ALGBTICAL

The purposes of the Fannie R. Cooley Award for Distinguished Professional Development are to honor and recognize outstanding professional development, and to stimulate future efforts to enhance development of techniques and systems that have demonstrable benefits to counselors.

The winner of this year’s award has a long record of professional activity and long continued professional development. She has contributed significantly to the professional development of counselors in Alabama through presentations made at professional workshops and conferences. In the past 10 years alone, this individual has made 76 presentations to and conducted workshops attended by school counselors and administrators, agency and private practice counselors, counselor education students, and other helping professionals.

Some of the settings include: Bradford Health Services. Employee Assistance Professionals Association. Many, many ALCA Fall Conferences. Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. And, guest speaker at numerous colleges and university Counselor Education classes.

In addition to promoting the profession and the professional development of counselors through workshops and other presentations, this special person has contributed to professional development through services on the editorial boards of counseling journals. She served on the Editorial Board of The Family Journal, which is the journal of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. She has also served on the Editorial Board of the Alabama Counseling Association Journal and published articles that promote the professional development of counselors. Her recent work has been published in the Alabama Counseling Association Journal and the Alabama Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Newsletter.

The winner of this year’s award has served as a member at large for the ALACES Executive Council Committee. She was Chair of the Committee on Current Issues for the ALCA Executive Council in 2004 and 2005 and is the co-founder of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Issues in Counseling of Alabama.

In addition, she is the outreach coordinator for ALGBTICAL, the Chair of the Coordinating Committee for the Alabama Safe School Coalition, the Coordinator of Training for the UAB Safe Zone Program and the Mental Health Liaison for the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of Birmingham.

It is my pleasure and honor to announce to you this year’s winner of the Fannie R. Cooley Distinguished Professional Development Award, nominated by ALGBTICAL and Chapter IV, Dr. Glenda Elliott.

The distinguished professional service award is given to an individual who has served at the local, state or national level and brought honor and recognition not only to the individual but also to the Alabama Counseling Association.

Locally, this award’s recipient has contributed as a counselor, teacher and administrator with the University of Montevallo, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at Birmingham Southern College. He served on the board of Equity Alabama. He was a volunteer trainer for the Birmingham Urban League, In Roads Birmingham and a coordinator and presenter for the Birmingham Youth Leadership Forum. He is a Board member of the CROP Hunger Walk and its Public Relations Chair.

At the state level, this award’s recipient is a past president (2004-5) and Budget and Finance Chair for ALCA and past president of the ALGBTICAL division (2009-10), whose formation was a result of his efforts on the Current Issues Committee. He currently serves as the ALCA Chapter Division Coordinator. He was the ALCA newsletter editor for four years, in this and other roles he upgraded and improved the quality of ALCA graphics and layout.

He has been a workshop leader for groups as diverse as the Society of Collegiate Scholars, the National Association of Black Accountants, the Association of Information Technology Professionals as well as divisions and chapters of the ALCA running sessions on career development, job market issues, leadership diversity, team building and customer service.

Through his work creating and maintaining the ALGBTICAL website, this award’s recipient has an national (global) presence, supporting the mental health professionals and the public at large with resources on LGBT related issues and concerns.

There is much more on his professional resume but it is clear he is as deserving of this award as he has been some others.

Nominated by ALGBTICAL and Chapter IV…This years recipient of the ALCA 2011 Distinguished Professional Service Award …is an esteemed colleague and friend.... Michael Lebeau.

This award goes to the chapter/division that provided a unique or superior program for its membership. The program must represent a significant contribution to the field of counseling and human development, and must promote increased involvement of chapter/division members in the profession.

For youth who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning, as well as for those who are presumed to be LGBTQ, bullying is a common concern, particularly in school settings. Additionally, suicide is a leading cause of death among youth who are LGBTQ. Media coverage of suicides among LGBTQ adolescents resulting from bullying has brought this issue to national awareness. The intent of this year’s winning division was to provide Alabama counselors in school, agency, and other settings with information and tools to better serve the needs of LGBTQ adolescents.

This particular workshop was co-sponsored by the Alabama School Counselors Association and the Alabama Safe Schools Coalition. The workshop featured nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Annelies Singh from the University of Georgia and was attended by more than 75 individuals representing numerous backgrounds in the field of counseling.

This year’s winner for Outstanding Division / Chapter Program Award goes to the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Counseling of Alabama (ALGBTICAL) for their 2011 Winter Workshop entitled “Ending LGBTQ Bullying and Suicide in School and Community Settings”.

ALGBTICAL is pleased to announce that the Outstanding Member Award is given to Frank Hrabe, the current ALGBTICAL President for his leadership, guidance, and inspiration.

