Awards & Recognition Committee
The Awards and Recognition Committee strives to recognize the good work accomplished by housing professionals in the state of Georgia. Recipients are recognized each year at the Annual Georgia Housing Officers (GHO) Conference. The 2025 Award nominiatons have ended, but please consider submitting an award for 2026. If you have any questions email georgiahousingofficers@gmail.com.
Awards Nomination Form
Excellence in Housing Award
This award will be given to an individual who is currently employed as a housing/residence life professional at a college or university within the state of Georgia, and has served in housing or residence life throughout their career. This person should demonstrate a successful career in housing through their dedication to their position; their ability to positively impact the lives of students and staff; and their significant contributions to the local institution and housing profession through service at the state, regional, and/or national levels.
2025 Excellence in Housing – Blake York, University of Georgia
Outstanding Professional Award
The nominee for this award should have served for four or more years to housing or residence life. This award will recognize the individual’s outstanding contribution to housing or residence life though their ability to positively impact the professional and personal development of students and staff; their significant contributions to the local institution demonstrated by research, innovative programs or services, or a related activity which is above and beyond their normal position expectations; and their active, contributing membership and service to the profession through service at the state, regional, and/or national levels.
2025 Outstanding Professional Award – Kate Curnow, Georgia Institute of Technology
Vickie Hawkins Outstanding New Professional Award
This award is to be presented to a new professional in housing or residence life who is within their first three years of full-time, professional housing or residence life employment. The nominee should demonstrate outstanding performance to his or her campus and profession as well as exhibit potential for a successful career in housing or residence life.
2025 Vickie Hawkins Outstanding New Professional Award – Victoria Gathings, University of Georgia
Graduate Assistant Award of Excellence
This award recognizes a graduate assistant in housing or residence life that has made a significant contribution to the residence hall students and the housing organization at a GHO-member institution.
Georgia Gee Whiz Award
This award will recognize and honor excellence for an innovative program, project, or service sponsored by a housing or residence life department during the past year. The nominated program or initiative will demonstrate improvement in the quality of life for students, the efficiency in the department, and/or the effectiveness in service delivery.
2025 Georgia Gee Whiz – Festival of Noble Knights (Middle Georgia State University)
Contribution to Campus Award
This award recognizes a housing/residence life staff member who has provided meritorious service to their institution by supporting its goal of serving students beyond their departmental job responsibilities. This can include collaborative projects, committee work, and other efforts that promote a supportive learning environment. This staff member should demonstrate support to other campus departments, activities, and staff members at their institution.
2025 Contribution To Campus Award Recipient - Jaleyn Pearson (University of Georgia)
Outstanding Support Staff Member Award
This award will be presented to an individual who is employed in a support role, either in his or her institution’s housing organization, or in another department that regularly provides support to the housing organization. This person will, in some capacity, demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that students at their institution are residing in halls that are comfortable, well maintained, affordable, and secure, all while providing great customer service.
2025 Outstanding Support Staff Member – Diana “Dee-Dee” Long (University of Georgia)
Best of GA: Peach of a Program
Peach of a Program recognizes outstanding and innovative programs presented during the annual Georgia Housing Officers (GHO) Conference. Presenters share successful initiatives, creative practices, and impactful ideas that have positively influenced their students, staff, departments, or residential communities During the conference, the GHO delegation votes to select the Peach of a Program winner from the eligible program presentations. The winning program represents the Best of Georgia and receives registration to the following SEAHO Annual Conference, where the presenter(s) will have the opportunity to showcase their program to the regional housing and residence life delegation. Peach of a Program celebrates the creativity and excellence happening across Georgia while providing a pathway for our state’s best practices to be shared throughout the Southeast.
2025 Peach of a Program Recipient - Kelvin Miller (Kennesaw State University) “Nothing Beats a Jet 2 Holiday: Transformational Leadership in the Modern Era of Higher Education Housing"