Each year at the The Enrollment Management Association Annual Meeting, outstanding admission professionals are recognized by the organization for their leadership, commitment and contributions through the presentation of the Bretnall and Gourley awards. Here are our winners for 2015: 

Tommy Adams, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment at Mercersburg Academy (PA), and Reveta Bowers, Head of School at the Center for Early Education (CA), were the 2015 recipients of The Enrollment Management Association’s highest honors in admission—the Bretnall and Gourley awards. Presented each year at the The Enrollment Management Association Annual Meeting, the awards represent substantial and distinguished service to the independent school admission community and the families we serve.

The Bretnall Award, presented to Tommy Adams, was named for distinguished educator and first The Enrollment Management Association Program Director William B. Bretnall, and is given each year to a leader and educator who has made significant contributions to the field of admission. Suzanne Walker Buck, Rector at Chatham Hall (VA), presented the award to Adams, saying “There is much to appreciate about Tommy, including his authentic interest in ideas. Talk to him about a concept and he investigates it thoroughly. He asks about further reading, research, and thoughts on how to best include others in the conversation. As you can see,Tommy converts ideas into action.”

Reveta Bowers, Head of School at The Center for Early Education (CA), was presented with the Everett E. Gourley award, named for former Asheville School Director of Admission and Assistant Headmaster Everett Gourley, and given each year to the educator whose interest in students and concern for colleagues is an inspiration to those who serve in admission.The Enrollment Management Association Executive Director Heather Hoerle remarked,“Reveta is proof positive that dedication can change the world—for students, for schools, and for communities.A champion of children and learning, Reveta is an example for those of us who seek to enrich the world in which we live through the power of education. She has touched so many in our community.”

Interested in Nominating an Admission Leader? Look for nomination forms for the 2016 Bretnall & Gourley Awards in Spring 2016.