TWC 2025 Awards

Catherine LeFleur Legal Advocacy for Children Award
Linda Christmas Advocacy for Children and Families Award
​Inspire to Achieve Award

​Nominations open June 1st to September 1st

Together We Can Awards

Past Recipients:

Nomination Criteria

 Catherine Lafleur: Legal Advocacy for Children & Families

• Long term commitment to improving the lives of children• Exemplifies high levels of ethics and respect for the child welfare and legal systems
• Personal strengths make him/her an effective child advocate
• Demonstrates exceptional diligence, thoroughness and persistence in:
  • Making the system respond to the needs of the child
  • Promoting and supporting the use of innovative and creative approaches to systemic problems
  • Conducting research
  • Representing the best interest of the child

Linda Christmas: Service to Children and Families

• Long term commitment to the community - passionate and energetic in their role
• Understanding and commitment to the “creating a village” concept
• Demonstrates outstanding leadership - takes risks to achieve outstanding results
• Contributes to a positive image for the children and families - celebrates the family
• Serves as a role model or mentor in the community and with families
• Demonstrates initiative in heightening community awareness of the issues facing abused and neglected children

Inspire to Achieve Award

• Individuals in the field of Mental Health, Social Work, Legal Representation, Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Practice
• Recognize professionals with five years or less years of experience who go above and beyond their job scope in providing services to the children and families they serve
• Inspire their colleagues through their work

                                                 

Catherine Lafleur Legal Advocacy
​ for Children and Families Award 

This award was created in memory of Catherine Lafleur, an attorney and law professor, who worked tirelessly during her lifetime to protect abused and neglected children in Louisiana. Catherine lost her battle with cancer in 2006. During her lifetime she served as a faculty member for the Together We Can conference, worked for the Advocacy Center and helped to develop programs for family mediated decision-making.

Award Recipients:

• 2008 - Diane Winston, Former State Representative
• 2009 - Andrew Shealy, Assistant District Attorney
• 2010 - Clay Walker, Public Defender's Office
• 2011 - Judge Charles Porter, 16th Judicial District
• 2012 - Joy Peacock, Deputy Judicial Administrator, Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court
• 2013 - Judge Anne Simon, LA Supreme Court - Court Improvement Project Fellow
• 2014 - Candice S. LeBlanc, Louisiana DCFS Bureau of General Counsel
• 2015 - Leslie Lacy, Mental Health Advocacy Services​
• 2016 - Nzinga Hill, Orleans Parish Public Defender's Office​
• ​2017 - Franchesca Hamilton-Acker, Acadiana Legal Services Corporation
• ​2018 - Richard Pittman, JD - Louisiana Public Defender Board
• 2019 - Bobby Bernard, Department of Children and Family Services
• ​2020 - Judge David Matlock, Caddo Juvenile Court
• 2021 - Rebecca May Ricks, JD, CWLS, Mental Healthy Advocacy Services
• 2022 - Kathy Coleman, Louisiana Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resource Center​​​
• 2023 - Kären Hallstrom, JD ​
• 2024 - Stacie LeBlanc, JD
• 2024 - Judge Kerry Anderson

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​Inspire to Achieve Award 
​​

​This award is presented to individuals in the field of Mental Health, Social Work, Legal Representation, Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Practice.  The recipient is a professional with five years or less years of experience who goes above and beyond their job scope in providing services to the children and families they serve. This professionals inspires their colleagues through their work.

• 2023 - Natalie Paul
• 2024 - Josh Edmund
• 2024 - Elizabeth Williams
• 2024 - Bria Hampton

Linda Christmas Service
​to Children and Families Award

This award was created in memory of Linda Christmas, a child and family advocate, who worked tirelessly during her lifetime to protect abused and neglected children. She passed away in 2006. During Ms. Christmas’ lifetime she served as a faculty member for the Natchitoches Parish School system, an Associate Professor at Grambling State University, helped to create the Ouachita/Caldwell Foster Parent Association and her last role was that of Project Administrator for the ULM Region IX Foster/Adoptive Family Project.​

Award Recipients:

• 2008 - Nancy Miller, Louisiana Office of Community Services
• 2009 - Linda Starns, New Horizons Youth Services Bureau
• 2010 - Robert Couvillon, Louisiana Office of Community Services
• 2011 - Myra Magee, Foster Parent and Past President of Louisiana Foster and Adoptive Parents Association
• 2012 - Carrie Hicks, Foster Parent and Board Member of Louisiana Foster and Adoptive Parents Association
• 2013 - Helen Buttita, DCFS Children's Justice Act Fellow
• 2014 - Dr. Pamela Saulsberry, University of Louisiana at Monroe
• 2015 - Elijah Evans, No Use for Abuse and Former Foster Child
• 2016 - Sonya Brown, Project 18​​
• ​2017 - Joy Bruce, CASA New Orleans
• ​2018 - Kim Winston Bigler, James Storehouse
• 2019 - Melody Bertrand, CASA
• ​2020 - Julio Galan, Family & Youth
• ​2021 - Agnes Baygents
• 2022 - Margie Nielsen, Louisiana Methodist Children's Home
• ​2023 - Kathy Lynn Cook, JD, CWLS, MHAS​
• 2024 - Keshala Jackson, Capital Area CASA
• 2024 - Amanda Carroll, Next Generation Therapy Services

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Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to thank and honor someone who has dedicated their lives to the improvement of the child well-being and protection for Louisiana's children. This award is not presented annually, but is at the discretion of the steering committee. 

• 2008 - Chief Justice Pascal Calogero, Louisiana Supreme Court
• 2008 - Lee Ann Vaught, Attorney at Law
• 2010 - Donna Cuneo, Louisiana State Bar Foundation
• 2011 -  Martha Angelette, Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault 
• 2012 - Chief Justice Kitty Kimball, Louisiana Supreme Court
• 2013 - Judge Nancy Konrad, Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court
• 2015 - Judy Harrison, Louisiana Children's Trust Fund
• 2019 - Judge Anne Simon, Retired
• 2019 - Walter Fahr, LCSW
• 2019 - Dot Thibodaux, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - Posthumous Award
• 2020- Marty Gibson, LCSW, Retired DCFS
• 2021 - Judge Ernestine Gray, JD, Retired
• 2021 - Brent Villemarette, LCSW, Retired - Posthumous Award

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