OAPA LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION: Wednesday April 17th, 2024 @ 5:30 – 7:30 – RSVP HERE

Save the date for the 51st Annual OAPA CME Conference. Oct 2-4, 2024 – At a NEW venue – Embassy Suites Downtown OKC – 741 N Phillips Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

OAPA Award Winners

The OAPA honors those who have promoted the PA Profession and the Academy’s mission.  The OAPA is proud of these individuals who have distinguished themselves in service to patients, the community, the profession and the Academy. Click on the button below to nominate an individual you feel deserves special recognition.

Honorary PA Award

Honorary PA award honors non-physician assistants who have rendered distinguished service to the PA profession. Recipients of this honor receive a free, lifetime membership in the Academy and have all the privileges of membership, except for voting, holding office, or chairing committees.

Governor Dewey Bartlett1977
Governor Henry Bellmon1977
David Bickham1977
Edgar Young, M.D.1977
Richard Hyde, Ph.D.1990
Nicki Watson1990
Mark Britton, Pharm.D.1991
Nancy Letassy, Pharm.D.1991
Steven Orwig, M.D.1992
G. Edward Schissler, M.D.1992
Senator Ben H. Robinson1998
Representative Bill Settle1998
Robyn Kemp1998
Richard Perry1999
Susan E. Semtner2003
Jon R. Denton2006
Lillie M. Neal2010
Meredith Davison, Ph.D., M.P.H2011
Rhonda Sparks, M.D.2013
Pamela Hathorn, Ph.D.2015
Jan Loftis2016
Senator Kim David2016
James L. Brand, M.D.2017
Representative Marcus Entire2018
Representative Jason Dunnington2018
Richard Evans2018
Nancy Halliday, Ph.D.2018
Frederick Miller, Ph.D.2019
Representative John Pfeiffer2020
Senator Greg McCortney2021
Marilyn Mirtz2022
Steven Crawford, MD2022
Matt Latham, OAPA Lobbyist2023
Tyler Powell, OAPA Lobbyist2023

The Roger G. Whittaker Award

The Roger G. Whittaker award recognizes individuals who like Mr. Whittaker, exemplify a pioneering spirit and dedication to the PA profession and professional development of PA students.   Must be a current member of the OAPA.

Michael D. Kuns, P.A. 1981
Paula J. Montgomery, P.A.1983
Robert E. Brooks, P.A.1984
Diana M. Denton, P.A.1985
Donald G. Bevers, P.A1986
Matthew W. Thigpen, P.A.1987
Donald R. Flinn, P.A.1990
Daniel L. McNeill, Ph.D., P.A.1998
William D. Stanhope, P.A.2008
Gary R. Sharp, P.A., M.P.H.2010
Roger A. Elliott, P.A., M.P.H.2012
Daniel L. O’Donoghue, PhD, PA-C2017
Bruna Varalli-Claypool, PA-C2021
Gavin Christie, PA-C2022
Erin O’Donnell, PA-C2023

Rural PA of the Year

Rural PA of the year honors a physician assistant who has provided quality health care in a rural community and demonstrated exemplary service to the PA profession in Oklahoma.  The Rural PA of the year has shown leadership and been a mentor to others in their rural community.  Must be a current member of the OAPA.

