West Kentucky Community and Technical College Announces 2026 Regional Educators Awards and Scholarship Program
Published on Mar 4, 2026
West Kentucky Community and Technical College will host the ninth annual Regional Educators Awards and Scholarship Program (REASP), recognizing outstanding pre-kindergarten through high school educators, administrators and staff members who work tirelessly each day on behalf of students, parents, and the community.
Established by WKCTC President Dr. Anton Reece, the program highlights the impact of educators across the region while awarding scholarships to students pursuing degrees in education.
The ceremony will take place at the Clemens Fine Arts Center in Paducah on March 26 and will feature a red-carpet celebration honoring this year’s recipients.
Thanks to the incredible growth and popularity of this awards program, college officials reported a record number of nominations submitted for the 2026 awards. WKCTC officials made some exciting updates to ensure they continue to shine the spotlight on outstanding educators and leaders who make a difference every day.
REASP features a brand-new category for 2026, Distinguished Technical Faculty 9th – 12th grade, honoring the dedicated faculty at area technology centers and career and technical centers.
The Distinguished Faculty categories have been reorganized to Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade; 3rd-5th grade; 6th-8thgrade; and 9th-12th grade, to ensure these categories align more naturally and educators teaching different grade levels are recognized within categories that best reflect their roles.
The top 20 finalists in each category have been invited to take center stage and be formally recognized at the March 26 ceremony. This means more room for nominees to bring guests, colleagues and school supporters to celebrate together. The Top 20 educators selected represent the very best in WKCTC’s service region, which includes Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Livingston, and Lyon counties in Kentucky, and Alexander, Hardin, Massac, Pope, and Pulaski counties in Illinois.
“The Regional Educators Awards and Scholarship Program continues to grow each year as more communities come together to celebrate the vital role educators play in shaping our future,” said Dr. Anton Reece. “We are proud to honor these exceptional individuals and support the next generation of teachers. We are excited to honor the top 20 finishers in each category as well as our finalists and winners on March 26.”
The public is invited to attend this exciting evening, beginning with a celebratory opening reception at 4:00 pm in the WKCTC Student Center followed by the main event in Clemens Fine Arts Center at 5:30 pm.
All nominees will receive a certificate of achievement and be featured on the WKCTC website, westkentucky.kctcs.edu (search for Regional Educators).
2026 Nominees by School System
Ballard County Schools
Tricia Baumer; Monica Ingram; Rebecca Lambert; Amber Parker; Macy Vick
Caldwell County Schools
Mandy Hooks
Calloway County Schools
Mindy Rose; Steve Smith
Carlisle County Schools
Tosha Arnold; Christy Elder; Shanda Fite; Kara Goodman; TiErica McKinney; Lorelei Walters
Crittenden County Schools
Howard Suggs; Ben Thompson
Fulton County Schools
Jill Jackson; Lekesha Nash; Allie Pirtle; Chris Roberts
Fulton Independent
Candace Govern; Kristina Rangel; Melissa Trice-Martin; Michele Stephens; Destinee Walker; Victoria Zalucki
Graves County Schools
Haley Egerton; Mallery Fowler; Maddi Fowler; Allie Gonzalez; Marisa Gonzalez; Justin Hayden; Whitney Hayden; Erica Hays; Diane Janes; Jean Ann Kendall; Savannah Kirkpatrick; Dori Lane; Josh Lutz; Kelly Mathis; Shanna Mills; Stephanie Qualls; Alex Richards; Kim Roberts; Nyssa Shemwell; Taylor Sheridan; Sarah Sleadd; BeaLinda Smith; Daniel Thomas; Joshua Truelove; Aaron West; Stephenie Wheeler; Natalie Winn
Hickman County Schools
Delaney Dowdy; Allison Kelly; Tiffany Ray; Melissa Sampson; Kelly Terry
Livingston County Schools
Leigh Ann Choat; Adam Duckwyler; Heather Felan; Ansley Joiner
Lyon County Schools
Heather Simmons; Stephanie Walker
Marshall County Schools
Janna Archer; Courtney Bishop; Kathy Colvett; Laura Cope; Macie Corbitt; Brad Darnall; Chad Darnall; Lyndsie Dempsey; Melissa Elrod; Aspen Gentry; Lee Ann Gibson; Ashli Gore; Jessica Haynes; Stephanie Ives; Macayla Jennings; Anissa Johnson; Kristin Kirby; Mandy Lane; Patricia Murphy; Shelby Oakley; Tiffany Palmer; Ronnie Payton; Kaitlin Penn; Jackie Reid; Becky Smith; Amanda Sparks; Kayla Thomas; Brianna Walls; Mariah Wilson
