Since 1975, the Association of Community Services of Howard County has been recognizing people in our community with these prestigious awards to recognize the work that volunteers and employees do in service to others that go above and beyond all expectations in their service to the community.
These awards not only recognize the achievements of those honored, but offer public recognition for the organizations and causes to which our honorees devote their time and energy.
2021 ACS Humanitarian Awards
Award Recipients
John Fry
Volunteer of the Year
Camp Attaway
Community Impact Award
(Small Nonprofit)
Community Ecology institute
Community Impact Award
(Small Nonprofit)
Bridges to Housing Stability Housing Stability Programs Team
Community Impact Award
(Large Nonprofit)
Previous Years





Becky Mangus
Volunteer of the Year
Special Olympics of Howard County
Volunteer Team of the Year
Pam Grady
Voices for Children
Employee of the Year
Therapeutic and Recreational Riding Center
Employee Team of the Year
Donna Wells
Howard County Mental Health Authority
Legacy Award
Jean Moon & Associates
Business of the Year
Judy Pittman
Volunteer of the Year
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Volunteer Team of the Year
Toby Orenstein
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts
Employee of the Year
The MultiService Center Team
Employee Team of the Year
Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)
Business of the Year
Steve Sternheimer
Volunteer of the Year
Atholton High School
Volunteer Team of the Year
Linda Hayes
Howard County Link
Employee of the Year
FIRN
Employee Team of the Year
Wegmans
Business of the Year
Delegate Elizabeth Bobo
Legacy Award
Senator James Robey
Legacy Award
Julie Rosenthal
Volunteer of the Year
Bita Dayhoff
Employee of the Year
Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
Volunteer Team of the Year
Camp Attaway
Employee Team of the Year
Allen & Shariff
Business of the Year
Bill Allen, Zack Shariff and Mary Cannon
Vic Broccolino and Executive Management Team at Howard County General Hospital
Legacy Award
George Pittman
Howard County Public Schools
Volunteer of the Year
Donna Michener
Bridgeway Community Church Community Cupboard
Employee of the Year
Cold Weather Shelter
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
Volunteer Team of the Year
Maryland Access Point (MAP)
Howard County Office on Aging
Employee Team of the Year
Front row: Peggy Hoffman (MAP), Donna Michener.
Middle row: Anna Katz (Grassroots), George Pittman, Ande Kolp; Audrey Robbins Committee, ACS President Jackie Eng.
Back row: Emcee Dick Story
Don Bard
Volunteer of the Year
Neighbor Ride
Volunteer Team of the Year
Barbara Coleman
Maryland Legal Aid
Employee of the Year
MakingChange
Employee Team of the Year
Front row: Don Bard, Michelle Glassburn, (makingCHANGE).
Middle row: Jack Letzer, (makingCHANGE), Barbara Coleman, Brad Closs (Neighbor Ride), ACS President Harry Schwarz, Kari Staddon, makingCHANGE.
Back row: Deb Popiel, Audrey Robbins Awards Co-Chair, Nancy Huggins, Audrey Robbins Awards Co-Chair.
Retiring ACS Executive Director Anne Towne received a proclamation from Howard County Executive Ken Ulman proclaiming June 15 2011 Anne Towne Day in Howard County. Towne also received a proclamation from the Howard County Council.
Kathleen Dugan
Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)
Volunteer of the Year
NAMI-Howard County (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Volunteer Team of the Year
Donna Wells
Howard County Mental Health Authority Employee of the Year
Susan Rosenbaum
Former director of the Howard County Department of Citizen Services
Audrey Robbins Lifetime Achievement Award
Front row: Nancy Huggins, Audrey Robbins Awards, Co-Chair, Susan Rosenbaum, Kathleen Dugan, (C.A.S.E.).
Back row: Terry Owens, Emcee; Janet Edelman, NAMI-Howard Country, Donna Wells, Howard Country Mental Health Authority, Jay Blackman, ACS President.
Chaya Kaplan
Volunteer of the year
The Serenity Center
Volunteer Team of the year
Carole MacPhee
Columbia Housing Corporation
Employee of the year
Front row: Chaya Kaplan, Carole MacPhee (CHC), Gina Dyson, The Serenity Center (TSC).