Jimmy Williams, P.A.1991
Charles S. O’Leary, P.A.1992
Scott Schwerdtfeger, P.A.1993
Eldon Hugaboom, P.A.1994
David G. Del Torto, P.A.1995
Janet E. Parker, P.A.1996
Bridget A. Keast, P.A1997
Ernest B. Perkins, P.A1998
Mark A. Sheaman, P.A.1999
Dale L. Archer, P.A.1999
Albert E. McLemore, P.A.2000
Parnell Adams, P.A.          2001
Theresa R. Carroll, P.A2002
John E. Mellott, P.A.2003
Tonja S. Shandy, P.A.2005
Paul Crow., P.A.2006
Martin J. Kubier, P.A.2007
Robert E. Vandiver, II, P.A.2008
Michelene Jackson, P.A.2010
Jeffrey D. Phillips, P.A.2010
Kenneth A. Adams, P.A.2011
Kari L. Cochran, P.A.2012
Eddie E. Noel, P.A.-C2013
Douglas H. Huber, P.A.-C2013
Keith G. Plummer, P.A.-C2013
Jackie Parnell, PA-C2014
Phil Green2015
Robert C. Lynch, PA-C2016
Arnulfo A. Garcia, PA-C2017
Laura Kadechuk, PA-C2018
Mary Ann Ward, PA-C2019
Mary Boerner, PA-C2020
Maria Maynard, PA-C2021
Helga Price, PA-C2022
Steven Arnold, PA-C2023
Stacy Scroggins, PA-C2023

President’s Service Award

The President’s Service Award is an award given by the President to an individual they selected for recognition of contributions made to the PA Profession.

Jan Edwards2001
Paula J. Montgomery, P.A.2001
Donald G. Bevers, P.A.2002
Kim G. Campbell, P.A.2002
Stacy L. Scroggins, P.A.2006
Marcus D. Sizemore, P.A.2006
Daniel L. McNeill, Ph.D., P.A.2008
Gary R. Sharp, P.A.-C., M.P.H.2008
Donald R. Flinn, P.A.-C2012
Daniel L. O’Donoghue, Ph.D., P.A.-C2013
Jon Denton & Diana Denton, PA2014
Susan E. Thomas2016
Theresa L. Gavula, PA-C2017
Susan E. Thomas2018
Phil Burke, PA-C2019
Charles O’Leary, PA-C2021
Lewis Devore, PA2022
Allison Garrison, PA-C2023

Lifetime Membership

Lifetime membership in the Academy honors physician assistants who have rendered distinguished service to the Academy and PA Profession in Oklahoma and Nationally. Recipients of this honor receive a free, lifetime membership in the Academy and have all the privileges of a chapter membership. Must be a current member of the OAPA.

William D. Stanhope, P.A.1983
Gerald D. Wootan, P.A., D.O.1993
Dan P. Fox, P.A., M.P.H.1993
Robert E. Brooks, P.A.1997
Joseph W. Scrannage, P.A.1997
Matthew W. Thigpen, P.A.1999
Donald R. Flinn, P.A.2001
Daniel L. McNeill, Ph.D., P.A.2003
Sharon Lancaster, P.A.2006
Thomas R. Godkins, P.A.2008
Roger A. Elliott, P.A., M.P.H.2008
Diana Denton, P.A.2010
Gary R. Sharp, P.A., M.P.H2011
John W. Click, P.A.-C2013
Fred L. Olenberger, P.A.-C2013
Daniel L. O’Donoghue, Ph.D., PA-C2014
Kenneth DeMasters, PA-C2014
Pam Foster, PA-C2015
Janet E. Paker, PA2016
Bridget A. Keast, PA-C2017
Paula Montgomery, PA-C2021
Earl Dunkleberger, PA2022
Sheila Walker, PA-C2023

Special Service Award

Roger G. Whittaker1980

PA of the Year Award

PA of the year honors a physician assistant who has provided quality health care in a metropolitan area and provided exemplary service and leadership to the PA profession in Oklahoma and has furthered the image of physician assistants. Must be a current member of the OAPA.

