Knoxville, Tennessee - The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) recognized the 2005 Awards of Excellence and Burgess Award winners on August 12 at a special ceremony during the ACA Annual Educational Conference & Exposition held at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. More than 100 nominations were received this year.

Capt. Kathleen Yancosek, director of the Amputee Section of the Occupational Therapy Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), received the Professional of the Year Award. Her tireless efforts have contributed to the outstanding care, functional independence, and community reintegration of numerous amputees. Her selfless efforts give hope, encourage self-respect and confidence, and nurture a spirit to carry on when things look hopeless.

Brenda Besse, volunteer coordinator for the AgrAbility Unlimited Project, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Besse, a right above-knee amputee, offers peer support to farmers with disabilities and teaches them how to modify their equipment so they can continue farming. She also teaches kids about the importance of farm safety, volunteers for Red Cross disaster relief, and is the top female amputee golfer in the U.S. Through her volunteer efforts, Besse has made a difference in many lives.

Jim Mayer, “The Milkshake Man,” received the Role Model of the Year Award. Mayer, a below-knee bilateral amputee, is the outreach coordinator in the VA’s Seamless Transition Office, which facilitates return to civilian life for those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. He spends his evenings and part of every weekend at WRAMC, visiting wounded men and women, listening, encouraging, and offering milkshakes he buys with his own money. Mayer is an ACA-certified peer visitor and certified peer visitor trainer. 

John H. Bowker, MD, received the Ernest M. Burgess Award, acknowledging his motivation, spirit, and dedication to improving the lives of people with limb loss. Dr. Bowker is a professor emeritus in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine and is the editor of numerous publications.

The Shining Star Award was given to Nancy M. Carroll for her years of exceptional service to the ACA. Carroll was ACA’s longtime editor and publications manager who passed away December 2004.

Founded in 1986, the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The mission of the ACA is to reach out to people with limb loss and to empower them through education, support and advocacy. Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ACA maintains the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC), the nation's most comprehensive source of information for people living with limb differences. For more information, visit www.amputee-coalition.org or call toll-free 888/AMP-KNOW.