Twenty-four outstanding educators, staff members, businesses and volunteers were honored at the May 7 Champions for Children Awards Gala at the Bethesda Marriott.

The gala was sponsored by the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education, Montgomery County Board of Education, and Montgomery County Council of PTAs. Emcee for the event was Carolyn Black-Sotir, anchor for the CNN/Comcast program "Local Edition."

Kathy Moore, career information coordinator at Wheaton High School, was selected the Supporting Services Employee of the Year from a field of 31 nominees. This is the first award of its kind, sponsored by SEIU Local 500, MCCSSE. Moore was nominated by the Wheaton High School PTSA Executive Board for her work in organizing volunteers who proctor Saturday morning SAT practice tests for students. She also developed and oversees a Job Shadowing Program that has been recognized for its success countywide. Moore also was nominated by the Wheaton-Kensington Chamber of Commerce, Business Education Chair. The Chamber has been so impressed by Moore's accomplishments that it also named her "Teacher of the Year."

Honorable Mention went to Charles Harper, security team leader at James Hubert Blake High School, and Pamela Dunn, financial assistant at Robert Frost Middle School.

Barbara Jeweler, media arts teacher at James Hubert Blake High School, was named Montgomery Teacher of the Year (featured in related news release). Other finalists were Joe Ballmann (Robert Frost Middle School), Christopher Kenworthey (Winston Churchill High School), and Virginia Knopf, (New Hampshire Estates Elementary School).

Other awardees were:

Business Awards: Small-Nicholas Broen, CEO, Affinity Network Solutions, Inc.; Medium-Mark Drury, Shapiro and Duncan; Large-Nancy Becker, United Communications Group

Public Service Award: Carlos Scandiffio, All World Language Consultants

Community Collaboration Awards: County Executive Douglas Duncan, Chief of Police Charles Moose, MCPS Superintendent Jerry D. Weast

Individual Outstanding Volunteers: Elementary School-Hal Johnson, Rosemont Elementary School; Middle School-Anne Kredell and Dan Cieslowski, Sligo Middle School; High School-Renee Mullen, Damascus High School

Outstanding School Volunteer Programs: Rolling Terrace Elementary School, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Connection Resource Bank Outstanding Volunteer: Brad Fisher, WSSC

In addition, the following MCPS employees who received awards throughout the year were honored:

National Society for Technical Communication: Betty Montgomery, staff development specialist (named NSTC Associate Fellow)

Washington Post Agnes Meyer Award: Gerald Link, chemistry teacher, Northwest High School

Washington Post Leadership Award: Ida Polcari, principal, Benjamin Banneker Middle School

Presidential Award for Math and Science: Deborah Mamana, calculus teacher, Richard Montgomery High School

Both the Teacher of the Year and the Supporting Services Employee of the Year receive a $2,000 cash award, a weekend stay at a Marriott Hotel and gift certificates from Lakeforest Mall, Luxuria Spa in Ashton and Whole Foods. Each awardee's school will receive a new IBM PC. The Teacher of the Year also received the use of a car for a year from Fitzgerald Auto Mall.