​The Maxson Education, Training & Workforce Development Award honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to public health laboratory continuing education and workforce development.​ It was established in 1998 in memory of Dr. Thomas E. Maxson, who was the director of the Kentucky Public Health Laboratory from 1987 to 1998.

Nominee Consi​derations​

Nominees must be an employee of an APHL member laboratory or CDC.

Nominees should be a public health laboratory scientist, administrator, trainer or educator who has:

  • ​Made significant contributions to the advancement of workforce development and training in public health laboratory science and practice,

  • Worked to provide continuing education opportunities, programs, policies or practices internally and/or externally through outreach to their public health partners, or

  • Demonstrated a history of service with​​ APHL committees, taskforces or workgroups focused on workforce development, education and/or training.​

Submit a​​ Nomination

The nomination process for 2023 will be open soon.

Please note th​​​at:

  • Individuals may not self-nominate, and

  • Individuals may submit only one nomination per year​​.

​The APHL Workforce Development Committee and/or its subcommittee(s) or appointees will review all nominations and determine the awardee. ​

​​​​​Awar​d Presentation

The award will be presented at the biennial Public Health Laboratory Training Conference (PHLTC) in June 2021​. Awardees in the conference's off-years will be announced and presented in the spring and recognized at the following year’s PHLTC.​

Past Maxson Award Recipients

2000:  Donna Clinkenbeard, State Training Coordinator, Kentucky Division of Laboratory Services

2001:  Faye Abdulla, BT, Coordinator, Tennessee Department of Health, Laboratory Services

2002:  Beth Hochstedler, State Training Coordinator, State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa

2003:  Sue Shiflett, State Training Coordinator, Michigan Public Health Laboratory

2004:  Vickie Whitaker, MT(ASCP), Laboratory Improvement Coordinator, North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health

2008:  Rebecca Perdue, MT(ASCP), Quality Assurance, Safety & Training Manager, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services

2010:  Judy Delany, MS, MPH, MT(ASCP), Liaison to Office of State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC

2011:  Jo Ann Jellison, MS, MT(ASCP), Training Coordinator, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services

2012:  Renee Beckham, Program Specialist IV, Texas Department of State Health Services

2013:  Maria Paz Carlos, PhD, DVM, Virology and Immunology Division Chief, Maryland Laboratories Administration

2014:  Christina Egan, PhD, Chief of Biodefense, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health

2014:  Martin Evans, PhD, MS, MT(ASCP), consultant in public health informatics

2016:  Nicole Green, PhD, D(ABMM), Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory

2017:  Susanne Zanto, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, SM, Montana Laboratory Services Bureau

2018:  Shoolah H. Escott, MS, MT(ASCP), Biosafety Manager, William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute, Massachusetts

2019:  Erin Bowles, BS, MT(ASCP), Laboratory Network Coordinator and Co-Biosafety Officer, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

2020: Robert Nickla, RBP, M(ASCP), LRN Coordinator, Biosafety Officer, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory

2020: Karen Stiles, State Training Coordinator, Nebraska Public Health Laboratory

2021: Shannon Sharp, MT(ASCP), Bioterrorism Training Coordinator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories

2022: Crystal E. Barrett MAED/T, MLS(ASCP)cm Laboratory Systems Improvement and Training Manager, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Richmond, VA