2026 Field Award Winners

Donald W. Steele, Sr. Memorial Award (AFA Unit of the Year)

Gen Charles A. Gabriel Chapter

Outstanding State Organization

Virginia

Outstanding Chapters by Size

Presented to chapters by size categories for accomplishment across multiple areas.

• Small Chapter: Mel Harmon Chapter, CO
• Medium Chapter: Lincoln Chapter, NE
• Large Chapter: Charleston Chapter, SC
• Extra-Large Chapter: Mile High Chapter, CO

Unit Exceptional Service Awards

Presented to chapters for outstanding accomplishments in specific fields

• ESA United Forces & Families: East Georgia Chapter, GA
• ESA Communications: Mile High Chapter, CO
• ESA Community Partners
      Small: Fairbanks Midnight Sun Chapter, AK
      Medium: Gen David C. Jones Chapter, ND
      Large: Northeast Texas Chapter, TX
      Extra Large: Hurlburt Chapter, FL
      Over-1100: Thunderbird Chapter, NV
• ESA Community Relations: Hurlburt Chapter, FL
• ESA Best Single Program: Wright Memorial Chapter, OH
• ESA Overall Programming: D.W. Steele Memorial Chapter, VA
• ESA Veterans Affairs: Lance P. Sijan Chapter, CO
• ESA Unit/AAS/SW Integration: Mile High Chapter, CO
• ESA Best Single Event: Alamo Chapter, TX
• ESA Heritage: Waterman-Twining Chapter, FL
• ESA Advocacy
      Small: Not Awarded
      Medium: Gen David C. Jones Chapter, ND
      Large: Cheyenne Cowboy Chapter, WY
      Extra Large: Not Awarded
• ESA AIMS
      Small: Mel Harmon Chapter, CO
      Medium: Not Awarded
      Large: Northeast Texas Chapter, TX
      Extra Large: Alamo Chapter, TX

Aerospace Education Excellence Award

Presented to chapters by size categories for excellence in aerospace education programming.

• Small Chapter: Mel Harmon Chapter, CO
• Medium Chapter: Lincoln Chapter, ND
• Large Chapter: Northeast Texas Chapter, TX
• Extra-Large Chapter: Mile High Chapter, CO

Aerospace Education Achievement Award

Presented to chapters for outstanding achievement in aerospace education programming.

• AF188 Ak-Sar-Ben Chapter
• AF297 Charleston Chapter
• AF357 Cheyenne Cowboy Chapter
• AF135 David C. Jones Chapter
• AF137 East Georgia Chapter
• AF160 Ft Meade Chapter
• AF398 Hurlburt Chapter
• AF125 Lance P. Sijan Chapter
• AF187 Lincoln Chapter
• AF303 Martin H. Harris Chapter
• AF128 Mel Harmon Chapter
• AF127 Mile High Chapter
• AF102 Montgomery Chapter
• AF416 Northeast Texas Chapter
• AF178 Paul Revere Chapter
• AF136 Red Tail Memorial Chapter
• AF408 Robert E. Huyser Chapter
• AF236 Salt Lake City Chapter
• AF298 Swamp Fox Chapter
• AF105 Tucson Chapter
• AF316 Waterman-Twining Chapter

Community Partner Awards

Gold Award
Presented to chapters whose Community Partners represent at least six percent of overall membership, with a minimum number of Community Partners.

(OK) AF342: Altus Chapter
(AZ) AF107: Cochise Chapter
(OK) AF214: Enid Chapter
(AK) AF362: Fairbanks Midnight Sun Chapter
(ND) AF135: Gen David C Jones Chapter
(NE) AF187: Lincoln Chapter
(CO) AF128: Mel Harmon Chapter
(MS) AF376: Meridian Chapter
(TX) AF416: Northeast Texas Chapter

Achievement Award
Presented to Chapters whose Community Partners represent at least three percent of overall membership, with a minimum number of Community Partners.

Jack Gross Award

Presented to a chapter in size category with the highest number of new members as a percentage of chapter size at the beginning of the membership year.

Bgen Bill Spruance Chapter – Small
Golden Triangle Chapter – Medium
Northeast Texas Chapter – Large
Tucson Chapter – Extra Large
Gen Charles A. Gabriel Chapter – Chapters Larger Than 1100

AFA Member of the Year

Chuck Martin

David “Buck” Buckwalter Distinguished Sustained Aerospace Education Award (DSAE)

Wally Saeger

Storz Individual Award


Janelle Stafford

AFA Citation Award Presented by the Chair, AFA Board of Directors

• Vance Clarke
• Carol Holland
• Linda McMahon
• Robin Rand
• Wally Saeger
• Joan Sell
• Jackie Trotter

Individual Awards by Region

CENTRAL EAST

Medal of Merit
Chip Campbell
Samuel Dennis
Jack Diamond
Don Dougherty
Tony Frazier
Mike Gannon
Frank Lobash
Dick McCarthy
Darian Padilla
Martha Ryder
Vicki Swingle
Tim Tanbonliong
Robin Thompson

Exceptional Service Award
Kevin Eastland
Tyler Johnson

FAR WEST

Medal of Merit
Bill Bramer
Raymond Coughlin
Jennifer Krolikowski
Christy Puttmann
Emily Torio

Exceptional Service Award
Tav Taverney – Advocacy

FLORIDA

Medal of Merit
Jo Finstad Bohn
Meredith Coleman
Fredrick Gross
Steven Hughes
Randall Kitchens
Miguel Lezaun
Joseph Muhlberger

Exceptional Service Award
Emily Farkas

MID AMERICA


Medal of Merit
Joni Ahlers
Brenda Baker
Tyler Johnson
Frank Merrill
Tim Wasmund
Jeff Wepner
Eric Wong

Exceptional Service Award
Carl Shofner

MIDWEST

Medal of Merit
Diane Bartels
Gary Chambers
John Chapman
Stephen Keysey
Doug Schwaab

Exceptional Service Award
Lang Anderson
Joe Brownell

NORTH CENTRAL

Medal of Merit
Stephen Kolcinski
Rodney Wilson

Exceptional Service Award
James Bowman
Janelle Gates
George Masters

NORTHWEST

Medal of Merit
Sarah Ballard
George Cargill
David Stookey

NORTHEAST

Medal of Merit
Martin T. Capriglione
Theodore Freeman
James A. King
Alfred E. Smith
William G. Stratemeier

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Medal of Merit
Cathy Barker
Neil Burroughs
Scott Fox
David C. Geuting
Brent Sawicki

Exceptional Service Award
Cliff Klein
Patricia Swan

SOUTH CENTRAL

Medal of Merit
Joe Bryant
Marty Coffman
Scott Key
Paula Penson
Ken Philippart

SOUTHEAST

Medal of Merit
Bill Clark
Mayreather Willis

Exceptional Service Award
Makenzie Guerra
Laurie Orth – Advocacy

SOUTHWEST

Medal of Merit
Alan Berg
Floyd Cisco
Elizabeth Fleming
William Goodall
Fred Harsany
Nicholas Johnsen

Exceptional Service Award
Bryan Foulk – Advocacy
Bobi Oates
Edward Ryder

TEXOMA

Medal of Merit
Laurie Chambers
David Estep
Billy Gilliland
Rick Pena
Joe Sommers
Anthony J. “Tony” Weedn
Lance Winner

Exceptional Service Award
Ahna Arcturus
Donald Johnson
Patrick “Pat” Nugent
Stephen Yelbert