Middle row: Kristine Daniel (TSC), Debra Popiel, AR Committee Chair, Claudia Friend (TSC).
Top row: Jim Skirven (TSC), Terry Owens; WMAR ABC2 News, Scott Bickell (TSC), Frank Turban, (TSC).
The Association of Community Services presented the Audrey Robbins Humanitarian Awards, on May 21, 2008 to exceptional Howard County Citizens.
Rear L-R: Debra Popiel, Chair, Audrey Robbins Humanitarian Awards Committee; Terry Owens, WMAR2 ABC News TV, Emcee; Sgt. Steve Martin, Howard County Domestic Violence Unit (DVU), Judy Pittman, Lt. Ronald Denton, DVU; Kathleen Turner, DVU.
Front, seated: Molly Gale, DVU; Kim Bray, Gilchrist Hospice Howard County Volunteers, Sandy Jaworski, Grace Community Church.
Sandy Jaworski
Grace Community Church
Volunteer of the Year
Gilchrist Hospice Howard County Volunteers
Volunteer Team of the Year
Howard County Domestic Violence Unit
Employee Team of the Year
Judy Pittman
Special Tribute (Retiring from ACS)
Joe Willmott
Volunteer of the Year
Prepare for Success Community Partnership
Volunteer Team of the Year
Linda Zumbrun
Howard County Department of Social Services
Employee of the Year
Mobile Crisis Team
Employee Team of the Year
Neil Dorsey
Volunteer of the Year
Ann Ryder
Employee of the Year
Domestic Violence Center
Employee Team of the Year
Murray Simon
Volunteer of the Year
Carole Ball, Nora Scanlan, Nancy Wentworth and the late Eleanor Blevins
Volunteer Team of the Year
Becky Lessey
Employee of the Year
Karl (Frank) Turban
Volunteer of the Year
Carol Beatty
Employee of the Year
Di Li, Nina Zhang, Lovy Kim, Sueah Lee
Team of the Year
Laura Lee
O’Donnell Family Award
Mike Clark
Volunteer of the Year
Andrea Ingram
Employee of the Year
The HIV Clinical Team
Employee Team of the Year
Phyllis Madachy
Employee of the Year
Nancy Berla
Volunteer of the Year
Elaine Patico
Professional of the Year
Victor Broccolino
Professional of the Year
Manus O'Donnell
Professional of the Year
Samuel Marshall
Professional of the Year
Barbara K. Lawson
Professional of the Year
Henry E. Posko, Jr.,
Professional of the Year
Vivian Reid
Professional of the Year
Patricia Keeton
Professional of the Year
Lucille Barnum
Professional of the Year
Mary Lynch
Professional of the Year
Nancy Weber
Professional of the Year
Dale Jackson
Professional of the Year
John Everett
Professional of the Year
John Brandenburg
Professional of the Year
Barrie Klaits
Professional of the Year
Marge Babbit
Professional of the Year
Jane Walker
Professional of the Year
Robert Russell
Volunteer of the Year
Columbia Housing Corp.,
Organization of the Year
Pat Hatch
Professional of the Year
Murray Weingarten
Volunteer of the Year
Columbia Foundation
Organization of the Year
Lea Jane Scolnik
Professional of the Year
Maxine Mullican
Volunteer of the Year
Citizens Against Spousal Assault
Organization of the Year
Maxine Mullican
Volunteer of the Year
Citizens Against Spousal Assault
Organization of the Year
Mae Ruth Seidel
Volunteer of the Year
FISH of Howard County
Organization of the Year
Hans Marchand
Volunteer of the Year
Womanscope
Organization of the Year
Ann Wicke
Volunteer of the Year
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Organization of the Year
Mary Alice Walker
Volunteer of the Year
Meals on Wheels
Organization of the Year
Joetta Cramm
Volunteer of the Year
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
Organization of the Year
Christian Women’s Thrift Shop
Organization of the Year
Nancy Wiggins
Volunteer of the Year