Award Recipients
Each year, the Junior League of Portland, ME solicits nominations from its membership to recognize fellow League members for outstanding individual commitment to our mission and community service. All Provisional, Active, and Sustaining members are encouraged to nominate candidates; members may nominate more than one member per award category.
Marion Brown Payson Award for Sustaining Member of the Year
The Marion Brown Payson Award for Sustaining Member of the Year acknowledges the important contributions of a Sustaining member who advances the concepts of commitment and voluntarism. Through effective action and leadership, she demonstrates an ability to understand and connect with the JLP membership and her community. She creates opportunities and shows a lasting commitment to sustaining the mission of our organization.
Previous recipients of the Marion Brown Payson Award for Sustaining Member of the Year
1984 Mary Rines Thompson
1985 Hope W. Bramhall
1986 Anne Washburn Payson
1987 Betsy Anne Holmes
1988 Ann L. (A.L.) Carlisle
1989 Nancy D. (Nan) Higgins
1990 Patricia F. (Pat) Ruotolo
1991 Catherine M. (Cay) Reiman
1994 Ann Hewes Foden
1995 Elisabeth Colgan (posthumous)
1997 Pam Bates
1998 Cotheal Linnell
1999 Janet K. Hawkes
2000 Beppie Cerf
2001 Carol I. Austin
2002 Patricia Small
2003 Dodo Stevens
2004 Joan Houghton
2005 Laurie Piasio
2006 Jane Cutter
2007 Laurie Hyndman
2008 Martha Cole Wood
2009 Terri DeCoster-Grasso
2010 Sara Holmbom Lund
2011 Diane Morrison
2012 Denise Martin & Betsy Twombly
2013 Cathy Steele
2014 Betsey Andersen
2015 Vicki Kennedy
2016 Tina Jenkins
2018 Jill Bryant
2019 Kristen Crean
2020 Sandy Couch-Kelly
2021 Diane Lebson
2023 Kim Koehler
Kathryn Michael Best Practices Award
Previous recipients of the Kathryn Michael Best Practices Award
2001 Kathryn M. Shisler
2002 Shelly Paules
2003 Catherine Steele
2004 Sara Holmbom Lund
2005 Susan Scanlon
2006 Ann Perrino
2007 Beppie Cerf
2008 Kim Koehler
2009 Shannon Bryan
2010 Lynn Weisz
2011 Jen Rice
2012 Heather Jury
2013 Ellen Berg
2014 Alicia Flick
2015 Alayna Hebert
2016 Morgan Beauregard
2017 Katie Vaillancourt
2018 Anne Dalton
2019 Kate Reilly
2020 Shikha Vasaiwala
2021 Anna Lowell
2022 Allie Gill
2023 Anna Traugh
Mary Harriman Lifetime Achievement Award
The Mary Harriman Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a Sustaining member who exemplifies the vision and sense of social responsibility of Mary Harriman, the founder of the Junior League movement. This award celebrates a Sustaining member of outstanding leadership who has used her talents and resources to make a positive impact on the community. Through advocacy, collaboration, direct service, and/or community education, the member has embraced the community and has made a unique and significant difference as a leader.
Previous recipients of the Mary Harriman Lifetime Achievement Award
2007 Louise Parker James (posthumous)
2008 Hope P. Bramhall
2009 Bettsanne Holmes
2010 Betty Pretti
2011 Susan Scanlon
2013 Anne Dalton
2014 Hope P. Bramhall
2015 Teri DeCoster
2016 Sally Vamvakias
2017 Nancy Thompson
2018 Kim Koehler
Hope P. Bramhall Volunteer of the Year Award
The Hope P. Bramhall Volunteer of the Year Award celebrates the contributions of an Active member who embraces the concepts of commitment and voluntarism. Through effective action and leadership, she demonstrates an ability to understand and connect with her community, transcending the barriers of ability, economics, religion, and ethnicity. She embraces the Mission and Vision of the JLP through her commitment to improving the community and a demonstrated spirit of voluntarism.
1994 Elizabeth N. (Betts) Armstrong
1995 Betsey Andersen
1996 Karen Montano
1997 Margaret Hurdman
1998 Patricia Foden
1999 W. Avery Jenkins
2000 Terri DeCoster Grasso
2001 Shelly A. Reeder
2002 Kim Hosking
2003 Michelle Hedrich
2004 Tracy Burton
2005 Karee Rhoades
2006 JoAnn Daigle
2007 Suzanne Hamlin
2008 Barbara Colby
2009 Betsy Twombly
2010 Chandra Waitkevitch
2011 Kerry DeBree
2012 Beth Peterson
2013 Lisa Lagios
2014 Belle Bocal
2015 Michelle DiSotto
2016 Eliza Warren Giberson
2017 Leah Wallof
2018 Lillian Shields
2019 Alex Carrier Hitchcox
2020 Susan Leclair
2021 Emily Machesney
2022 Caitlyn Lloyd
2023 Ashley Fitzgerald LeBlond
Sally G. Vamvakias President's Award
The Sally G. Vamvakias President’s Award honors an individual Active member who exemplifies the Junior League’s mission in the community and who, through her outstanding leadership, has demonstrated a positive impact on the JLP and her community. Serving as a role model, she encourages League members to take risks to make a lasting change.
Previous recipients of the Sally G. Vamvakias President’s Award
1987 Sally G. Vamvakias
1989 Elizabeth S. Milley & Jennie S. Shea
1991 Betsey M. Andersen & Linda L. Walbridge
1994 Mary T. Rickert
1995 Carol Austin
1996 Leslie Gibbons
1997 Lucy Tucker
1998 Ann V. Perrino
1999 Nancy E. Thompson
2000 Susan Scanlon
2001 Debra S. LeMieux
2002 Kristen Crean
2003 Suzanne Hamlin
2004 Sarah Elliott Pitts
2005 Kristin Furey Graffam
2006 Cathy Steele
2007 Lori Kerschbaum
2008 Heather Jury
2009 Tara Ryan
2010 Shayna Forbes
2011 Tina Jenkins
2012 Liz Bissonnette
2013 Beth Peterson
2014 Lesley Clunie
2015 Jessica Nason
2016 Alayna Hebert
2017 Alison Bromski
2018 Belle Bocal
2019 Lillian Shields
2020 Kirsten Dargis
2021 Kristen Preble
2022 Leah Wallof
2023 Lily Gilbert
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award is given to honor the contributions and accomplishments of a Member in her earliest years of the Junior League membership. She embraces the mission and vision through a demonstrated commitment to improving the community and the League. Nominations may honor a specific action, achievement, or overall commitment.
2025 Leigh Dal
JLP Spirit Award
The JLP Spirit Award is presented to a JLP Member (Active or Sustaining) who exemplifies the core values of the Junior League through her actions and interactions with the community and fellow members.
2025 Kimberly Elliott