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Past Award Recipients

The Idaho Chapter is pleased to announce the past recipients of the Chapter awards. The award recipients since 2000 are listed below. For a list of award recipients prior to 2000, please see The History of the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (PDF).

Lifetime Achievement Award

2023Sharon Kiefer
2022Sue Ireland
Jeff Dillon
2021 Paul Kline
2020 Dr. Don Zaroban
Chip Corsi
2019 Charlie Petrosky
Mark Gamblin
Dan Schill
2018 Russ Thurow
2017 Bill Horton
Virgil Moore
2016 Al Van Vooren
2015 Steve Elle
2014 Not Awarded
2013 Don Martin
Vaughn Paragamian
2012 Ned Horner
Christine Moffitt
2011 Not Awarded
2010 Edward L. Lider
2009 Susan B. Martin
Timothy Burton
2008 Bruce Rieman
2007 Dave Burns
2006 Not Awarded
2005 Not Awarded
2004 Tim Cochnauer
2003 Dave Bennett
2002 Dick Wallace
2001 Ted Bjornn
2000 Not Awarded

Annual Merit Award*

2023 Rob Van Kirk Service as President 2022-2023
Rebekah Horn Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2021-2023
2022 Tim Copeland Service as President 2021-2022
Lytle Denny Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2020-2022
2021 Ryan Hardy Service as President 2020-2021
Lauren Andrews Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2019-2021
2020 Brett High Service as President 2019-2020
Matt Belnap Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2018-2020
2019 Dan Schill Service as President 2018-2019
Rob Ryan Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2017-2019
2018 Helen Neville Service as President 2017-2018
Carson Watkins Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2016-2018
2017 Jay Hesse Service as President 2016-2017
Kevin Meyer Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2015-2017
2016 Jim Chandler Service as President 2015-2016
Steve Anglea Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2014-2016
2015 Tom Curet Service as President 2014-2015
Jessica Buelow Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2013-2015
2014 Joe DuPont Service as President 2013-2014
Craig Rabe Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2012-2014
2013 Dmitri Vidergar Service as President 2012-2013
Bill Horton Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2011-2013
2012 Jason Vogel Service as President 2011-2012
Tim Copeland Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2010-2012
2011 Ernest Keeley Service as President 2010-2011
Mick Hoover Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2009-2011
2010 Jim Fredericks Service as President 2008-2010
Christine Kozfkay Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2008-2010
2009 Matthew A. Davis Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2007-2009
2008 Bart Gamett Service as President 2007-2008
Brian Kennedy Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2006-2008
Mike Peterson Service as Fundraising Chair 2007-2008
Ed Schreiver Service as Fundraising Chair 2007-2008
Rob Ryan Service as Fundraising Chair 2007-2008
Dmitri Videgar Service as Fundraising Chair 2005-2006
Art Butts Service as Fundraising Chair 2005-2006
2007 Jim Capurso Service as President 2006-2007
Tammy Hoem Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2005-2007
2006 Russ Kiefer Service as President 2005-2006
Liz Mamer Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2004-2006
Jimmy and Marilynn Gabettas (Jimmy's All Seasons Angler)Sponsorship
2005 Matt Powell Service as President 2004-2005
Kristine Vollmer Service as Secretary-Treasurer 2003-2004
Brian Leth Service as Fundraising Chair
2004 Vaughn Paragamian Service as President 2003-2004
Steve Elle Service as President 2002-2003
Brett Roper Service as President 2000-2002
Rob Van Kirk Service as Secretary/Treasurer 2002-2003
Jim Capurso Service as Native Fish Committee Chair
Lance Hebdon Service as Fundraising Chair
2003 Liz Mamer Personal Contribution
2002 Dana Weigel Cutthroat Trout Introgression Symposium
Jim Capurso Cutthroat Trout Introgression Symposium

* Prior to 2009, this award was given for various types of service to the Idaho Chapter. Since 2009, this award has been awarded only to the outgoing Chapter President and outgoing Chapter Treasurer with other types of service to the Chapter being recognized through the Distinguished Service Award.

