MAWD AWARDS
Have a friend, colleague or workforce professional worth recognizing? MAWD will be recognizing individual members and partner organizations for their achievement in collaboration, excellence in partnerships, and outstanding service to the workforce professional over this past year during the membership meeting.
Deadline for MAWD's 2026 award nominations is March 13th, 2026. Submit Completed form to Tracy Keithley at tracy.keithley@springfieldmo.gov.
MAWD's Workforce Rookie of the Year
This award is to recognize someone who has “hit the ground running” and made extraordinary contributions to local or state workforce in his/her career. The Newcomer of the Year award encourages, recognizes, and celebrates one who has met the challenges of providing workforce development early in their career and who demonstrates the ability and commitment to positively impact the states workforce.
Criteria:
Currently exhibits outstanding performance at current job, demonstrates effective collegial interactions when facing new or difficult tasks, and brings innovative and useful ideas to task at hand and shares them with others.
Eligibility:
- Must be a member in good standing of Missouri Association for Workforce Development
- Must have not have worked more than two years in their current position.
MAWD Professional of the Year AwardThis award is to recognize experienced workforce development professionals who have made the highest meritorious contribution to the designing and implementing professional development initiatives that enhance the knowledge, skills and competencies of workforce development professionals. Nominees may be involved in curriculum development, professional credentialing, staff training, staff evaluation, incentives, needs assessment and/or related areas. Please download the nomination form above. Criteria:This award will be presented to workforce development professionals who have made contributions/achieved prominence above position assignments at the local, state, regional and national level. Eligibility:
| MAWD Workforce Keystone AwardThis award recognizes experienced workforce development staff essential to keeping the system steady, supported, and functioning smoothly—just as a keystone holds an arch together. Nominees are not on the ‘front line’ working directly with participants, but are providing the highest level of meritorious service behind the scenes. They may be involved in providing administrative support, financial expertise, information technology services and/or other workforce development support related areas. Without their dedication, much of what is done couldn’t happen in such a smooth and efficient manner. Criteria:This award will be presented to a workforce development professional that has made various contributions to their employer, be it local or state, by spending a significant part of their professional career in a supportive role. Eligibility:
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MAWD Partner Collaboration AwardThis award is to recognize an outstanding individual in the workforce system. Nominees should be employed in the workforce system, and should indicate how this individual promotes partnership, innovation and collaboration within the workforce community. Criteria:This award will be presented to a workforce development individual who made a significant contribution to partner collaboration at the state, local or regional level. Eligibility:
| MAWD Local Excellence Award in PartnershipMAWD is pleased to announce the Local Excellence Award in Partnership (LEAP). This award is designed to promote WIOA partnering activities throughout Missouri.Criteria:
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