Trail Blazer Award

Trail Blazer Award
Given to individuals or families who have, through their advocacy or efforts on behalf of their family member who is deafblind, blazed a trail that has made it easier for other families who follow.

Amy Featherston Potts

Amy Featherston Potts’s preferred title is “Rees’s mom.” Rees is her 16-year-old superhero, born four months early following Amy’s leukemia diagnosis during pregnancy. She couldn’t be prouder of his resilient determination and happy disposition despite his impairments. Amy and her husband Mark stay busy with Challenger sports, TUTS The River, DBMAT, Project DOCC and TSBVI Family Lynx. The family lives in Houston and enjoys attending live music performances and cheering for the Baylor Bears. Amy grew up in Waco and earned a BBA and MBA Baylor University. She spent four years with Accenture before transitioning from a volunteer to a staff member at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. She has been in program management at the museum for over 20 years.

Previous winners include:

• • •  2000 Pat McCallum, Bud & Lynne Freeman, Celeste & Riley Rand, Larry & Clarke, and all the families who pioneered services in Texas for their children with deafblindness.
    • 2003 Norm McCallum
    • 2005 Paul, Susie, and Leo Welch  
    • 2007 Cathy Springer
    • 2009 Melanie and Gary Knapp
    • 2011 Rubina & Fareed Khan
    • 2013 Brownie Shott
    • 2015 Molly Roberts
    • 2017 Kathi & David Barksdale
    • 2019 Jacquline Izaguirre
    • 2021 Becky Harmon

Educational  Intervener Award

Given to an intervener who has demonstrated excellence in their role of support in educational settings to a child who is deafblind, and whose efforts have contributed to the success of the intervener model in Texas.

Amy Faught 

Amy began working in education 20 years ago as a Braille transcriber for Spring Branch ISD. This is where she learned of an opportunity that would allow her to work with a student who is Deafblind. She accepted this new challenge with nerves and excitement, and a belief that she could help her student learn how to navigate the world around him. It was this desire that led her to complete the coursework offered by Utah State University and eventually receive the national intervener credential. She has been a certified intervener for 7 years now. She feels blessed to be a part of helping her student learn new skills, form friendships and sharing moments of joy with him. 

Previous winners include:

• • • 2000 Ann Bielert, Houston, TX
    • 2003 Mercedes Brown Killeen, TX
    • 2005 Helen Porter, Amarillo, TX
    • 2007 Kristen Riggs & Tasha Vaughn-Brittain, Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
    • 2009 Gloria Authement
    • 2011 Irma Lopez, TSD, Austin, TX
    • 2013 Laura Cornell, Granbury ISD and Chelsea Dean
    • 2015 Ruthanne “Mimi” Garcia
    • 2017 Geri Ortiz
    • 2019 Annie Waugh & Rusty Alford
    • 2021 Melody Rogers

David Wiley Home and Community Intervener Award

Given to an intervener who has demonstrated excellence in their role of support at home or in the community to a child or adult who is deafblind, and whose efforts have contributed to the success of the intervener model in Texas.

Amie Balsam Abernathy

Amie has always had a passion for working with children and caring for others. She has been working with her current student for nearly 7 years. Prior to working as an intervener, she provided care as a nanny for a young boy with Down syndrome. After earning her associate’s degree in the arts in 2019 she received a scholarship from DBMAT to complete the coursework and receive her certification as an Intervener Specialist from Utah State University. In addition to her job as an intervener III, she continues to serve those who are new to the intervener profession through her work with the National Intervener and Advocate Association (NIAA).

Previous Winner:

• • • 2021 Luis Miranda

Ann Silverrain Award

Given to any individual who has made an extraordinary commitment to improving the lives of individuals who are deafblind in the state of Texas.

David Wiley

David Wiley recently retired from the TX Deafblind Project after 34 years. During that time, he served as the project lead on transition of students to adult life and interagency coordination. He also served as the co-chair of the Texas Interagency Task Force on Deafblindness for over 20 years. Before joining the Texas DeafBlind Project, David managed residences for students who are deafblind at TSBVI. David has authored many articles and documents, including chapters of Understanding Deafblindness. He is featured on a Perkins Webcast, and participated in the development of the OHOA modules and the NICE intervener certification. He has provided workshop and conference presentations throughout Texas, around the country at the request of numerous state Deafblind Projects, and at national and international conferences.

Previous winners include:

• • • 2000 Randy Feille, TCB, Austin, TX
    • 2003 Steve Schoen, TRC, Austin, TX
    • 2005 Gay Bellamy, San Antonio, TX
    • 2007 Fran La Ware, Behavior Specialist TSBVI, Austin, TX
    • 2009 Vivecca Hartman 2011 C. Colman Davis, (“C.C.”) DARS, Dallas TX
    • 2013 Deanna Peterson, TSBVI
    • 2015 Susan Starnes, DARS, Austin, TX
    • 2017 Carolina Gonzalez, TSBVI, Austin, TX
    • 2019 Marina McCormick
    • 2021 Elaine Robertson

Marty Murrell Excellence in Education Award

Given to a professional in education who has made a long-term commitment to excellence in education for Texas students who are deafblind.

Sarah Mossberger

Sarah Mossberger currently serves as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments in Northside ISD.  She began with a caseload like any other TSVI, but has since fallen in love with the deafblind population, and has actively worked to develop her own specialized DB caseload. She remains in pursuit of her dream to become the Certified TDB for her district. Sarah serves as a voice for her students who are deafblind, their right to access to language, and for meaningful instruction. Sarah is passionate about sharing the beautiful world of deafblindness with others. Connection with each of her students is one of the great joys of her life!

Previous winners include:

• • • 2000 Karen Buchine, RDSPD, Houston, TX
    • 2003 Mary Scott, ESC Region 3, Victoria, TX
    • 2005 Tish Smith, TSBVI, Austin, TX
    • 2007 Sharon Parham, Supervisor, Sandy Chance Lead Teacher, Johanna Borg, Classroom Teacher, and Lisa Moore, Parent Infant Advisor, Regional Day School for the Deaf, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
    • 2009 Matt Schultz, TSBVI, Austin, TX
    • 2011 Susan Lawrence, Region 10 ESC, Richardson, TX
    • 2013 Jennifer Lester, Luis Miranda, Johanna Borg, Elsie Rao, Vicki Cole and Karen Lampkin-Johnson; Spring Branch ISD
    • 2015 Cecilia Robinson, ESC Region 4, Houston, TX
    • 2017 McNeil RDSPD, Round Rock, TX
    • 2019 Kaycee Bennett
    • 2021 Susie Tiggs