EMA Awards | Enrollment Management Association

Meet the individuals who help us all grow and achieve success.

Each year at the Annual Conference, outstanding admission professionals are recognized by EMA for their leadership, commitment, and contributions to the field of enrollment management.

Nominated by their peers, the winners of the Bretnall, Gourley, Rising Star, Changemaker, 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.

2024 Recipient

Amy Sayfie Zichella

Director of Admission and Enrollment Management

Ransom Everglades School (FL)

Amy has worked at her beloved alma mater, Ransom Everglades School, since 2002.

Full Bio

Previous Bretnall Award Recipients

2023 Drew Miller
2022 Laurel Baker Tew
2021 Sheila Bogan
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

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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.

2024 Recipient

Bill Leahy

Consultant

Carney Sandoe & Associates

Bill is a seasoned independent school professional with over three decades of experience in enrollment management leadership.

Full Bio

Previous Gourley Award Recipients

2023 Vivien Valenzuela Mallick
2022 Dana Brown
2021 Eric Barber
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

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Rising Star Award

Developed by the Admission Leadership Council and a sub-committee of EMA’s Board of Trustees, the Rising Star Award honors educators with ten or fewer years of experience who have distinguished themselves or their schools in enrollment management.

2024 Recipient

James Eberhart

Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admissions

Chadwick School (CA)

The Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admission at Chadwick School since July 2021, James previously worked at Baldwin School in Pennsylvania, Miss Hall's School in Massachusetts, St. George's School in Rhode Island, Hyde School in Maine, and with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria.

Full Bio

Margaret Stolte

Assistant Director, Recruitment and Admissions

A Better Chance

Margaret is an enrollment and nonprofit professional motivated by facilitating pathways for underrepresented students in highly selective education and industry.

Full Bio

Previous Rising Star Recipients

2023 Alex Halladay & Keenan A.K. Kurihara
2022 Adam Choice
2022 Nija Majmudar Meyer
2021 Rohan Arjun
2020 Felicia Neil
2019 Kemi Nonez
2019 Doug Moon

Changemaker Award

The Changemaker Award is given to a distinguished educator of color who reached above and beyond to contribute to the enrollment management field in the admissions arena.

2024 Recipient

Ray Cross

Director of Community, Equity, and Belonging

St. Andrew’s School (RI)

Ray Cross is the Director of Community, Equity, and Belonging at St. Andrew’s School in Rhode Island.

Full Bio

Previous Changemaker Award Recipients

2023 Wendy Jenkins Sheats
2022 Vanessa Prescott

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