What is the FIRST® Volunteer of the Year award?
The FIRST® Volunteer of the Year award is a way for FIRST to recognize volunteers around the world who give extraordinary contributions of time and skills to the FIRST community. Recipients of the FIRST Volunteer of the Year award are role models to the community, demonstrating the core values of FIRST and exemplifying Gracious Professionalism®. Local leadership is encouraged to recognize outstanding volunteers through a FIRST Volunteer of the Year award at local events. FIRST program staff along with Program Delivery Partners nominate volunteers to be considered for the FIRST Volunteer of the Year award each year and the recipients of the award are recognized at FIRST Championship. Recipients are selected by FIRST HQ staff based on the impact of their contribution to a FIRST program, their time or effort given, and their exemplification of the core values of FIRST.
2023 Recipients
Learn more about our 2023 recipients on this blog post.
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Ali Marinari |
FIRST® Robotics Competition |
Pennsylvania, USA |
| Chris Johannesen |
FIRST® Tech Challenge |
California, USA |
| Nathan and Nicole Coulombe |
FIRST® LEGO® League Explore |
Indiana, USA |
| Teresa Lanum |
FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge |
Mississippi, USA |
2022 Recipients
Learn more about our 2022 recipients on this blog post.
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Abdulmatin Adeniji |
FIRST LEGO League Challenge |
Lagos, Nigeria |
| Andrew Snape |
FIRST LEGO League Challenge |
Billund, Denmark |
| Chuck Dickerson |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Mississippi, USA |
| Dr. Patricia Gouws |
FIRST LEGO League Explore |
Gauteng, South Africa |
| Jacob Burroughs |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Illinois, USA |
2021 Recipients
Learn more about our 2021 recipients on this blog post.
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Dave Greenley |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Pennsylvania, USA |
| David Baran |
FIRST LEGO League Challenge |
Maryland, USA |
| Peter Johnson |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
California, USA |
| Rick Ramhap |
FIRST LEGO League Explore |
New York, USA |
| Sofia Ben Souda |
FIRST LEGO League Challenge |
Casablan, Morocco |
| Thomas Barnette |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
North Carolina, USA |
| Trey Woodlief |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
North Carolina, USA |
2020 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Brian Boyer |
FIRST LEGO League |
|
| Cindy Nader |
FIRST LEGO League |
Michigan, USA |
| Desh Bagley |
FIRST LEGO League |
Florida, USA |
| Kevin Thorp |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
South Carolina, USA |
| Laurie Shimizu |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Minnesota, USA |
| Phil Malone |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Maryland, USA |
| Sam Last |
FIRST LEGO League |
North Carolina, USA |
| Sarah Plemmons |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Florida, USA |
2019 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| David Stolz |
FIRST LEGO League |
Texas, USA |
| George Marchant |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
New Hampshire, USA |
| James Lockman |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Maine, USA |
| Jill Wilker |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
California, USA |
| Julia Wagner |
FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. |
North Carolina, USA |
| Pablo Tomas Hernandez Cruz |
FIRST LEGO League Jr. |
|
| Pedro Alejandro Yang |
FIRST LEGO League |
Denmark |
| Stacey Jones |
FIRST LEGO League |
Florida, USA |
| Terrell Burch |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
South Carolina, USA |
2018 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Alan Green |
FIRST LEGO League |
Israel |
| Carol Perrotto |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Pennsylvania, USA |
| Diane Michalczuk |
FIRST LEGO League |
Illinois, USA |
| Ed 'Koko' Patterson |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
New York, USA |
| Jill Zuehlke |
FIRST LEGO League |
|
| Joyce Walters |
FIRST LEGO League Jr. |
Florida, USA |
| Liz Looney |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
|
| Lydean and David Spangler |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Virginia, USA |
2017 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Bob Atkinson |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
|
| Dave Ellisa |
FIRST LEGO League |
Ontario, Canada |
| Jacob Komar |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Massachusetts, USA |
| Kevin Ross |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Washington, USA |
| Rich Berglund |
FIRST LEGO League |
Florida, USA |
| Tim Bennington-David |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
Oregon, USA |
2016 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Chris Morgan |
FIRST LEGO League |
New Mexico, USA |
| Liz Langdon |
FIRST LEGO League |
Florida, USA |
| Mannie Lowe |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Mississippi, USA |
| MK Baldwin |
FIRST LEGO League |
South Carolina, USA |
| Sandra 'Sandy' Trissell |
FIRST LEGO League |
New Mexico, USA |
2015 Recipients
| Name |
Program |
Location |
| Dale Jordan |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
Oregon, USA |
| Paul George |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
|
| Priscilla Bennett |
FIRST LEGO League Jr. |
|
2004-2014 Recipients
| Year |
Name |
Program |
| 2014 |
Allen Bancroft |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2014 |
Cynthia Stong |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2014 |
Laura Schantz |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2014 |
Mark Daniels |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2014 |
Nicole Adewale |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2014 |
Stephen Scherr |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2014 |
Susie Mathieu |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2013 |
Al Skierkiewicz |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2013 |
Dave Price |
FIRST LEGO League Jr. |
| 2013 |
Kathie Rueter |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2013 |
Kenny Meesters |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2013 |
Mary Ellen Toebes |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2013 |
Randall Hicks |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2012 |
Aidan Browne |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2012 |
Alice Wolfe |
FIRST LEGO League Jr. |
| 2012 |
Danny Diaz |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2012 |
Ernie DiCicco |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2012 |
Patty Smith |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2011 |
Cathy Swider |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2011 |
Ceci (Cecilia) Neuman |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2011 |
Charlie and Cynthia Schmitz |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2011 |
Mark Edelman |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2010 |
Jake Ingman |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2010 |
John Toebes |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2010 |
Laura Melnik |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2010 |
Vincent Wilczynski |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2009 |
Dave Lavery |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2009 |
Vince Frascella |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2008 |
Michael Coleman |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2008 |
Mike Wade |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2007 |
Joe Perrotto |
FIRST Tech Challenge |
| 2007 |
Karen Berger |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2007 |
Mark Koors |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2007 |
Ruel Faruque |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2007 |
Shane Barnett |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2007 |
Dave Patterson |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2007 |
Jenny Totten |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2007 |
Jim Hicks |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2006 |
Bill and Susan Duggins |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2006 |
Bill McGowen |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2006 |
Dave Brooks |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2006 |
Jena Daniels |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2006 |
Kevin Lambe |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2005 |
Marvin 'Skip' Gridley |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2005 |
Robert 'Benge' Ambrogi |
FIRST Robotics Competition |
| 2005 |
Walt Hicock |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2004 |
Camille Schroeder |
FIRST LEGO League |
| 2004 |
Marc Couture |
FIRST LEGO League |