Wilbur Tincher Award for a Humanitarian & Caring Person

The Wilbur Tincher Award, one of ALCA's most distinguished prizes, was presented to Gloria Anderson at the Awards Breakfast, November 18, as part of the 2009 ALCA Fall Conference.

The Wilbur Tincher Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person is given to honor a person whose activities contribute to the philanthropic and humanitarian needs of the community and who gives without fanfare or expectation of reward.

Gloria Webb Anderson was nominated for this award based on the evidence that she fulfills the purpose for which the award was established: to recognize those “who genuinely care for the welfare of others and who care about social issues and problems.” In all her professional and volunteer endeavors and service she has “been observed in unselfish involvement over a period of time in a cause or situation that benefits others.”

As a counselor and the Director of Student Services in the Mountain Brook Schools, Gloria Anderson’s caring for children and adolescents and their families was extraordinary as attested to by the enclosed letter from Dr. Dale Wisely and the Birmingham News article following her retirement in 2006, “A champion of teens to retire”. She was described by then chairman of the Mountain Brook Board of Education in this way: “She probably has more understanding of teenagers than just anybody else I know…and also has great understanding of their parents and knows that both sides want to do the right thing, and sometimes they just need a little help in getting nudged in the right direction.” This description reflects well the award’s definition of caring as “empathizing with another while effecting change in the other’s feelings or behavior, not merely expressing concern."

In her position as Director of Student Services, Gloria became concerned about students who are sometimes if not often stigmatized because they are - or are perceived to be - gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Her concern took the form of persuading the Superintendent of Schools to hold an in-service training in 2004 for school personnel on issues related to sexual minority youth. It was believed this was the first in-service training on this topic offered for school administrators and counselors in the state. In the previous year, Gloria participated in a session at the ALCA Fall Conference in 2003 on “Creating Safe Schools for Sexual Minority Youth.” In 2004 she participated in an update on this topic at the ALCA Fall Conference, followed by a presentation on “Counseling Sexual Minority Youth” at the 2007 ALCA Fall Conference. She has also participated in the UAB Summit for School Counselors on this topic as well as making presentations in workshops and in-service programs for several local school systems.

In 2007, Gloria continued her efforts to create safer environments in our schools for sexual minority youth by becoming a member of the coordinating committee of the Alabama Safe Schools Coalition (ASSC), a coalition of organizations committed to the development of policies and practices that would ensure safe schools for all students, including sexual minority youth. In the workshops presented by the ASSC, her particular focus is on the ethical and legal issues related to safe schools. The many presentations Gloria has made, including her involvement in the ASSC, clearly demonstrate her willingness to take a stand and be an advocate for a segment of our society which is often subjected to social injustice, discrimination, and abuse.

Extending her caring and humanitarian efforts into the larger community, Gloria volunteers as a docent at the Birmingham Museum of Art where she conducts tours mostly composed of students from public schools. Many of the students come from impoverished backgrounds and have never seen an art museum. In this role, she endeavors to provide students a welcoming, encouraging, and exciting introduction to art and the Museum’s holdings, expanding and enriching their lives.

Other community involvement in humanitarian and caring service is reflected in Gloria’s service on the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Central Alabama, whose stated purpose is “to create a more caring community” by “a diverse group that identifies and responds to the needs of women of all races and religions”. Gloria continues to give ongoing and strong support to the YWCA’s programs that provide child care, domestic violence services, and affordable housing.

In all the ways described, Gloria Anderson has shown her willingness to give of herself unselfishly “without expectation of reward or recognition” in courageous acts of caring and humanitarian service “over a period of time in a cause or situation that benefits others.”

For his work in electronically compiling ALCA Journals (1974-2006) and making them available to ALCA members on compact disk. Paul wishes to acknowledge the contributions of his partner, David Fancher, with whom he would like to share this award.

Dr. Jamie Satcher and Dr. Mark Leggett
Individual Publication Award
For their further research on homonegative attitudes among Alabama counselors

Dr. Glenda Elliott

Each year Equality Alabama presents awards to deserving people and organizations whose activities contribute to the LGBT community and to the advancement of LGBT causes.

The awards include the Board Chair Award, Vanguard Award, Leadership Award, Education Award, Youth Leadership Award, Merit Award, and Allies Award.

The 2008 David White Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Glenda Elliott.

ALGBTICAL is pleased that this distinguished award was given to Glenda Elliott. We are proud of her impressive accomplishment. She is most deserving.

2007 AWARD WINNERS
ALCA Top Awards to AGLBICAL Members

Ms. Anita Neuer

Wilbur A Tincher Award for a Humanitarian & Caring Person

The Wilbur A. Tincher Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person recognizes an ALCA member who gives to others without fanfare or expectation. This award includes a $100 grant as a personal witness to his love and admiration for those who genuinely care for the personal welfare of others and social justice.

