Awards & Achievements
In recognition of our leadership and involvement in the community, the MCAC and our leaders have received numerous awards.
- 1993: Sara Lee Foundation's Leadership Award
- 1996: Former MCAC Board President Carol Prentiss was awarded the Volunteer Leadership Award by the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers
- 1997: Executive Director Nancy Williams received the Diamond Award from the Mental Health Association of the Mid-South
- 1998:
- Agency of the Year Award from the Volunteer Center of Memphis
- Award of Excellence from Carnival Memphis
- Executive Director Nancy Williams received the Commissioner’s Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- 2001: Virginia Stallworth, Associate Director, was named one of 50 Women Who Make a Difference for her commitment to raise awareness and funds to support the Child Advocacy Center's work.
- 2003: Nancy Williams, MCAC Executive Director, was honored as one of the 50 Women Who Make a Difference in Memphis for her commitment to child victims of abuse.
- 2004:
- Longtime board member Carol W. Prentiss received the Determination Award from Women of Achievement for her instrumental support of the Child Advocacy Center.
- Education Services Director Kelli Grissom was honored as one of 50 Women Who Make a Difference for her leadership in preventing child abuse.
- 2005: Kim Campbell, Intervention Services Director, was named one of 50 Women Who Make a Difference for her commitment to helping children and families heal from the trauma of sexual abuse.
The James G. Hughes Award CPIT Excellence is named in honor of the late Dr. James G. Hughes (1911-1999), pioneer in child abuse prevention and intervention, founder of Le Bonheur Children in Crisis, member of the founding Memphis Child Advocacy Center board of directors, and a lifelong advocate for children. The award honors a member of the Child Protection Investigation Team whose performance demonstrates his or her collaborative work with other agencies, exceptional professionalism, and compassion to children and their families. Dr. Hughes was the first recipient of the award in 1989.
Past recipients include Dr. Jim Paavola (1990), Charles Wilson (1991), Dr. William D. Murphy (1992), Donna M. Pence (1994), Captain Stan Cavness (1995), Victoria Byrd (1996), Lt. John Owens (1997), Amelia B. Wallace and Henry P. Williams (1998), Bonnie Benecke (1999), Lt. Steve Isbell (2000), Jerry N. Estes (2001), Trudy Weatherford (2002), Pamela Cannon Scretchen (2003), Linda Elligan (2004) and Pat Lewis (2005). The 2006 recipient of the James G. Hughes Award was Kim Campbell, Intervention Services Director at the Memphis Child Advocacy Center.
The James G. Hughes Community Advocate Award is a new award created in 2006. This award honors a professional whose work in the community demonstrates a commitment to the prevention of child abuse; appropriate intervention when abuse is suspected and helping children cope and heal if they have experience the trauma of abuse. The 2006 recipient of this award was Karen Wells, founder of the Women’s Advocacy Program. The Nediva Award, recognizing generous spirit - open hands, is presented to a volunteer who has made a passionate commitment and invaluable contributions toward the Center's mission to help victims become children again. This award was created in recognition of the great debt owed to volunteers who give so generously of themselves. Nediva (Ne-de´-va) is a Hebrew name meaning noble and generous. From the root "nedivut" which means donate, implies giving of self, and is the origin of the word volunteer.
Past recipients include Sherry Cox (2002), Dana Hutchinson (2003), Carol McMaster (2004) and Scottie Simpson (2005). The 2006 recipient of the Nediva Award was Donna Crisp, of Farnsworth Photography. Donna has volunteered her photography services at each of our events since 1994.
Click here to read about our 2006 Honors Day Event.