Mayfield Independent
Julia Barnett; Vanessa Carrillo; Brittney Clere; Ashley Collins; Heather Dublin; Sarah Dunn; Lorena Godinez; Roy Henley; Keri Hicks; Amanda Lampkin; Ally Machaen; Rachel Mateo; Nikki Pierceall; Clarissa Riley; Keri Smith; Lisa Wingfield
McCracken County Schools
Jordan Blankenship; Lori Boyles; Sarah Brooks; Terry Collins; Tara T.J. Davidson; Kaylee Dickens; Elizabeth Faughn; Amy Gloyd; Micah Greene; Carla Hagan; Megan Hall; Andrea Heisner; Amberly Houser; Brittany Lindberg; Romina Maldonado; Jaci Manning; Melanie Martin; Sara Martin; Belle McBride; Deanna Geittmann McClure; Nathan Metzger; Lauren Michaels; Ami Middleton; Holly Miller; Samantha Mitchell; Emily Morehead; Dr. Lakshmi O’Bryan; Christy Ortega; Johnna Puryear; Haley Rackley; Amanda Rivera; Sara Sanderson; Molly Smith; Jennifer Solomon; Erin Soltys; Lonna Starnes; Bre Sykes Podunajec; Heather Thornton; Wendy Turnage; Allie Wilson
Murray Independent
Haley Burchett; Rebekah M. Clark; Joseph Dublin; Brittany Forgey; Sarah Hultman; John Karanja; Jeremy Krug; Emily Parker; Julie Stone
Paducah Public Schools
Amy Bakehouse; Christal Crane; Rita Crouch; Mikey Davis; Natalie DeBernardi; Gracie Duncan; Mallory Dunnaway; Katrina Franklin; Jared Frazier; Amy Hardin; Hannah Hargrove; Deatrik Kinney; Elizabeth LeNeave; Tracey Lenox; Brittany Lopez; Tera Martin; Renee McDermott; Hanna McIntosh; Pati Milheiser; Jennifer Miller; Julie Mohs; Ginger Molina; Keshia Moore; Gretchen Morgan; Jackie Mundy; Courtney Nevatt; Laura Pratt; Katie Ramer; Jessica Ringstaff; Shawn Rowton; Keristen Sawyer; Erin Shively; Laura Snyder; Tami Snyder; Mike Spissinger; Susie Uhlik; Robyn West; Caroline Wheat; Lindsey Williams; Carol Withrow; Kelly Workman
St. Mary School System
Whitni Cobb; Jean Duran; Rodney Holt; Jenny Nunley
Top 20 Honorees
Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Support Staff Award
Whitni Cobb; Terry Collins; Macie Corbitt; Heather Felan; Katrina Franklin; Monica Ingram; Macayla Jennings; Tracey Lenox; Brittany Lindberg; Sara Martin; Tera Martin; Belle McBride; Pati Milheiser; Gretchen Morgan; Christy Ortega; Kaitlin Penn; Stephanie Qualls; Susie Uhlik; Caroline Wheat; Victoria Zalucki
Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Administrative Staff Award
Julia Barnett; Natalie DeBernardi; Melissa Elrod; Jared Frazier; Kara Goodman; Logan Holder; Anissa Johnson; Renee McDermott; Holly Miller; Keshia Moore; Bre Sykes Podunajec; Mindy Rose; Sara Sanderson; Kelly Terry; Lorelei Walters; Robyn West
Distinguished Administrator Award
Tosha Arnold; Amy Bakehouse; Leigh Ann Choat; Christal Crane; Brad Darnall; Lyndsie Dempsey; Heather Dublin; Deatrik Kinney; Romina Maldonado; Nathan Metzger; Amber Parker; Tiffany Ray; Jackie Reid; Alex Richards; Erin Shively; Steve Smith; Tami Snyder; Stephanie Wheeler; Natalie Winn; Kelly Workman
Distinguished Faculty Award (Grades 3-5)
Janna Archer; Rebekah M. Clark; Kathy Colvett; Mallory Dunnaway; Maddi Fowler; Aspen Gentry; Ashli Gore; Whitney Hayden; Diane Janes; Jaci Manning; Julie Mohs; Ginger Molina; Courtney Nevatt; Emily Parker; Allie Pirtle; Melissa Sampson; Erin Soltys; Heather Thornton; Wendy Turnage; Lindsey Williams
Distinguished Faculty Award (Grades 6-8)
Courtney Bishop; Brittney Clere; Ashley Collins; Deanna Geittmann-McClure; Allie Gonzalez; Micah Greene; Rodney Holt; Mandy Hooks; Allison Kelly; Kristin Kirby; Dori Lane; Ami Middleton; Samantha Mitchell; Patricia Murphy; Lekesha Nash; Jessica Ringstaff; Sarah Sleadd; Ben Thompson; Melissa Trice-Martin; Mariah Wilson
Distinguished Faculty Award (Grades 9-12)
Sarah Brooks; Lorena Godinez; Marisa Gonzalez; Amy Hardin; Roy Henley; Keri Hicks; Sarah Hultman; John Karanja; Jean Ann Kendall; Jeremy Krug; Rebecca Lambert; Amanda Lampkin; Dr. Lakshmi O’Bryan; Ronnie Payton; BeaLinda Smith; Keri Smith; Laura Snyder; Mike Spissinger; Michele Stephens; Howard Suggs
Distinguished Faculty Award (Pre-K-Grade 2)
Lori Boyles; Kaylee Dickens; Jean Duran; Christy Elder; Lee Ann Gibson; Stephanie Ives; Jill Jackson; Elizabeth LeNeave; Ally Machaen; Melanie Martin; Kelly Mathis; Lauren Michaels; Emily Morehead; Jackie Mundy; Shelby Oakley; Tiffany Palmer; Laura Pratt; Haley Rackley; Keristen Sawyer; Nyssa Shemwell
Technical Faculty Award (Grades 9-12)
Haley Burchett; Chad Darnall; Brittany Forgey; Andrea Heisner; TiErica McKinney
