Each year during AK-PA’s Annual Meeting, a variety of awards are presented to individuals or organizations in recognition of their contributions to AK-PA and the Alaskan mental health community.

AK-PA members can make nominations for the 2023 awards at this link

2022 AK-PA Awards

2022 Diversity Award
Celeste Hodge Growden
Recognized for her tremendous work advocating for EDI in the community, in your role as President/CEO of Alaska Black Caucus

2022 Distinguished Rural Provider
Delta Bedard, LPC
Recognized for her extraordinary dedication as a rural behavioral health provider to the Aleut and Unangam people of Unalaska.

2022 Lifetime Achievement Award
Patricia Sandberg, Ph.D.
Recognized for her lifelong service to developing and mentoring psychology in Alaska through your past work on AK-PA’s board, your decades of training behavioral health providers, and your contributions to early childhood development services.

2022 Legislative Service Award
Ivy Spohnholz
Recognized for her the signing of her bill HB 265 that increased the availability of high quality effective mental health care for all Alaskans.

2021 Awardees

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2021 Awards was held virtually for the first time.

Gold Pan Award  – Jana Zeedyk, PhD
Friend of Psychology Award  – Anne Zink, MD
Diversity Award  – Kenneth McCoy, Chief of Anchorage Police Dept
Lifetime Achievement Award  – Robert Lane, PhD

(No awards given in 2019 due to board restructuring or 2020 due to COVID-19)

2018 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Xiomara Owens & Rose Domnick
Baker-Lane — Ruddy Taylor
Lifetime Achievement — Linda Webber
Past BOD — Chris Reynolds & Annie Derthick
Student Research Grantee — Brock Tucker

  • 2018 Tonie Protzman presenting Lifetime Achievement Award to Linda Webber
  • 2018 KJ Worbey presenting Cultural Humanitarian Award to Rose Domnick
  • 2018 Ruddy Taylor presenting Cultural Humanitarian Award to Xiomara Owens
  • 2018 Ruddy Taylor, recipient of Baker-Lane Award
  • 2018 Phil Baker & Robert Lane [not pictured] presenting Baker-Lane Award to Ruddy Taylor
  • 2018 Erin Johnson presenting Past BOD Member Award to Chris Reynolds
  • 2018 Student Research Award presentation by Brock Tucker
  • 2017 Student Research Award results presentation by Michael Reed
  • 2018 Past BOD Member Award, presented to Annie Derthick
  • 2018 Past BOD Member Award, presented to Chris Reynolds
  • 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Linda Webber
  • 2018 Cultural Humanitarian Award, presented to Rose Domnick
  • 2018 Cultural Humanitarian Award, presented to Xiomara Owens
  • 2018 Baker-Lane Award, presented to Ruddy Taylor

2017 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Friend of Psychology — Senator Lisa Murkowski
Distinguished Rural Provider — Sarah Angstman
Baker-Lane — Jennifer Burkhart
Lifetime Achievement — John DeRuyter
Gold Pan — Michael Sobocinski
Past BOD — Sarah Dewane, Lynne Kelsey, & Michael Aanavi
Student Research Grantees — Michael Reed & Kierra Brecht

2016 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Evon Peter & Jeff Jessee
Public Service — Governor Bill Walker
Baker-Lane — Jaedon Avey
Lifetime Achievement — Martin Atrops
Past BOD — Jaedon Avey, Jim Fitterling, & Heather Robinson
AK-PA Student Research Grantees — Danielle Giroux & Steffi Kim

  • 2016 Cultural Humanitarian Award
  • 2016 Cultural Humanitarian Award
  • 2016 Baker-Lane Award
  • 2016 Public Service/Friend of Psychology Award
  • 2016 Lifetime Award
  • 2016 Past BOD Awards
  • 2016 Student Awards
  • 2016 Student Research Awards
  • 2016 Student Research Awards

2015 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Ray Droby
Public Service — Bill Walker
Baker-Lane — Susan LaGrande & Bruce Smith
Lifetime Achivement — Paul Craig
Gold Pan — Jennifer Beathe
Past BOD — Joe Bablonka, Deborah Gideon, & Valerie Demming

2014 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — EJR David
Phil Baker — Patt Sandberg

2013 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Rita Blumenstein
Phil Baker — Peter Strisik & Chris Sam
Friend of Psychology — Max Gruenberg
Legislator — Mark Begich
Distinguished Service — Mike Blakey & Pamela Hays
Distinguished Psychologist — James  Harper
Gold Pan — Karen Ferguson

2012 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Southcentral Foundation
Friend of Psychology — Mark Begich
Phil Baker — David Sandberg
Distinguished Service — Robert Lane
Student Leadership — Annie Derthick & Heather Robinson

2011 Awardees
Memorial — Oscar Kawagley
Cultural Humanitarian — Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association
Legislator — Rob Herron
Phil Baker — Patt Sandberg
Distinguished Psychologist — Martin Atrops
Gold Pan — Denise Dillard

2009 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Joan Fisher & Tom Hunt
Distinguished Service — David Wilcox

2008 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Susan Soule
Friend of Psychology — Senator Lisa Murkowski
Distinguished Service — Peter Strisik, Jennifer Beathe, & Martin Atrops
Exceptional Service — Ellen Cole
Phil Baker — Robert Lane

2007 Awardees
Cultural Humanitarian — Edward Deaux
Psychologically Healthy Workplace — Alaska Pacific University & Anchorage Women’s Clinic
Lifetime Achievement — Paul Craig
Past President — Ellen Cole

2006 Awardees
Lifetime Achievement — Christianne Brems & Catherine Koverola
Friend of Psychology — Kevin Meyer
Psychologically Healthy Workplace — Hope Community Resources
Distinguished Service — David Wilcox, Katie Fallin, & Suzanne Womack Strisik