Distinguished Service Award

2023Christine Stewart Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2022-2023
Conor McClure Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2021-2023
Luciano Chiaramonte Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2021-2023
Pat Kennedy Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2017-2022
Carson Watkins Service as Continuing Education Committee Chair 2019-2022
Robert Hand Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2016-2022
Lonnie Parry Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2022-2023
Sage Unsworth Service as Palouse Unit President 2022-2023
Tyler Breech Service as Portneuf Unit President 2022-2023
2022Katharine Coykendall Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2021-2022
Martin Koenig Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2019-2021
Carlos Camacho Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2019-2021
Heiden Bliss Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2020-2022
Nicky Mucciarone Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2018-2022
Don Zaroban Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2020-2022
Jeanne McFall Service as Aquatic Habitat Committee Chair 2016-2022
Mike Edmondson Service as Anadromous Fish Committee Chair 2013-2022
Shawn Young Service as Aquaculture Committee Chair 2018-2022
Trevor Wheeler Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2021-2022
Lynsey Harris Service as Palouse Unit President 2021-2022
Laurel Faurot Service as Portneuf Unit President 2021-2022
2021 Keats Conley Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2020-2021
Joe Thiessen Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2017-2019
Jessica Buelow Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2016-2020
Ken Cain Service as Aquaculture Committee Chair 2004-2020
Dona Horan Service as Membership Committee Chair
Hannah Bluth Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2020-2021
Kade Holling Service as Palouse Unit President 2020-2021
Ben Kline Service as Portneuf Unit President 2020-2021
2020 Micah Davison Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2019-2020
Lance Hebdon Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2016-2020
Jessica Buelow Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2016-2020
Phil Branigan Service as Funraising Committee Chair 2018-2020
Bill Young Service as Anadromous Committee Chair 2002-2019
Drew Suchomel Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2019-2020
Darcy McCarrick Service as Palouse Unit President 2019-2020
Ryan Whitworth Service as Portneuf Unit President 2019-2020
2019Marika Dobos Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2018-2019
Sklyer Smith Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2017-2018
Katherine Gillies-RectorService as Palouse Unit President 2017-2018
Jorge Rosales Service as Portneuf Unit President 2017-2018
Steve Angela Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2016-2018
Jamie Mitchell Service as Aquaculture Committee Chair 2014-2018
Laura Sprague Service as Auaculture Committee Chair 2014-2018
Matt Corsi Service as Continuing Education Committee Chair 2013-2018
Zach Klein Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2016-2018
Dan Dauwalter Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2014-2017
2018Zach Klein Service as Nominations Committee Chair 2017-2018
Jim Chandler Service on the Idaho Climate Summit 2016-2017
Darcy McCarrick Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2016-2017
Laura Jenkins Service as Palouse Unit President 2016-2017
Tyson Hallbert Service as Portneuf Unit President 2016-2017
Jason Spillett Service as BYU-Idaho Unit President 2017-2018
Shannon Blackburn Service as Palouse Unit President 2017-2018
Adam Eckersell Service as Portneuf Unit President 2017-2018
2017Eric Pankau Serving as Nominations Chair 2016-2017
Darcy McCarrick Service as BYU SubUnit President 2016-2017
Laura Jenkins Service as UofI Palouse SubUnit President 2016-2017
Tyson Halbert Service as ISU Portneuf SubUnit President 2016-2017
2016Bart Gamett Awarded for many capacities of service, most recently for Website volunteering since 2007
Bryan Grant Service as Nominations Chair 2015-2016
Mike Peterson Service as Anadromous Committee Co-Chair 2011-2015
Corey Lyman Service as Riparian Committee Co-Chair 2005-2009 and Committee Co-Chair 2010-2015
Dan Scaife Service as Fish Habitat Committee Co-Chair 2010-2014
Chad Chorney Service in Fundraising 2015-2016
Stephanie Hallock Service as Water Quality Committee Co-Chair 2008-2010 and Fish Habitat Committee Co-Chair 2010-2015
Philip Branigan Service as UofI Palouse SubUnit President 2015-2016
James Paris Service as ISU Portneuf SubUnit President 2015-2016
Jon Flinders Service as AV Volunteer
Kristi Stevenson Service as AV Volunteer
Liz Mamer Service as AV Volunteer
Carson Watkins Service as AV Volunteer
2015Sabrina Beus Work with the Trout-in-the-Classroom program
Howard Davis Promoting sport fishing
Greg Schoby Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2012-2014
Ryan Hillyard Service as Fundraising Committee Chair 2013-2015
Casey Watson Service as Native Fish Committee Chair 2011-2014
Jason Vogel Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2013-2015
2014Not Awarded
2013Steve Elle Service as Mentoring Committee Chair 2010-2013
Bryan Grant Service as Aquaculture Committee Co-Chair 2011-2013
Patrick Kennedy Service as Fundraising Committee Co-Chair 2010-2013
Doug Munson Service as Aquaculture Committee Co-Chair 2011-2013
Chris Sullivan Service as Fundraising Committee Co-Chair 2010-2013
Donald Zaroban Production of "Native Fishes of Idaho"
2012Not Awarded
2011Bryan Grant Service as Aquaculture Committee Chair
Tarah Johnson Service as Technical Coordinator for the 2010 and 2011 annual meetings
Vaughn Paragamian Service as Native Fish Committee Chair
2010Dan Garren Service as Native Fish Committee Chair
Kevin Meyer Service as Mentoring Committee Chair
Jeff Heindel Service as Fish Culture Committee Chair
Tom Bassista Service as Membership Committee Chair
Jason Vogel Service as Anadromous Fish Committee Chair and as Fundraising Committee Co-Chair
John Cassinelli Service as Fundraising Committee Co-Chair
Eric Stark Service as Fundraising Committee Co-Chair
2009Brett High Service as Technical Coordinator for the 2007 and 2008 annual meetings
2008Not Awarded
2007Rick Alsager Four Sockeye fundraising contributions
Dan Baker Four Sockeye fundraising contributions
Doug Young Four Sockeye fundraising contributions
2006Judy Hall-Griswold Donation of time and art work