Earl E. Dunkleberger, P.A.1989
Bridget A. Keast, P.A1990
William J. Zurline, P.A1991
William M. Ohl, P.A.          1992
Eileen M. Mackey, P.A.1993
Marcus D. Sizemore, P.A.1994
Tad A. Hall, P.A.1995
Gary R. Sharp, P.A., M.P.H.1996
Donald R. Flinn, P.A.1997
Diana Denton, P.A., M.Ed.1998
Kim G. Campbell, P.A.1999
Deborah D. Holder, P.A.2000
Daniel L. McNeill, Ph.D., P.A2001
Thomas W. Johnson, P.A2002
Pamela G. Foster, P.A.2003
J. Ryan Thomas, P.A.2005
Thomas J. Gresham, P.A.2006
McKinley Boatner, P.A.2007
Donna Anderson, P.A.2008
Bruna M. Varalli-Claypool, P.A.2010
Jerry E. Joern, P.A.-C2011
Ann E. Robbins, P.A.-C2012
Claude H. Denize, P.A.-C2013
Allison Garrison, PA-C2014
James Click, PA-C2015
Sara Parr, PA-C2016
Cheri L. Ennis, PA-C2017
Brett Purvis, PA-C2018
Theresa Gavula, PA-C2019
Tara Watson, PA-C2020
Hussein Torbati, PA-C2021
Kristin Peck, PA-C2021
Keith Holliman, PA-C2022
Iftikhar Sandhu, PA-C2023

Physician of the Year

Physician of the year award honors physician(s) who have rendered distinguished service to the PA profession and furthered or facilitated the practice of PAs in Oklahoma.

Keith Underhill, P.A., M.D.1990
Henry Pearce, M.D.1992
Jack Howard, M.D.1993
Arthur Schipul, M.D.1994
Virgil Smith, D.O.1995
Bruce Mackey, M.D.1996
Steve Drabek, M.D.1997
James Brand, M.D.1998
The Physicians of Emergency Care, Inc., Tulsa, OK1999
Alecia Hanes, M.D.2000
Steven A. Crawford, M.D.2001
Jeffrey R. Shuart, M.D.2002
Craig W. Carson, M.D.2003
Emergency Physicians of Midwest City2004
Oklahoma Heart Institute2005
State Representative Doug Cox, M.D.2008
J.T. O’Connor, Jr., D.O.2009
Rhonda A. Sparks, M.D.2010
Janelle Whitt, D.O2011
Jerry Amundsen, M.D.2012
Bryan Dye, M.D.2013
Harold Haralson, M.D.2013
Mike Garrison, M.D.2014
Fred Loper, M.D.2015
Ryan D. Brown, M.D2016
Charles E. Womack, M.D.2017
Chad Douglas, M.D., Pharm.D.2018
Kristen Jordan, M.D.2018
Darren Thomas, M.D.2019
Mark Kowalski, M.D.2020
Deacon Vice, D.O. 2021
Glenn Koester, MD2022
Douglas Brant, DO2023

Daniel L. McNeill Humanitarian Award

The Daniel L. McNeill Humanitarian Award recognizes individuals like Dr. McNeill, whose broad vision and leadership are helping to address humanity’s greatest challenges. Recipients may designate a nonprofit organization of his or her choice to receive $500 to further their cause.

Daniel L. McNeill                2013
Jennifer Stephens2014
Marcus Sizemore2015

OAPA Memorial Scholarship Awards

The OAPA Memorial Scholarship Awards are to honor PA’s who left a legacy of dedicated service to the PA Profession.

Diana Denton ScholarshipApril Busch2015
Manuel Flores ScholarshipHoai Nguyen2015
William “Bill” Martin ScholarshipJennifer Dunning2015
Ron Peterson ScholarshipSean Olsen2015
Avery Pittman ScholarshipJordan Schuart2016
Eldon A. Hugaboom ScholarshipHillary A. Bennett2017
Robert E. Brooks ScholarshipDiana Wiley2018
Heather Wadley ScholarshipMegan Doughtery2019
Robert Havener, Jr, PA-C
Scholarship
Karisa Eustace2020
Bruce Carlton, PA-C ScholarshipKelsey Harmon2021
Jacob Helt, PA-C
Scholarship
Logan E. Krivanek2022
Teri Jordan Richardson, PA-C
Scholarship
Rachel Slater2023