Pioneer Award

The annual Imagine America Foundation Pioneer Award recognizes career college founders, owners or operators who have provided exceptional support and leadership to the career college sector.

Previous Pioneer Awardees have distinguished themselves through the management of their institutions, their high ethical standards and devotion to innovation. Recipients are notified at a special awards ceremony at the Annual CCA Convention & Exposition in June.

Past Recipients of the Pioneer Award

• 2007 Dean Johnston, Santa Barbara Business College
• 2006 Rene Champagne, ITT Educational Services
• 2005 Caroline Willard, Founder, Court Reporting Institute of Dallas
• 2005 Bob Knutson, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Education Management Corporation
• 2004 David Moore, Founder, Corinthian Colleges, Inc.
• 2003 Bobbi Nathanson, Founder, Western Career Colleges
• 2003 Robert Sweet, Founder, Universal Technical Institute
• 2002 William Kalaboke, President, The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale
• 2002 Marge Carlson, Founder, Apollo Colleges
• 2001 Henry Herzing, Founder, Herzing Colleges, Inc.
• 2001 Julie Morally, Founder, California Paramedical and Technical Colleges
• 2000 Alfred Dreyfus, Founder, ECPI Colleges of Technology
• 2000 Marcia Toy, Founder, Academy Pacific Travel College

For more information about the Pioneer Award, please contact Bob Martin at 202.336.6758.