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Honors &
Awards

The National Capital AAZK chapter has been honored to receive several awards and nominations from the AAZK Awards Committee. Scroll down to learn more about our recipients and their hard work!

Photo Credit:  Nikki Maticic 

Honors and Awards.

The AAZK Awards Committee hosts an Awards Ceremony each year at the National AAZK Conference.  

 The National Capital AAZK chapter has been honored to be the recipient of several of these awards over the years. Scroll down to learn more about our chapter members who have received awards over the years. 
As a member of the National Capital AAZK chapter you can nominate yourself and/or your peers for an AAZK Award! You can click here to learn more about the awards offered by the American Association of Zoo Keepers.   

2022

Hosted by Toronto AAZK

  • Kara Ingraham (Lee Houts Advancement in Environmental Enrichment)

  • Kathryn Juliano  (Lutz Ruhe Professional of the Year) 

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2021

Hosted (virtually) by Los Angeles AAZK

  • Lori Smith (Nico van Strein Leadership in Conservation) for her work with longtime work with shorebird conservation in the Delaware Bay 

  • Nikki Maticic (Lutz Ruhe Professional of the Year) 

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2020

Hosted (virtually) by Los Angeles AAZK

  • Bird House team (Excellence in Environmental Enrichment) for their work providing behind the scenes enrichment for passerines and shorebirds during construction

    • Sara Hallager

    • Eric Slovak

    • Gwen Cooper

    • Lori Smith

    • Ric Pinto

    • Kathy Brader

    • Heather Anderson

    • Becca Zurlo

    • Deb Talbott

    • Stacy Hill

    • Jen Ferraro

  • Katy Juliano & Dell Guglielmo (Excellence in Exhibit Renovation) for their work in the mara yard

  • Erica Royer (Excellence in Animal Nutrition) for her diet modifications with rearing SCBI birds

  • Hilary Colton (Lutz Ruhe Professional of the Year)

  • NCAAZK Chapter (Jan McCoy Excellence in Public Education)

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2019

Hosted by Indianapolis AAZK 

  • Erica Royer- (runner up, Nico van Strein Leadership in Conservation) for her work with Guam bird rearing and reintroduction

  • Ann Gutowski (Excellence in Environmental Enrichment) for her creativity and skills at the Small Mammal House

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2018

Hosted by Denver AAZK

  • Denny Charlton (Professional of the Year)

  • Katy Juliano (runner up, Excellence in Zoo Keeper Education) for her work with zoo keepers in Central and South America

  • Matt Neff (Nico van Strein Leadership in Conservation) for his efforts with native amphibians

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2017

Hosted by National Capital AAZK

  • Kathy Brader (Lifetime Achievement Professional Service)

  • Hilary Colton & Chelsea Grubb (Certificate of Merit in Zoo Keeper Education) for their zoological ethics discussion series

  • Commissary team (Lee Houts Advancement in Enrichment) for ongoing food enrichment work around the Rock Creek campus

    • Brian Cannon

    • Chelia Char

    • Tyrone Savoy

    • Christ Stout

    • Coral McDonald

    • Stephen Schulze

    • Albert Olsen

    • Brittany Hudgins

    • Mike Kirby

    • Lori Smith

    • Bill Clements

  • Nikki Maticic (Lee Houts Advancement in Enrichment) for chicken exhibit improvements at Kids Farm

  • Reptile Discovery Center team (Certificate of Merit in Exhibit Renovation) for Jewels of the Appalachia salamander exhibit

    • Matt Neff

    • Lauren Augustine

    • Michael Miller

    • Kyle Miller

    • Robin Saunders

    • Matt Evans

    • Alan Peters

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2016

Hosted by Memphis AAZK

  • Lauren Augustine (Leadership in Conservation) for her work with the Foundation for the Conservation of Salamanders

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2015

Hosted by St. Louis AAZK

  • Enrichment & Training Committee (Certificate of Merit in Zoo Keeper Education) for E/T 101 classes

    • Chelsea Grubb

    • Hilary Colton

    • Kirstin Schoeninger

    • Judy Tasse

    • Stacey Tabellario

  • Lauren Augustine (Animal Nutrition Award) for hellbender diet study

  • Mike Henley (Certificate of Merit in Conservation) for coral spawn research

 

2014

Hosted by Orlando AAZK

  • Lauren Augustine (Professional of the Year)

  • NCAAZK Regional Symposium team (Certificate of Merit in Zoo Keeper Education) for the 1st symposium

    • Lauren Augustine

    • Colleen Bernard

    • Elise Bernardoni

    • Hilary Colton

    • Chelsea Grubb

    • Kenton Kerns

  • Kathy Brader (Certificate of Merit in Conservation) for her “Meet a Kiwi”

  • Matt Neff (Certificate of Merit in Conservation) for FrogWatch chapter and salamander ambassador project

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2013

Hosted by North Carolina AAZK

  • Lauren Augustine (Certificate of Merit in Conservation) for work on Chopsticks for Salamanders

  • NCAAZK (Certificate of Merit in Zoo Keeper Education) for In-DEPTH presentations

  • Enrichment & Training Committee (Excellence in Enrichment) for Giving Tree fundraising efforts

    • Stacey Tabellario

    • Heather Baskett

    • Rachel Metz

    • Judy Tasse

    • Hilary Colton

  • Kenton Kerns (Professional of the Year)

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2012

Hosted by Syracuse AAZK

  • Melba Brown (Susan D. Chan Author of the Year) - “Enrichment Effects on Lemur Behavior and Exhibit Visibility: Part 1 – A Special Partnership & Part 2 – Lemur Island Enrichment”

  • Kenton Kerns & Stephen Schulze (Excellence in Journalism) - “Managing Meerkat Reintroductions: Keeping Peace in the House.”

 

2011

Hosted by San Diego AAZK

  • Chapter of the Year 

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