Awards & Recognition
Elise Nesbit Trailblazer Award
The Elise Nesbit Trailblazer Award first began as the Elise Nesbit Friendship Award. It was established to honor the contributions of Elise Nesbit to the profession of Visiting Teachers/School Social Workers. Ms. Nesbit was a trailblazer who worked tirelessly to implement Georgia’s first Compulsory School Attendance Law in 1945. She worked with the University of Georgia School of Education to develop professional training program for Visiting Teachers who were responsible for helping children get in school. Later the Visiting Teacher Program was merged with UGA’s School of Social Work.
The Elise Nesbit Trailblazer Award recognizes outstanding members of SSWAG who have been a certified SSW or VT and member of SSWAG for at least five consecutive years. This individual promotes services to students and/or their families and has made a significant contribution to the profession of School Social Work, locally and statewide.
The prestige of the Award is such that it is not necessarily awarded on an annual basis. Each district has an opportunity to make a recommendation. The recipient will be determined by the Awards Committee by March 1st and presented at Spring Conference.
*Prior to the formation of the Friends of Children award, non-school social workers received the Elise Nesbit Trailblazer award.
| 1991 |
Dewayne Hamilton – GA Legislator / Chatham County |
| 1994 |
Don Lyons – Decatur City |
| 1995 |
Robert Chapman – Fulton County |
| 1996 |
Jeff Townsend – Gordon County |
| 1997 |
Wesley Boyd – Atlanta City |
| 1998 |
Jim Bell – GAE Rep |
| 2001 |
Randall Smith – Cobb County |
| 2004 |
Margaret Prentiss – Marietta City |
| 2005 |
Bobbi Butler – Whitfield County |
| 2006 |
Deborah Jones – Ware County |
| 2007 |
Melanie Holt – Laurens County
Roy Keen – Savannah –Chatham County
|
| 2008 | Donna Greeson – Catoosa County |
| 2010 |
Linda DeWaay – Gwinnett County Schools |
School Social Worker of the Year
During the summer of 1984, SSWAG constructed the School Social Worker of the Year Award which is given annually to a fellow School Social Worker who is an active member of the organization at the District and State level. This individual’s service has been judged as exemplary. Each district has the opportunity to enter a candidate for this award. The award is presented at the Spring SSWAG Conference. The nominees are rated in the following categories:
- Professional preparation and school social work experience
- Civic contributions
- Professional membership
- Philosophy of education
- Personal efforts on behalf of his/her job
- Professional school social work contributions
| 1985 |
Sammy Boykins – Thomas County
Louise Eddings – Whitfield County
|
| 1986 |
Rosalind C. Folsom – Valdosta City |
| 1987 |
William Mitchell – Bibb County |
| 1988 |
Betsy Storey – Rome City |
| 1989 |
Jeff Townsend – Gordon County |
| 1990 |
Penny Szwast – Glynn County |
| 1991 |
Bobbie Butler – Whitfield County |
| 1992 |
Dianne Barber – Muscogee County |
| 1993 |
Melanie Holt Spurling – Laurens County |
| 1994 |
Nathaniel Shelton – Gainesville City |
| 1995 |
Diana Shiley – Savannah-Chatham County |
| 1996 |
Gloria Chisholm-Boyd – Liberty County |
| 1997 |
Sandro Blalock – Tift County |
| 1998 |
Sylvia McGee – Bibb County |
| 1999 |
Mary Smith – Dalton City |
| 2000 |
Nora Aaron – Fulton County |
| 2001 |
Donna Greeson – Murray County |
| 2002 |
Ken Greene – Barrow County |
| 2003 |
Rebecca Mathis – Douglas County |
| 2004 |
Cynder Sims-Verheyen – Whitfield County |
| 2005 |
Patricia Goodwin – Clarke County |
| 2006 |
Sandra Wilcher – Lowndes County |
| 2007 |
Tracie Hogan – Murray County |
| 2008 |
Ida Hafford-Brown – Cobb County |
| 2009 |
Amanda Schutz – Calhoun City |
| 2010 |
Christa Kirksey Huggins – Gwinnett County Schools |
Friend of Children Award School Social Workers Association of Georgia
This is an award presented to an administrator or community leader who has:
- Supported and advocated for school social work services.
- Been involved in the development of an innovative program(s) to enhance the delivery of services to students and families in the school/community environment.
- Been actively involved in a civic or youth organization or board that positively impacts students and families.
The prestige of the Award is such that it is not necessarily awarded on an annual basis. The nominations may be from within the district or from another district in the state. The recipient will be determined by the Awards Committee by March 1st and presented at Spring Conference.
Previous recipients have been:
- 1992, Senator Nathan Deal
- 1998, Representative Carolyn Hugley
- 2008, Delthia T. Conrad, Coastal Plains RESA
- 2010, Carol B. Johnson, Executive Director of United Way of South Central Georgia
- Wendy Clifton, NASW Lobbyist
- Bibb County School Resource Officers
- Senator Nan Orrack
- Robert Chatman, Fulton Co. Schools Director of SSWs
If you know of a recipient not listed and/or the year of receipt for existing or new receiptients, send an email to tracie_hogan@whitfield.k12.ga.us.
