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Awards

WESTCAS is an organization that has always valued the professional contributions that its members make toward ensuring sustainable water quality and quantity in the arid west. Historically, WESTCAS has honored its hard-working members with a variety of awards, usually presented to our members at the WESTCAS Annual Conference. Please review the following list of awards and their recipients.

WESTCAS AWARDS:

Golden Cactus Certificate

Criteria: Certificate of recognition for work during the year on various WESTCAS activities.

Past Recipients:
NameYearName Year
Agnew, Harlan1994 & 2008Lee, Jan1998
Alstadt, Stacy2006Macinka, Elise1997
Andes, Fred2008Malcom-Pirnie2002
Archuleta, Peter2003Martin, Bob1999
Biggs, Barbara2002McCaleb, Jolene2010
Bitner, Kelly2000McNeil, David2008
Bowman, Chuck1996McPherson, Gail1997
Brezak, Jim1994Miller, Thelma1995
Brown, Bing2004Mills, Rick2009
Brown, Marcie1995 & 1996Moore, Dawn2009
Burkstaller, John1996Neal, Chris1998
Card, Vicki1995Nylander, Charles2002
Cavender, Burnie1995O'Brien, Dorothy2006
Chase, Bill1998Owen, Wayne2007
Clark, Tim1996Owen, Wayne2009
Collins, Karen1999Perry, Bob1996
Cornielle, Dick1999Pifher, Mark2004
De Haan, Michelle1998Ramage, Karen1999
Doud, Jim1995Ray, Tom2010
Egan, Jim2002Reece, Craig1996
Estes, Mark1995Reichenbacher, Frank2001
Everest, Bill 1994 & 1997Rice, Bob1997
Fleury, Mike1994Russell, Jerry1998
Foster, Tad1996Santantonio, Dan1996
Gano, Harold1998Scharnhorst, Vicki2001
Gardner, Mary2007Shalhoub2006
Glass, Peggy2007Shoaf, Gerry1994
Goodin, Don1994Smith, Dean1998
Green, Sharon1996Smith, Jennifer1999
Hale, Leonard2002Smith, Scott2001
Hart, Alec2002Stowe, Dennis1995
Hicks, Fred2010Stratton, Mark2002 & 2006
Hill, Chris1995Thomas, Harold1998
Hollander, Bob1996Treese, Chris1996
Hunt, Rex2008Tubbs, Cheryl1999
Izzo, Marge1998Ullinskey, Gary2002
Jacomet, Donna1995Ullinskey, John1994 & 1996
Karafa, Doug2001Van Derveer, Bill1998
Kassisieh, Costy1997Wanttaja, Kevin2002
King, Paul 1997 & 1999Wolniewicz, Ski
Kirkpatrick, Randy2010Zinke, Dee
Kracht, Jeff2001

Distinguished Service Award (plaque)

Criteria: WESTCAS members who have gone beyond the normal call of duty, i.e. special efforts, regional, state, federal, outstanding achievements, WESTCAS participation, etc..

Past Recipients:
Agnew, Harlan1995
Archuleta, Peter1995
Bazel, Larry2004
Bigley, Steve2017
Bitner, Kelly2004
Brezak, Jim1998
Brown, Bing1996
Burkstaller, John1999
Card, Vicki1999
Cavender, Burnie1996
Chase, Bill1996
Collins, Kelly2008
Corneille, Richard2003
Kudlinski, Jim2015
Landau, Sharon2001
Libeu, Larry2015
Martin, Robert2002
Meyerhoff, Richard2004
Moore, Tim2001
Neal, Chris1999
Newport, Mary Ann1994
Nylander, Charlie2004
Pifher, Mark1995
Rackley, Ira1994
Reece, Craig2000
Russell, Jerry1998

Founders Award (plaque)

Criteria: Very special award (not necessarily given annually) for outstanding effort in keeping WESTCAS in the forefront, promotion our organization and its issues. Must be a member or retired member.

Past Recipients:
NameYearNameYear
Brinsko, George1994Libeu, Larry1995
Brown, Bing2000Karafa, Doug2002
Carlson, Peter2008Schlange, Andy1994
Chase, Bill1999Segler, Kurt2004
Curley, Ed1997 & 2015Will, Bob2004
Laughlin, Jim1996

President's Award (plaque)

Criteria: Awarded to an individual(s) who has worked for the advancement of WESTCAS and WESTCAS issues on the regional or national level. The individual is from outside the membership of WESTCAS.

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Andes, Fredric2002
Brinsko, George1999
Calvert, Ken (Congressman)2018
Carlson, Peter2002
Domenici, Pete V. (Senator)2008
Murphy, Mark2015
Nylander, Charlie2006
Quinn, Tim2017
Reid, Harry (Senator)1994
Reynolds, David (ACWA)1996
Reynoldson, Jerry1994

Special Recognition Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Agnew, Harlan1998
Cavender, Burnie1998
Collins, Kelly2018
Curley, Ed2007
Foster, Tad1999
Jacomet, Donna2003
Karafa, Doug1999
Keller, Nancy2017
Kudlinski, Jim2017
Libeu, Larry2007
Pifher, Mark1999
Rackley, Ira1998
Ullinskey, Gary1999
Wanttaja, Kevin1998

Special Team Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Egan, Jim1997
Foster, Tad1997
Harrison, Claire1997
Moore, Tim1997
Pifher, Mark1997

Arsenic-Rule Warrior Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Bazel, Larry2001
Burkstaller, John2001
De Haan, Michelle2001
Reece, Craig2001
Stomp, John2001

The Foster Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Foster, Tad2000
Andes, Fred2010

The Craig Reece Memorial Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Reece Family2003

Engraved champagne bottle

Past Recipients:
NameYear Occasion
Brown, Bing2001Retirement from City of Phoenix
Cavender, Burnie2003Retirement from SBVCD
Fleury, Mike2001Stepping down as Science Committee Chair
Pifher, Mark2001Given in appreciation of consistent work for many years
Rice, Robert2003Retirement from Pima County
Thomas, Harold2010Retirement from Board

Outstanding Service

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Henderson-Davis, Sharon2009
McNeil, David2009

Larry Libeu Standing Ovation Award

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Collins, Kelly2009
Moore, Dawn2015

Chef's apron and BBQ utensils (retiring president)

Past Recipients:
NameYear
Libeu, Larry 2000

Proclamation

Past Recipients:
NameYear Occasion
Brinsko, George1999Retiring president
Cavender, Burnie2003Retiring treasurer

Master of Ceremonies

Past Recipients:
YearNameGuest Presenter
1994Larry Libeu
1995Ed Curley, Claire Harrison,and Ira RackleyDan Beard
1996Larry LibeuRobbie Savage
1997Larry LibeuJim Ziglar
1998Larry Libeu
1999Larry LibeuRobbie Savage
2000Larry Libeu"Mark Twain"
2001Larry Libeu and Doug Karafa
2002Larry Libeu and Doug Karafa
2003Larry Libeu and Doug Karafa

Miscellaneous History

WESTCAS was founded in April 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The founding Board of Directors:
StateName
ArizonaGeorge Brinsko, Bill Chase
CaliforniaJim Laughlin, Andy Schlange
NevadaDoug Karafa, Kurt Segler
New MexicoDavid Stollicker