This year’s winner esteemed by colleagues and friends embodies the key words CARING and HUMANE.

The Fannie R. Cooley Award recognizes outstanding professional development designed to enhance the techniques, strategies, and systems beneficial to counselors. This award includes a $100.00 grant as a personal testimony of her love and admiration for the genuine care and concern for the professional development of counselors.

This year’s winner served as a Member of the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling from 2001 to 2006 with a sincere and committed effort to make positive changes in the future directions of counselor licensure in Alabama, as well as to protect the rights of clients and the public from unethical practice.

Ms. Anita Neuer

ALCA Outstanding Practitioner Award

The Outstanding Practitioner Award recognizes excellence in school, community, or private practice counseling.

This year’s winner is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and approved Supervising Counselor in private practice in Birmingham, AL. Co-owner/consultant with Work Life Consulting specializing in the delivery of teambuilding, leadership development, and employee retention services for small to medium-sized organizations. An active member of the American Society for Training and Development, the Society for Human Resources Management, the Alabama Association for Psychological Type, and the Alabama Mental Health Counselor’s Association.

Nominated by ALACES, ALMHCA, Chapter IV, AGLBICAL, & ALASGW

The Chapter/Division Publication Award recognizes the unique and superior program of significant interest to the counseling profession particularly ALCA and its members.

This year’s winning program “ALMHCA Winter Workshop” entitled “Ethical, Legal, and Professional Considerations in Supervision, Education, and Research” was specifically designed to enhance the supervisors’ and counselor educators’ skills in the professional development of students and supervisees.

Nominated by ALMHCA President

ALCA Research Award

The Research Award is presented to honor and recognize outstanding research in areas of interest to the counseling; particularly, to members of ALCA and its chapters and divisions, as well as to stimulate future research.

This year’s winning research titled “Homonegativity Among Alabama Counselors” was designed to examine the prejudicial attitudes toward homosexuality among ALCA members as well as explore potential unethical behavior among counselors serving this population.

2006 AWARD WINNERS
ALCA Top Awards to AGLBICAL Members

Dr. Jamie Satcher

Jean H. Cecil Distinguished Counselor Educator Award:

The purposes of the Jean H. Cecil Distinguished Counselor Educator Award are to (a) honor and recognize an ALCA member and counselor educator who has been an exemplary mentor for counselors, (b) encourage continued excellence among counselor educators, and (c) provide ALCA the opportunity to show appreciation for outstanding counselor training efforts and accomplishments.

The nominee must have a history of contributing to counselor training through teaching, publishing, presenting, and supervising at the national, regional, state and local levels, as well as, diverse leadership positions within the ALCA and beyond. The nominee should be a person who has brought great attention, respect and admiration to counseling programs in Alabama through personal and professional work.

This year’s winning nomination packet contained NINE, strong letters of recommendation from colleagues, peers, program chairs, and past students. There were averaged student course evaluations from classes he taught where nearly every score was a 5 (or close to 5) on a 5 point Likert scale on items like:

-- Stimulated me to think in new or creative ways.
-- Encouraged me to develop and nurture my interests, strengths, and talents.
-- Challenged me by the readings, discussion, and content of the course.

Our winner has been published nationally, as author or co-author at least 36 times and numerous other times in state and regional publications. He has been a prolific presenter delivering more than 70 sessions on state, regional, national, and international stages. One letter stated: “at the risk of appearing trite, I will paraphrase the comments of former Senator Lloyd Benson by stating…I knew Jean Cecil. I worked with her. I know the kind of professional person she would find worthy of a recognition bearing her name”. She went on to note the comparative accomplishments and agendas of our winner.

More than one spoke to his “patience”, “ease” and “cool” in the face of intense schedules, a myriad of responsibilities and departmental pressures. Others mentioned the same theme, but rather the focus on professional life, they identified with these traits in his personal life writing “He is not only a strong supporter of his students, but an example of how to handle life”.

Mr. Michael Lebeau

Fannie R. Cooley Award for Distinguished Professional Development

This award recognizes the professional development of an individual. Professional development is defined as the intentional strengthening, expansion, enhancement, improvement and extension of the profession. This is the first year the award bears Fannie Cooley’s name, and the initial funds she provided for this award to offer the recipient a $100.00 grant serve as a personal witness to her love and admiration for those who genuinely care about professional development for counselors.

The nominators for this year’s winner easily provided the committee with thorough documentation, including several outstanding letters of recommendation, a 4-page single-spaced vita with absolutely no “fluff”, and 4 pages of itemized accomplishments demonstrating activities which broadened applications of and opportunities for the profession, a record of long-continued substantive work far beyond the call of duty to improve professional practices, and consistent, prodigious service to others. Indeed, no one in this room would have trouble finding evidence that this person clearly embodies the spirit of this award.

