2006 Tony Ippolito (Philadelphia)
2008 Jameson Collins (York)
2009 LaKeysha McLaurin
2012 Jennifer Radick (Harrisburg)
2013 Kelsi Phares (Reading/Norristown)
2014 James Lilley (New Castle)
2015 Marie Martini (York)
2017 Jeff Seabury (Washington)
2018 Edward DeAgostino (Altoona)
2019 Michaele Pavelek (New Castle)
ORGANIZATION AWARD
1977 Open Doors of PA (Pittsburgh)
1978 Disabled in Action (Philadelphia)
1979 Vocational Rehabilitation Center (Pittsburgh)
1980 UCP (Pittsburgh)
1981 United Mental Health (Pittsburgh)
1984 City of Pittsburgh, JTP A (Pittsburgh)
1986 Lake Erie Rehabilitation Institute (Erie)
1987 Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
1989 Pittsburgh Employment Alliance
1990 Goodwill Industries of Mid-Eastern PA
2000 Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Underserved Areas
(CERMUSA) Dr. James Bates
LLOYD O. GROVE MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
1977 Lloyd O. Grove (Harrisburg)
1978 Charles T. Theal (Harrisburg)
1979 William E. Graffius (Harrisburg)
1986 John Horst
1987 Cecelia E. Jacobs (Camp Hill)
1988 John Bernard (Pittsburgh)
1990 Karen Lucas (Philadelphia)
1994 Lucian (Duke) Ramsey (Pittsburgh)
2001 Cecelia E. Jacobs (Camp Hill)
2014 Will Stennett (Donora)
PHILADELPHIA FOUNDERS AWARD
1977 Mayer Frank L. Rizzo (Philadelphia)
1979 John A. Hagan (Philadelphia)
1980 Judith F. Hirschwald (Philadelphia)
1981 Marvin Rosen, M.D. (Philadelphia)
1983 David K. Bausch (Allentown)
1987 Mayor Richard Caliguiri (Pittsburgh)
1988 Steve Nasuti (Philadelphia)
1989 Robert Lynch (Coraopolis)
1995 Ivan Hileman, Executive Director (Thomasville), Bell Socialization Services, York
1997 Joyce A. Bender, President (Pittsburgh), Bender Consulting Services, Inc., Pittsburgh
2006 Theresa Stickle (Harrisburg)
2015 Marci Katona (Pittsburgh)
2016 Vondol Hammond (Harrisburg)
2017 Erin Hannaford (Harrisburg)
2018 Erin Hannaford (Harrisburg)
2018 Russ Goddard (New Castle)
2019 Louise Kirby (Harrisburg)
2020 Cathy Shaffer (New Castle)
2021 Joe Michener (Allentown)
PRA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE (Discontinued 2006)
1977 Carl Odner (Allentown)
1978 Elizabeth J. Hamilton (Philadelphia)
1987 Dina Creighton (Pittsburgh)
1988 Kathy Rachuba (Pittsburgh)
1989 Connie Tarr (Greensburg)
CECELIA E. JACOBS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
2006 Thomasina “Tina” Prosseda (Pennsdale)
RALPH N. PACINELLI LEADERSHIP AWARD
2005 Ralph N. Pacinelli (Springfield)
2008 Ray F. Feroz (Seneca)
2009 Janet Fiore (King of Prussia)
2010 Carl Marshall (Harrisburg)
2012 Joan E. Kester (Mt. Joy)
2013 Lori A. Bruch (Scranton)
2017 Richard “Rick” Walters (Allentown)
MARY E. SWITZER AWARD
1977 Mary K. Bauman (Philadelphia)
1978 Dr. Gertrude A. Barber (Erie)
1979 Dorothy B. Columbus (Philadelphia)
1980 Karen Lucas (Philadelphia)
1981 Peggy Underwood (Uniontown)
1986 Cecelia E. Jacobs (Harrisburg)
1987 Eva Gobble, Ph.D. (Pittsburgh)
1988 Virginia DelSordo (Philadelphia)
1989 Sharon Heinlein (Pittsburgh)
1998 Rose Higby (Philadelphia)
1993 Carolyn Hoffman (Pittsburgh)
2000 Janell Shaffer-Yoder (Reading)
2004 Janet Fiore (King of Prussia)
2007 Stacy Kyle (Camp Hill)
2008 Judy L. Pena (York)
2012 Patricia Lapotsky (Reading)
MARK M. WALTER HUMANITARIAN AWARD
1977 Paul J. Smith (Harrisburg)
1978 John A. Hagan (Philadelphia)
1979 John E. Lapidakis (Bethlehem)
1980 William E. Graffius (Harrisburg)
1983 Ruth Saunders (Pittsburgh)
1986 John Nolan (Philadelphia)
1987 Thomas Gilhool (Harrisburg)
1988 Robert Nelkin (Pittsburgh)
1989 David Swihart (Harrisburg)
1990 Eileen Cubarney (Pittsburgh)
1992 John Quinn (Philadelphia)
1999 Connie Tarr (Greensburg)
2016 Rob Hodapp (Pittsburgh)
2018 Louis Perretta (New Castle)
PRA STUDENT AWARDS
1998 Stacey Deckard -- IUP (Blairsville) - Undergraduate
2008 Kati Baughman -- Clarion University (Export) - Undergaduate
2008 Kristy Frick -- University of Scranton (Dunmore) - Graduate
2009 Katie L. Kulka -- Clarion University (West Middlesex) - Undergraduate
2009 Katelynn Hunt -- East Stroudsburg University (Glenmoore) - Undergraduate
2010 Alexa Hodge -- Penn State University (University Park) - Undergraduate
2010 Lyle Clark -- Clarion University (Vandergrift) - Undergraduate
2010 Jason Gines -- Penn State University (State College) - Graduate
2011 Sara Gales -- University of Pittsburgh (York) - Graduate
2011 Douglas Rand -- University of Scranton (Waymart) - Graduate
2011 Isaac Leonard -- Clarion University (Bensalem) - Undergraduate
2011 Rachel Wiley & Kate Nuschke -- Penn State University (State College) - Undergraduate
2012 Kristin Graham -- University of Pittsburgh - Graduate
2012 Rachael Black -- Penn State University - Undergraduate
2013 Ashlee Filippone -- University of Pittsburgh - Graduate
2013 Kimberly Marlatt -- Clarion University – Undergraduate
2014 Kelley McKee -- George Washington University -- Graduate
2014 Emma Fickel -- Clarion University -- Undergraduate
2016 Susan Langley - University of Pittsburgh - Graduate
2017 Caitlin Burkett – University of Pittsburgh – Graduate
2017 Micki Buchan – Clarion University – Undergraduate
2018 Tess Campbell – George Washington University – Graduate
2018 Tory Jackson – Clarion University - Undergraduate
2019 Weronika Noyszewski - Clarion University - Undergraduate
2019 Arielle Webb - Penn State University - Graduate
2020 Rebecca Josephson – Clarion University – Undergraduate
2020 Amy Tavares – University of Pittsburgh – Graduate
2021 Lydia Brugere – Clarion University – Undergraduate
2021 Lauren Parker – Penn State University – Graduate
2022 Sylvia Bright – Clarion University – Undergraduate
2022 Shaina Shelton – University of Scranton - Graduate
PRA Business Award - Ongoing Initiatives
2019- CVS Health - Leslie Ries
PRA Business Award - New Initiative
2019 - syncreon - Kelly Reed