We are excited to announce a call for nominations for the 2024 Mac McLester Champion of Recovery Award. Every day, passionate individuals and leaders dedicate their work to strengthening the recovery community of Central Texas. Communities for Recovery is proud to honor and highlight this commitment each year through our Champion of Recovery Award. Please help us spread the word on our call for nominations by either nominating an individual and/or sharing this information with your network and friends in the Central Texas Recovery Community.

About the Mac McLester
Champion of Recovery Award

The Mac McLester Champion of Recovery is an annual award given to an individual for their work in the Substance Use Recovery Movement in Austin and/or Central Texas. This award recognizes an individual who through their leadership, advocacy, and vision has made a positive impact on the recovery community and exemplifies the values of integrity, compassion, collaboration, trust, and service to others..

Nomination deadline:  March 11th, 2024

Please help us spread the word about our call for nominations by either nominating an individual and/or sharing this information with your network and friends in the Central Texas recovery community.

 Nomination Criteria

Nominations for the award are peer-based. The Substance Use/Mental Health Recovery Community includes, but is not limited to, a broad spectrum of areas such as peer support services, research, prevention, treatment, advocacy, judicial/ criminal justice, and recovery residences.

The award will be given to someone who demonstrates the ideals and attributes by:

• Contributing to building a stronger recovery community that improves the quality of life for individuals in substance use/mental health recovery
• Demonstrating significant leadership with verifiable accomplishments in supporting substance use/mental health recovery
• Serving as an advocate and inspiration to others in the community
• Showing through their work a commitment to humanity and selflessness in regard to direct personal or organizational gain or profit
• Establishing a lasting impact on the recovery community that has ongoing value and benefit to others

The award will be presented at the Communities for Recovery Lifebuilder Luncheon on:

May 15th, 2024
Austin Country Club
11:00 – 1:00 pm.

We thank you for your help in spreading the word on our call for nominations and appreciate your ongoing support of Communities for Recovery.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Past Award Recipients

• Ralph Young
• Michael Dart
• Cole Shiflet
• Odette Terrel des Chenes
• Ivana Grahovac
• Lynn Sherman
• Donna Dikerhoff
• Kevin Sharp
• Raul Garcia
• Donnalyn Watt
• Katrina Till
• Nancy Hohengarten
• Tom Bentley
• Dr. Lori Holleran-Steiker
• Marsha Stone

• Philander Moore
• Eric Gates
• Laura Elmore
• Marsha Robinson
• Dr. William Loving
• Wes Hurt
• Hamilton Beazley
• Joseph Sanchez
• Daniel Sledge
• LaDonna Tavernier
• Tommy Claiborne
• Phillip Speer
• Carmen DiNino Alspach
• Julie McElrath
• Jason Howell
• Eric Button