Awards and Honors
2001: Frederick Harris
2002: Reginald D. Taylor
2004: Drew Farmer
2006: Tierra French
2008: John Little, III
2009: Alonzo Coleman
2010: Geronn Moore
2013: Drake Dudley
2014: Edward Johnson
2015: Quayshaun Crowder
2016: Roman Comer
2019: Aiden Lee Reece
2023: Kunia Pullen, Joshua Weaver, Preston Yokley-Owens
2024: Rubymae Buttler, Cameron Carver, Logan Thomas and Brandon Washington
TCCY awarded its first Senator Douglas Henry Award to Senator Henry in 2014. Henry, who passed in March 2017, was the longest serving member of the Tennessee legislature. He was first elected to the state House in 1954, voters later sent Henry to the state Senate in 1970 where he served until 2014. While serving in the state Senate, Henry sponsored important legislation for children, often being called the General Assembly’s “Patron Saint of Children,” by leaders in child advocacy.
2014: Douglas Henry
2015: Judge Dwight Stokes
2016: Deputy Governor Jim Henry
2017: Mary Rolando
2018: Judge Doug Overbey
2019: Mayor A.C. Wharton
2020: Judge Michael Meise
2021: Carla Snodgrass
2022: Judge Sheila Calloway
2024: Mayor AJ Massey and Mayor Scott Conger
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) awarded its first Jim Pryor Child Advocacy Award posthumously to Jim Pryor in March 1995. Pryor, who passed away in May of 1994, was a member of TCCY and an outstanding advocate for children. He was an attorney, a former assistant district attorney, a member of the state Child Sexual Abuse Task Force, and an active member of the Northeast Regional Council on Children and Youth.
1995: Jim Pryor
1996: Art Masker
1997: Tommy Perkins
1998: Ann Ince and Steve Jones
1999: May Shayne
2000: Trudy Hughes and Sandi Fisher
2001: Merril Harris
2002: George Spain
2003: Phil Acord
2004: Emmy Haney
2005: Jody Roberts
2006: Linda Moynihan
2007: Marilyn Davis
2008: Betty Rasberry
2009: Joetta Yarbro
2010: Connie Hall Givens
2011: Dr. Timothy Perry
2012: Cindy Durham
2013: Judge Betty Adams
2014: James Martin
2015: Barbara Holden Nixon
2016: Bonnie Beneke and Jan Dick
2017: Loraine Lucinski
2018: Matt Timm
2019: Kristen Rector
2020: Kathy Benedetto
2021: Sandra Allen
2022: Matthew Marshall
2023: Blair Taylor
2024: Dr. Michele Moser
TCCY awarded its first Linda O’Neal Lifetime Achievement Award to Linda O’Neal in 2018, the year she retired. O’Neal joined the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth as it’s executive director in 1988, the year it was formed by the Tennessee General Assembly. For the next three decades she dedicated herself to serving children and families in Tennessee. Outside of her duties to TCCY O’Neal also served as a Girl Scout leader for 13 years and served on a wide variety of national, state, and local boards and committees focused on policy and services to children and families in Tennessee.
2018: Linda O’Neal
2019: Debbie Miller
2020: Phil Acord
2021: Judy Graham
2022: Stewart Clifton
2023: Karen Franklin
2024: Carol Westlake
TCCY awarded its first Friend of Children Award to Matthew Marshall in 2021. This award recognizes a community member who has gone above and beyond to serve children and youth in Tennessee. In 2024, The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth voted to rename this award, the Phil Acord Friend of Children Award after his passing in February 2024. Acord served as the president and CEO of the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga for more than 50 years and on TCCY’s Commission for more than 25 years, having been appointed by three governors.
2021: Matthew Marshall
2022: Becky Hass
2023: Ronda Paulson
2023: Dr. Stephen W. Patrck
2024: Serry Mahar
2024: Julie Flannery
TCCY awarded its first John Seigenthaler Media Award to Jamie Satterfield in 2001. This award recognizes journalists, newspapers, radio and television stations, new media producers and other members of the media whose contributions have educated and enlightened Tennesseans about the problems and issues of children in Tennessee. Seigenthaler, who passed away in July 2014 was a legendary Tennessee journalist and fierce advocate for racial equity, and defender of the First Amendment. Affiliates and organizations named in this list represent the entire organization or company who recieved this prestigous award.
2001: Jamie Satterfield
2002: Richard Locker, Paula Wade, Penny Bandy, Laura Long Martin, Anna Garber, David Carroll
2003: Jill Thomas, Bradley Martin, May Dean Eberling, WLJT TV
2004: Ashely Heher,
2005: Cheryl Tatum, Dwight Lewis,
2006: Judith R. Tackett, Sue Lasky, Dorinda Carter, David Sutherland
2007: The Mountain Press
2008: Kara Covington & Larry Aldridge, The Commercial Appeal – Memphis, Aaron Solomon & Jeremy Finley, WPTY Channel 24 – Memphis,
2009: Liz Engel, The Tennessean, Emily Bregel
2010: Sherri Gardner-Howell, The Tennessean, Mary Reeves, Brian Mosely, Sadie Fower
2011: Shirley Nanney, Joel Washburn, Beth Curley, Bruce Moore
2012: Amye Wright, Beth Warren, Beth Curley, Kevin Crane, Mary Makley
2014: John Seigenthaler, Tony Gonzalez,
2015: Tom Humphrey, Rachel Kenney, Scott Wilson
2016: Lori Tucker, Kristen Farley, David Waters,
2017: Cindy Sexton, Jerome Wright, Anita Wadhwani, Daniel Birman
2018: Dolly Parton
2019: Larry Bowers, Lynette Wagster, Our Kids
2020: Mike Osborne, Mearl Purvis, Anita Wadhwani, Chalkbeat, The Peds Pod Podcast
2021: Tennessee Department of Health
2022: Cole Sullivan
2023: Ben Hall
