2022 AIM Award Winners
Celebrating Excellence in Immunization Program Management
AIM recognizes that immunization program managers are central to the success of our nation’s immunization efforts. AIM is proud to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and commitment to excellence shown by program managers throughout the nation. We are pleased to share the 2022 AIM award winners. Winners were recognized at the 2022 AIM Leadership in Action Conference in Philadelphia, PA. If you have any questions, please contact us.
The Natalie J. Smith, MD Award is presented in memory of AIM member Natalie J. Smith’s outstanding management and leadership skills. It was established to recognize the contributions of an immunization program manager who has demonstrated the high ideals, innovation, and commitment to excellence in immunization practices that characterized Dr. Smith’s career. The award recognizes accomplishments and visionary leadership that have had a significant impact on achieving city, state, territory, and/or national vaccine-preventable disease goals and is the highest form of recognition for immunization program managers.
2022 Winner: Molly Howell (ND)
This year’s award recipient has over 19 years of work in the field of immunization and is an active member of AIM. Her efforts to increase HPV rates in rural North Dakota have resulted in male/female up-to-date rates of 70.3%, while the national average vaccination rate is only 58.6%. Under her leadership, the North Dakota Immunization Information System (NDIIS) has become one of the top registries for provider and public participation, with 100% of North Dakota’s adult population (19+ years of age) documented in the IIS.
The AIM Rising Star Award recognizes a new program manager who demonstrates effective leadership and potential for growth within AIM. Awardees are engaged with peers and partners across the country and demonstrate a desire to impact the broader immunization community.
Previous AIM Rising Star Award Recipients
- 2019- Tom McCleaf (PA)
- 2018 – Shannon Bennett (NV)
- 2017- Dr. Sarah Royce (CA)
- 2016 – Michele Roberts (WA)
2022 Winner: Emily Messerli (KY)
This year’s recipient is a program manager who is an active AIM member and is always willing to lend a hand and volunteer when needed. This program manager started in March of 2020 and jumped right in.
The AIM Partnership Award recognizes an AIM partner who has worked with AIM to address an issue important to AIM members. Award winners’ work must involve collaboration and shared responsibility with AIM to implement a project that delivers a valuable resource or service to AIM members. Past award winners have been from academic institutions, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, the public health community, and the private sector.
2022 Winner: Chris Duggar, Senior Public Health Advisor and COVID Unit Lead, Immunization Services Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This year’s recipient worked together with AIM to keep its members and program staff informed and up-to-speed on the constantly changing information about the COVID-19 vaccine program.
The Bull’s-Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization recognizes programs whose immunization strategies have “hit their mark,” achieving goals and increasing awareness by encouraging replication in other programs.
2022 Winners: Philadelphia, Minnesota, Washington, and Chicago immunization programs
View the 2022 award winner presentations:
- Philadelphia Immunization Program, Nomination Narrative, Award Presentation (PDF)
- Minnesota Immunization Program, Nomination Narrative, Award Presentation (PDF)
- Washington Immunization Program, Nomination Narrative, Award Presentation (PDF)
- Honorable mention: Chicago Department of Public Health
The AIM Impact Award recognizes a program manager who has dedicated significant time, expertise, and experience toward achieving AIM’s organizational goals—such as fostering member connection and contributing to sound immunization policy.
Previous AIM Impact Award Recipients
- 2019- Molly Howell (ND)
- 2018- Michele Roberts (WA)
- 2017- Dave McCormick (IN)
- 2016 -Ronald Balajadia (HI)
2022 Winner: Michele Roberts (WA)
This individual is unwavering in her support; she is always willing to help and is usually one of the first people to volunteer. She has been very involved with her AIM region, served on multiple AIM committees, has served as an AIM mentor, and is someone to turn to for programmatic advice.
The AIM Leading Through Adversity Award recognizes program managers who have shown fearlessness and perseverance under pressure and have risen to the challenge of managing an immunization program through difficult circumstances.
2022 Winners: All AIM Members
This year, AIM awarded all the immunization program managers that worked during the COVID-19 pandemic and thanks these program managers for their extraordinary efforts.
AIM’s new Hall of Fame Award recognizes an individual’s leadership, commitment, and outstanding contributions to the immunization program manager community and the vision of a nation free of vaccine-preventable disease.
2022 Inductee: Brock Lamont, Retired CDC Chief, Immunization Services Division, Program Operations Branch
This individual served with CDC for 34 years and throughout his career always sought solutions and worked to implement visionary change in collaboration with immunization programs.
2022 will mark the inaugural reinstatement of the previously titled CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award. Now hosted by AIM, the newly expanded and streamlined Immunization Champion Award will honor up to one Champion from each of the 50 states, six major cities, and eight territories and federated states.
View the 2022 Champion Awards page here.