Nominations are now open for the 2026 TGWA Member Awards!

Nomination Form

2025 TGWA Member Awards 

• TGWA President's Award - Josh Barrett (Russell Drilling, Nacogdoches, TX)
• Owen F. Jensen Award - Jason Wheeler (Wheeler Drilling, Odessa, TX)
• Wesley Young Award - Joe Riker (Simmons Pump & Supply, Lubbock, TX)
• Joe Vickers Award - Ray Brady (RMBJ Geo, Inc., Floydada, TX)
• Gary D. Grant Award - Richard Rodgers (Rodgers Well Service, Plainview, TX)
• Robert J. Neely Award - Abraham Herrera (Canadian Water Well, Canadian, TX)
• Mark Campbell Excellence in Training Award - Justin Brisnahan (Baroid Industrial Drilling Products, Houston, TX)
• Honorary Life Member Award - Bill & Penny Lange, Tommy Ford, Steve Gray
• LaVoyce Gaulden Outstanding Woman Award - Amy Bush (RMBJ Geo, Inc., Floydada, TX)

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​Each year the Texas Groundwater Association recognizes individual members who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and have contributed to growth of the water well industry in Texas.

The following awards are presented:

• Owen F. Jensen Award recognizes the "Contractor of the Year"
• Wesley Young Award recognizes the "M&S Member of the Year"
• Joe Vickers Award recognizes the "Groundwater Science Person of the Year"
• Gary D. Grant Award recognizes an employee or associate of a drilling firm for exceptional performance to his/her employees and TGWA.
• Robert J. