EMA Award Winners
Each year at the Annual Conference, outstanding admission professionals are recognized by the organization for their leadership, commitment and contributions. The winners of the Bretnall, Gourley and Hull Maynard Presidential awards are listed chronologically.
William B. Bretnall Award
The Bretnall Award, named for distinguished educator and first association program director William Bretnall, is given each year to a leader and educator who has made significant contributions to the field of admission.
2021 Recipient:
Sheila Bogan
Director of Middle and Upper School Admission and Director of Financial Aid
The Packer Collegiate Institute (NY)
Sheila began as the Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions and Director of Financial Aid at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn (NY) in 2011. Prior to moving to a New York City day school, Sheila was the Director of Admission and Financial Aid for six years at The Dublin School in Dublin (NH), a boarding and day school. Learn more about Sheila.
Past Recipients:
- 2020 Kate Briscoe
- 2019 Jon Deveaux
- 2018 Dennis Facciolo
- 2017 MacGregor Robinson
- 2016 Peter Gilbert
- 2015 Tommy Adams
- 2014 Ray Diffley
- 2013 Diane Dunning
- 2012 Lynne Palmer
- 2011 Christine H. Baker
- 2010 Tom Sheppard
- 2009 Francis M. Ryan
- 2008 A. Randol “Randie” Benedict
- 2007 Steve Ruzicka
- 2006 Rochelle M. Dorfler
- 2005 Faith Howland
- 2004 Stephen Blanchard
- 2003 Neville Lake
- 2002 Lanier Watson
- 2000 Don Smith
- 1999 Mary Louise Leipheimer
- 1998 Judith S. Beams
- 1997 Frank Stephenson
- 1996 Maud Chang
- 1995 Donald Saluta
- 1994 Frederick H. Wandelt, III
- 1993 Fontaine Y. Draper
- 1992 William Oates
- 1991 Wanda C. Hill
- 1990 John C. Esty
- 1989 Thomas E. Wilcox
- 1988 Georgia K. Irvin
- 1987 John Q.A. Doolittle
- 1986 Paul Sanderson
- 1985 John C. Boyden
- 1984 Joshua L. Miner
- 1983 Sanford Roeser
- 1982 John Eidam
Everett E. Gourley Award
The Gourley Award, named for former Director of Admission and Assistant Headmaster of the Asheville School Everett Gourley, is given each year to the educator whose interest in students and concern for colleagues is an inspiration to those who serve in admission.
2021 Recipient:
Eric Barber
Director of Enrollment Management
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences (CA)
Eric is currently serving as the first director of enrollment management at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences (CA). A musician by training, Eric began his career at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Eric then moved to Lakeside School (WA), where he served as the lead outreach coordinator during Lakeside's ambitious Mission Focus strategic plan that greatly diversified the school while also increasing the academic qualifications of the applicant pool. Learn more about Eric.
Past Recipients:
- 2020 Michael Kinnealey
- 2019 Anne Behnke
- 2018 David Baker
- 2017 Camille Bertram
- 2016 Kathy Mitchell O'Neal
- 2015 Reveta Bowers
- 2014 Betsy Hata
- 2013 Christopher R. Tompkins
- 2012 Sandra Timmons
- 2011 Marjorie Mitchell
- 2010 Peter Bordonaro
- 2009 Melanie Williams
- 2008 Claude Anderson
- 2007 Catherine Washburn
- 2006 Leo G. Marshall
- 2005 Mary Will Thomas
- 2004 Lilia N. Carey
- 2003 Ronald Sobel
- 2002 Monique DeVane
- 2000 Paul R. Mahoney
- 1999 Robert G. Bullard, Jr.
- 1998 Steven C. White
- 1997 Barbara Priscus
- 1996 Virginia M. DeVeer
- 1995 John Harrington
- 1994 Eleanor Macneale Elkinton
- 1993 Allan and Janet Hilton
- 1992 Charles W. Sikoryak
- 1991 Everett E. Gourley
Rising Star Awards
Developed by the Admission Leadership Council and a sub-committee of EMA’s Board of Trustees, the Rising Star awards honor educators with 10 or fewer years of experience who have distinguished themselves and/or their schools in the field of enrollment management.
2021 Recipient:
Rohan Arjun
Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid
Friends Select (PA)
Prior to his appointment at Friends Select, Rohan spent time at George School (PA) as director of admission, where he is also an alum. He spent five years at St. Mark’s School (MA) holding several titles including assistant director of admission, associate director of admission, acting director of community & equity affairs, and associate director of admission & financial aid. Before St. Mark's, he served as an admission, global service & scholarship, and multicultural affairs fellow at The Taft School (CT). Learn more about Rohan.
Past Recipients:
- 2020 Felicia Neil
- 2019 Kemi Nonez
- 2019 Doug Moon
Hull Maynard Presidential Award
The Hull Maynard Presidential Award is given, when warranted, in recognition of a professional who has given extraordinarily to the Association. Hull Maynard was the Director of Admission at Loomis School in Connecticut. In the 1950s, he was one of the founding fathers and first Executive Secretary of this fledgling organization.
- 2009 Thomas Southworth
- 2003 Edward Young
- 1999 Alice Jackson
- 1997 Gardner Dunnan
