ACS CAN recognizes exceptional volunteers, staff members and elected officials throughout Leadership Summit & Lobby Day.
The National Distinguished Advocacy Award (NDAA), which is ACS CAN’s most prestigious advocacy honor, is awarded to public officials for leadership in the mission to end cancer as a public health problem.
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Jim Knox (third from left), ACS CAN managing director of government relations and recipient of the 2019 Alan Mills Award, posed alongside ACS and ACS CAN CEO Gary Reedy (left), ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse and ACS CAN Vice President of Advocacy Administration, Training and Operations Jeff Martin |
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U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL, third from left) talked with ACS CAN Illinois advocates after receiving his National Distinguished Advocacy Award. |
The 2019 NDAA recipients were:
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Dick Durbin was honored as a longtime public health advocate and for his role as a staunch champion of policies aimed at curbing tobacco use, including passage of the law that prohibits smoking on airplanes and his current efforts in Congress to bring attention to the youth e-cigarettes epidemic.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Senator Lisa Murkowski has repeatedly prioritized policies aimed at advancing the fight against cancer. She delivered a critical vote in 2017 against legislation that would have overturned the Affordable Care Act and has provided strong bipartisan support to anti-tobacco legislation.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D)
Under Senate President John Cullerton’s leadership, Illinois became the first and only Midwestern state to enact Tobacco 21 legislation in 2019. He also helped to secure the country’s only statewide tax increase on cigarettes in 2019, demonstrating his commitment to protecting youth from the dangers of tobacco products.
Washington State Representative Paul Harris (R)
Representative Paul Harris has championed tobacco control efforts for many years in his state, including a five- year effort to raise the legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21. He fought to ensure that revenue from e-cigarette retailers’ license fees and fines would be directed to Washington’s severely underfunded tobacco prevention and control program, efforts that will help reduce the burden of tobacco throughout his state.
Texas State Representative John Zerwas (R)
Representative John Zerwas, MD, played a crucial role in securing passage of two bills to reauthorize and fund the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the second-largest funder of cancer research in the United States after the National Cancer Institute. His steadfast leadership was instrumental in the successful reauthorization of bonds for CPRIT’s lifesaving cancer research and prevention work.
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George and Brooke Blough, longtime ACS CAN West Virginia volunteers, received the Volunteer Award for Excellence in Advocacy, ACS CAN’s highest honor for volunteers, in recognition of their incredible dedication to reducing the cancer burden through public policy. |
Volunteer Awards:
Volunteer Award for Excellence in Advocacy*:
George and Brooke Blough, West Virginia
State Lead Ambassador of the Year:
Michael Holtz, Tennessee
Ambassador Constituent Team Leads of the Year:
Mario Landera, Florida; Pam Manges, Ohio; Grace Pugh, California
Emerging Leader:
Cindy Vo, Georgia, Advocacy Lead – Regional Campus Leadership Team, Southeast Region
State Advocacy Team of the Year (Volunteer & Staff Award):
Illinois
Judicial Advocacy Initiative:
Allison Cohen and Tesch West, of Dentons
*The Volunteer Award for Excellence in Advocacy, ACS CAN’s highest honor for volunteers, is presented annually to exemplary volunteers in recognition of outstanding leadership and continuous service in the area of advocacy and public policy.
Staff Awards:
Field Government Relations Professional of the Year:
Lynda Barbour, Southern California Government Relations Director
Field Grassroots Professional of the Year:
Cori Chandler, Rhode Island Grassroots Manager
American Cancer Society Partner of the Year:
Ruth Hong, Director, Strategic Partnerships-Volunteer Engagement
Regional Professional of the Year:
Cynthia Serna, Associate Director, Grassroots and Program Integration
Alan Mills Award**:
Jim Knox, Managing Director, California
**The Alan Mills Award, ACS CAN’s highest honor for advocacy staff, is presented to the individual who best embodies the passion and dedication of the late Alan Mills, a former American Cancer Society staff lobbyist and one of the founders of the National Government Relations department.