Governor’s Service Awards

2026 GOVERNOR’S SERVICE AWARDS

The Governor’s Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers, and programs that have helped to address serious social needs in their communities. Those honored by these awards will have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service efforts, with their generous service impacting the lives of countless Wisconsinites.

The 2026 Governor’s Service Awards ceremony will take place on June 24, 2026 at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI.

If you have any questions about the Governor’s Service Awards, please contact Kyle Clower at 608-576-5373 or kyle.clower@wisconsin.gov.

2026 Honorees

Volunteer of the Year

  • Amanda Braverman-Brohn – Count The Kicks

  • Sophia Chen – Youth4Youth

  • Pete Daly – Health Justice Clinic — Center for Patient Partnerships

  • Kaylee Khira – Winnebago County Veterans Services

  • Amber McKenna, MD – University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Ali Warraich – Alzheimer’s & Dementia Carebridge & Senior Helpers Racine

 AmeriCorps Member of the Year

  • Callie Grones – Marshfield Clinic Community Corps at Friends of Lake Superior Research Reserve

  • Rebecca King – Marshfield Clinic Community Corps at United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth County

  • JaVeon Matthews – Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services at Pathfinders

 AmeriCorps Program of the Year

  • Green Bay Conservation Corps - City of Green Bay

AmeriCorps Alumni of the Year

  • Eric Hoffman – Current Executive Director of Wisconsin Reading and Math Corps - originally served with City Year Tulsa

  • Tom Schalmo – Current principal of Waukesha North High School - served with Teach For America Milwaukee

 AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer of the Year

  • Michael Abraham – ADVOCAP RSVP Transportation Program—Oshkosh, WI

  • Dianne Zenz – Coulee Region RSVP— La Crosse, WI

AmeriCorps Seniors Program of the Year

  • Seniors Volunteering for Seniors Program - RSVP of Rock County

Marty Stein Friend of National Service Exemplary Supporter

  • Emily Greene – Served as program director of Schools of Hope through the United Way of Dane County and served as AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer with Schools of Hope

 

AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS WITH 20 YEARS OF SERVICE

In addition to these nomination-based awards, the Governor’s Service Awards will also recognize all AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers who will have reached their 20th year of volunteer service between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026 (or earlier if not previously recognized). These recognitions do not require submitting a full nomination form. Names for eligible AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers can be submitted by their program directors directly to Serve Wisconsin by emailing Kyle Clower at kyle.clower@wisconsin.gov.