Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award
About the Award
Rhea McCandliss was instrumental in the founding of the National Council for Therapy and Rehabilitation through Horticulture (NCTRH) in 1973.
In 1974, the NCTRH board granted Rhea the Council's first Honorary Life Membership.
In 1978, Rhea McCandliss was recognized as one of the first Professionally Registered Horticultural Therapists by NCTRH .
She was a horticultural therapy pioneer and helped start the first degree program in the field at Kansas State University.
The Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award:
- Recognizes a registered member (HTM, HTR, or HTA) for their significant contribution to the field of horticultural therapy.
- Supports distinctive service in the promotion, organization, and development of horticultural therapy programs.
- Acknowledges an original or unusual contribution affecting the philosophy or practice of horticultural therapy.
- Originally the Professional Service Award, the Award was officially named the Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award in 1984 in her honor.
Award Criteria
Given to a registered member (HTM, HTR, or HTA) of AHTA in recognition of their significant contribution to the field of Horticultural Therapy.
The person to be recognized shall be distinguished by their:
- Length of service in horticultural therapy as an instructor, supervisor, director, administrator, or in some other related capacity.
- Distinctive service in the promotion, organization, and development of horticultural therapy programs or for an original or unusual contribution which has affected the philosophy practice of horticultural therapy. (Service to the profession is not necessarily limited to those in a position as a Horticultural Therapist, but may be through allied fields such as arts and crafts, science, psychology, rehabilitation, recreation, or education.)
- Public relations efforts on bettering horticultural therapy.
Past Winners
2025: -
2024: Kirk W. Hines HTR
2023: Jogn Murphy HTR
2022: Leigh Anne Starling, HTR
2021: -
2020: -
2019: Alee Karpf
2018: Lesley Fleming. HTR
2017: Libba Shortridge, HTR
2016: Derrick Stowell, HTR
2015: Rebecca Haller & Fung Yun Lee
2014: Patricia Cassidy, HTR
2012: Hilda Krus, HTR
2011: Matthew Wichrowski
2010: Elizabeth Diehl
2009: Kelly Conrad & QuiXia Chen
2008: -
2007: Nancy Easterling, HTM
2006: Christine Pollard, HTM
2005: Mitchell L. Hewson
2004: Fusayo Assano
2003: -
2002: -
2001: Nancy Stevenson, HTR