Outstanding Fishery Professional Award

2023
2022 Josh McCormick
Tim Copeland
Herb Roerick
2021 Andy Dux
2020 Jordan Messner
Ernest Keeley
2019Curtis Roth, Brett High, Matthew Campbell, Daniel Schill, Don Whitney, Kevin Meyer, Brett Bowersox, Luciano Chiaramonte, Joshua McCormick, Tony Lamansky, Michael Quist and Ninh Vu
2018 Not Awarded
2017 Kevin Meyer
2016 MISSING INFO
2015 Cindy Robertson
2014 Brett High
Dan Isaak
2013 Jim Chandler
2012 Matt Campbell
Christine Kozfkay
2011 Jim Gregory
Paddy Murphy
2010 Matt Woodard
Charlie Petrosky
Warren Colyer
Dan Axness

Outstanding Early Career Professional Award

2023 Audrey Harris

Richard L. Wallace Native Fish
Conservationist of the Year Award

2023 Kevin Meyer
2022
2021 Arnie Brimmer
2020 Bart Gamett
2019 Matthew Campbell
2018 Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Project
2017 Dan Schill
2016 Joe DosSantos
2015 Lonnie Hutson and the U of I Prichard Art Gallery
2014 Paul Kline
2013 Joe DuPont
2012 Russ Thurow
2011 Sue Ireland
2010 Warren Colyer
2009 Ned Horner
2008 Rob Van Kirk
2007 Virgil Moore
2006 Bruce Rieman
2005 Vaughn Paragamian
2004 Jim Fredericks

Outstanding Mentor Award

2023Katherine Coykendall
2022 Rob Van Kirk
Joe Kozfkay
2021 Eric Billman
2020 Brett High
2019 Robert Hand
2018 Pat Kennedy
2017 Eric Billman
2016 Dan Isaak
2015 MISSING INFO
2014 Michael Quist
2013 Tom Curet
2012 Virgil Moore
2011 Kevin Meyer
2010 Bart Gamett
2009 Christine Moffitt
2008 Ed Schriever
2007 Steve Elle
2006 Scott LaPatra

Excellence in Aquaculture Award

2023
2022 The Grace Fish Hatchery Program
Wayne Fowler and Steve Stowell
2021 Snake River Sockeye Recovery Team
2020 IDFG Cabinet Gorge Fish Hatchery Management Team
John Rankin, Tyler Schober, Derrick Tuttle
2019 Tyson Fehringer
Dworshak National Fish Hatchery USFWS and Nez Perce Tribal Fish Production and Maintenance Team
2018 Gregg Anderson
2017 Doug Munson
2016 Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
2015 Christine Moffitt
2014 Jack Christensen
2013 not awarded
2012 Dave Teuscher
2011 Jack Siple
2010 Joe Chapman
2009 IDFG Eagle Fish Hatchery
2008 Keith Johnson

Aquatic Habitat Award

2023 Eagle Valley Ranch
2022 Trout Unlimited-Beyeler Ranch, Upper Lemhi Enhancement Project Matt Green
2021 Big Creek RanchTom and Michael Page
Bayha Island Research Project - Snake River Stewardship ProgramJim Chandler, Program Manager
2020 IDFG Fisheries Habitat Team
2019 Tiege Ulschmid, Ryan Banks, Lauren Andrews, Jeanne McFall, Art Butts
2018 Harris Springs Habitat ProjectLaurie Harris, Ryan Hillyard, David Teuscher, Cary Myler, The Bear River Environmental Coordination Committeee
2017 West Fork Yankee Project Jim Gregory, Cassi Wood, Bart Gamett
2016 Caribou-Targhee National ForestJackknife Watershed Restoration Project

Best Student Poster

2022 Jon Masingale
2022 Colton Turner
2021 Mitchell Tree
2020 Brianna Frazee
2019 Shawnie Geisler
2018 Zane Stephenson
2017 Darcy McCarrick
2016 Zach Beard

Best Student Presentation

2023 Jeremy Brooks
2022 Brandy Smith
2021 Megan Heller
2020 Darcy McCarrick
2019 Katherine Gillies-Rector
2018 Curtis Roth
2017 Jake Graham
2016 Elizabeth Ng

Best Professional Poster

2023 Katharine Coykendall
2022 Justin Furby
2021 Steve Hughes
2020 Courtnie Ghere
2019 John Hargrove
2018 Daniel Trovillion, Tyler Zumwalt, Leslie Reinhardt and Micah Davison
2017 Jason Jones
2016 Knut Marius Myrvold

Best Professional Presentation

2023 Kevin See
2022 Josh McCormick
2021 Brandon Bentz
2020 Allison Lebeda
2019 Josh McCormick
2018 Carson Watkins
2017 Nathan Jensen
2016 Windy Davis

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