ACO Annual Awards

Each year the ACO honors those who have made a unique, impactful, selfless contribution to ADHD coaches, ADHD Coaching, and/or the ACO. Honorees of the ACO’s awards together represent a Hall of Fame for the ADHD Coaching Profession.

The History of ACO Awards

ACO co-founder and founding board member Ken Zaretzky came to the ACO Board of Directors in 2010 with the idea of creating an ACO outstanding service award and naming it for fellow founding board member, Glen Hogard. Sadly, Ken died in early 2011. Desiring to honor Ken and his vision for an outstanding service award for the profession, the Board initiated The Glen Hogard Award for Distinguished Service to the Professional ADHD Coach Community, and presented the inaugural award to Glen Hogard himself at the 2011 conference in Chicago, IL.

In 2014, desiring to recognize and honor both Ken Zaretzky and Glen Hogard as co-founders of the ACO, and all of the founding board members – Ken Zaretzky, Glen Hogard, Sarah D. Wright, Kerch McConlogue, Laurie Dupar, Jan Delaura, and Kathy Jantzen – the board of the ACO voted to change the name of the award to The Founders Award for Distinguished Service to the Professional ADHD Coach Community (The Founders Award).

In 2019, the ACO Board voted to rename The Founders Award to The ACO Professional Excellence Award. This award recognizes the professional legacy of an individual within the ACO community for exceptional, impactful, and selfless contributions to the field of ADHD coaching.

Also in 2019, the ACO Board voted to establish a new award called The ACO Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award. This award was established to celebrate the hard work of the volunteers who have made ACO great.

Previous Honorees

2023 ACO Professional Excellence Award
Cameron Gott - PCC, Cameron Gott Coaching LLC

2023 Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award (Awarded Posthumously)
Jane McMaster – Attention Focus Coaching, LLC

2022 ACO Professional Excellence Award
Jeff Copper – MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG, DIG Coaching Practice LLC

2022 ACO Professional Excellence Award
Rudy Rodriguez – LCSW, PAAC Professional Certified ADHD Coach, ADHD Center For Success

2019 ACO Professional Excellence Award
Liz Ahmann – ScD, RN, PCC, NBC-HWC, Professional ADHD Coach, Health and Wellness Coach

2019 ACO Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award
Christine Kotik – Owner of CK ADHD Coaching & Consulting, PCC, Professional ADHD Coach, ACO Board Member & Treasurer

2019 ACO Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award
Roxanne Fouché - Owner of Focus For Effectiveness, Professional ADHD Coach,  ACO Board Member, and Chair of the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition

2018 Founders Award
Joyce Kubik – Founder and President of Bridge to Success Skills Training, LLC, Professional ADHD Coach, Author. ACO Board Member and Past-president (2013-2017)

2017 Founders Award
Jodi Sleeper-Triplett – Founder of JST Coaching & Training, author, and speaker

2016 Founders Award
David Giwerc – Founder and President of the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA)

2015 Founders Award
Nancy Ratey – Co-founder of the ADHD Coaching profession, author, and teacher of researchers.

2014 Founders Award
Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – Co-founder of the ADHD Coaching profession and teacher of teachers.

2013 Founders Award
Kerch McConlogue – Founding Board Member of the ACO and for many years Webmaster, Communications Chair, Editor, and Conference Chair of the ACO.

2012 Founders Award
Sarah D. Wright – Founding Board Member of the ACO and for many years President of the ACO.

2011 Founders Award
Glen Hogard – Founding Board Member and Co-Founder of the ACO

Award Criteria

The ACO Professional Excellence Award

The ACO Professional Excellence Award celebrates the distinguished career of an individual within the ACO community who has demonstrated:

  • Dedication to supporting and providing services to ADHD coaches.

  • Commitment to advancing the field of ADHD coaching through their support and contributions.

  • Significant contributions to the growth & development of ADHD coaches & the ADHD coaching profession.

  • Generosity in giving back to the community by donating their time or resources for the greater good of the field.

ACO Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award

The ACO Outstanding Volunteer Service Award is a tribute to the dedicated volunteers who have played a pivotal role in shaping the success of ACO. These exceptional current or former ACO members have:

  • Wholeheartedly dedicated their energy, passion, and skills to enhance our community.

  • Made significant contributions to ACO and its members.

  • Demonstrated unwavering devotion by generously offering their time, talents, and resources.