2011 Michael Pressley Award: Now Seeking Nominations!

The Michael Pressley Award for Excellence in Catholic Education is presented annually to honor Dr. Michael Pressley, the inaugural academic director of ACE, prodigious and world-renowned scholar, who lost his battle with cancer in 2006. Award recipients reflect Dr. Pressley’s dedication to service and scholarship for the benefit of children and Catholic schools across the nation.

This award is reserved for graduates of the ACE Teaching Fellows program who have been out of the program for between five and ten years, and who have in that time distinguished themselves in making significant contributions to the ministry of Catholic Education.  ACE graduates from cohorts 6-11 are eligible this year.

Contributions toward excellence in Catholic education can be acknowledged from a wide range of life experiences:  as teachers, school leaders, academics, policy administrators, involved parents, parishioners, and many others.  The award is not reserved for anyone in a particular field or vocation, but for one who has demonstrated excellence and commitment to the mission of Catholic education.

The award is given annually as part of the ACE Commencement Exercises, and comes with a stipend for the recipient.  Past award recipients are named below.

Please visit our online form to offer your nomination for this year's award, and please submit your nomination by April 1, 2011.  We thank you for considering your friends and peers in this nomination process!

 Past recipients of the Michael Pressley Award:

• 2006: Tom Kessler (ACE 3) and Colleen Knight Santoni (ACE 3)
• 2007: Kate McCann Ojeda (ACE 4, ALP 2) and Patrick O'Sullivan (ACE 2, ALP 8)
• 2008: Kelly Walsh Surapaneni (ACE 3) and Benny Morten (ACE 6, ALP 1)
• 2009: Veronica Flores Alonzo (ACE 4) and Michael Motyl (ACE 8, ALP 5)
• 2010: Jennifer Beltramo (ACE 9, ALP 8) and Antonio Ortiz (ACE 5)