Phil Hatlen Award

The Phil Hatlen Award recognizes excellence in leadership and innovative changes in the field of Visual Impairment. This award is given in honor of Dr. Phil Hatlen for exemplary and dedicated service to our field.  A visionary of change, Dr. Hatlen has been an inspiration to countless professionals during his career as a teacher, university professor in teacher preparation programs, and in his many leadership roles in national and state organizations and committees.  He currently shares his enthusiastic commitment to the continuous improvement of educational opportunities for blind or visually impaired students as superintendent of Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

The recipient of this award may be an administrator or university professor. This recipient must have brought about innovative changes or provided out-standing leadership to our field that ultimately improved services to programming and quality of life to students with a visual impairment.

Past Winners

2024 - Kate Hurst​

2023 - Cecilia Robinson

2022 -Chrissy Cowan

2021 - Stephanie Walker

​2020 - Shannon Darst

​2019 - Kate Hurst

2018 - Olga Uriegas

2017 - Bill Daugherty

​2016 - Michael Munro

2015 - Debra Sewell

2013 - Ann Adkins

2012 - Tricia Lee

2011 - Nora Griffin-Shirley

2010 - Dr. Rona Pogrund

2009 - Frankie Swift

2008 - Fran Hammer

2007 - Mary Ann Siller

2006 - Marnee Loftin

2005 - Dr. Rita Livingston

2004 - Cyral Miller

2003 - Dixie Mercer

2002 -

2001 –

2000 –

1999 –

1998 -

1997 - Phil Hatlen