The winner of this award works proactively to promote the field of counseling and human development. He quickly emerges as a leader within the professional organizations he joins, and eagerly takes on responsibility to carry out the mission of the group. He is vocal about his beliefs, and actively advocates for diverse populations. He is committed to helping educate and develop our field by regularly serving as a skilled and engaging presenter. He diligently develops promotional material, informative resources and curriculum for on-going professional development. He has served our organization in a variety of leadership roles over the years, and he would tell you that he intentionally gives of himself to the profession because “it’s just the right thing to do”. He is a natural mentor, a dedicated leader, and one of the most congruent models of excellence I have had the privilege to know. Besides all that, he’s just a pretty amazing guy….

Nominated by AGLBICAL and Chapter IV, please join me in congratulating this year’s recipient of the Fannie R. Cooley Award for Distinguished Professional Development, my trusted colleague and dear friend, Mr. Michael Lebeau.

(Presented by Awards Committee Co-Chair, Anita Neuer)

Distinguished Legislative Service Award

This award recognizes the outstanding legislative work of an ALCA member or active legislator.

The winner has been a public servant for over 30 years, and has been a strong voice for the equality of all Alabamians. He has been a sponsor of legislation to remove racist language from our state constitution, and in 1999, introduced a bill to add sexual orientation to the already existing hate crimes law in Alabama. He has re-introduced the bill every year, and while it has not yet become part of the law, it has gained significant support and a companion bill in the state senate has been introduced. This State Representative has said that those who commit crimes should be punished; and like the crimes committed against someone based on race, religion, color, ethnicity or national origin; those who commit crimes based upon sexual orientation should face a severe sentence. His support of this legislation for seven years and his commitment to the future speak directly to the common values, bylaws and ethical conduct standards of our Association.

Representative Alvin Holmes was nominated by AGLBICAL. Representative Holmes was was not on hand, and Donna Melder, AGLBICAL President, received the award for him.

Chapter/Division Service Award

This award was amended this year to recognize a particularly unique or valuable service provided for the chapter/division membership AND/OR their local community. The service must be other than those provided through publications and programs, and must promote increased member involvement in professional aspects of the counseling and human development field.

This year’s winner not only clearly provides an important service to members AND the community, but provides an outstanding resource that is more than substantial for already well-informed audiences at a state, National, even International level.

This vast, attractive and well-organized resource is organized into categories such as: Glossary of Terminology, Frequently asked questions, Myths and Misconceptions, Quotations, Statistics, News, Activities, Events, Articles, Research, Commentary, Case studies, and MORE!

This year’s winning service can be found at WWW.AGLBICAL.ORG. The website was created to provide accurate, up-to-date, research-based material to raise awareness and understanding, and to assist in the dissemination and advancement of knowledge in the area of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and concerns.

Wilbur Tincher Award for a Humanitarian & Caring Person

The Wilbur Tincher Award, one of ALCA's most distinguished prizes, was presented to Glenda at the Awards Breakfast, November 16, as part of the 2005 ALCA Fall Conference.

The Wilbur Tincher Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person is given to honor a person whose activities contribute to the philanthropic and humanitarian needs of the community and who gives without fanfare or expectation of reward.

The award also includes a grant of $100.00. Wilbur Tincher, a counselor educator and former ALCA Executive Secretary provided the initial funds for this grant.

Dr. Glenda Elliott is a counselor educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is an Associate Professor Emerita at the UAB School of Education and is the Coordinator of the UAB Safe Zone Training.

Glenda won the ALCA President's Award at the 2004 ALCA Fall Conference for her courageous efforts as the Chair of the Current Issues Committee in particular and her overall contribution to the advancement of human rights in general.

The following statement accompanied the granting of this award to Glenda:

"The 2004-2005 year was a landmark year for ALCA, with the Current Issues committee being charged with exploring GLBT issues in counseling, with 2 new interest sections being formed, and finally, with both of those interest sections being approved as new Divisions of ALCA. This year’s winner of the Wilbur Tincher award has a vita that demonstrates humanitarianism and caring for others consistently, year after year. She has been an advocate for social change, at the grass roots levels and in leadership and mentoring. In her work with the formation of a new Division for ALCA, she has served as a role model, shared her time, talent, and financial resources, and shared a sense of humor along the way. She has founded or helped shepherd a number of advocacy efforts, including UAB’s Safe Zone, Birmingham Alliance of Gay, Straight, Lesbian, BiSexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth, Compassionate Listeners, Days of Equality for Equality Alabama, and most recently, one of ALCAs newest Divisions, the Association for Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Issues in Counseling in Alabama."

(Presented by Awards Committee Co-Chair, Gary Williams)