The LACRAO Annual Awards recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in their service, demonstrating exceptional dedication and innovation in the fields of admissions, enrollment management, recruitment, and registrar work across the state of Louisiana.

Rising Professional of the Year

This award shall be bestowed to a deserving recipient that demonstrates outstanding achievement in promoting the ideals and principles of LACRAO. Nominated professionals should showcase dedication and excellence to the field in areas including, but not limited to, work with higher education, service for their university, continued self-improvement, active participation in professional organization(s), collaboration efforts, innovation, or other accomplishments. This award is available to any professional with less than five years of higher education

2025 Recipient: Ellie Bennett - University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Outstanding Mid-Level Professional of the Year

This award shall be bestowed to a deserving recipient that demonstrates outstanding achievement in promoting the ideals and principles of LACRAO. Nominated professionals should showcase dedication and excellence to the field in areas including, but not limited to, work with higher education, assisting new professionals, service for their university, continued self-improvement, active participation in professional organization(s), collaboration efforts, innovation, or other accomplishments. This award is available to any professional with more than five years of higher education experience.

2025 Recipient: Katie Martin - Nicholls State University

Award for Outstanding Commitment to Higher Education

This award shall be bestowed to a deserving recipient that demonstrates outstanding achievement in promoting the ideals and principles of LACRAO. Examples include an extraordinary achievement, particularly high quality of work, a creative idea or innovation, etc. Expressed in some action that as an exceptional impact upon LACRAO or its membership. The identified contribution(s) may have resulted in a wide range of identifiable outcomes including enhancing the organization or the profession. Nominators will be asked to prove evidence of impact of the contributions of the nominee. The overarching principle in the review process will be outstanding or exceptional quality of contribution. All current professional members with five or more years of continuous membership in the Louisiana Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (LACRAO) are eligible.

2025 Recipient: Shelly Kieffer Gill - Louisiana State University of Alexandria 

Honorary Membership

Honorary membership is held by those individuals who are no longer eligible to be active members (i.e. retirement) of LACRAO, but have record of significant service to the association. Honorary members are selected by the LACRAO Executive Committee upon recommendation by the Nominations and Recognition Committee.

2025 Recipients: 

Andy Cline, Louisiana Tech University

Becky Durocher, Nicholls State University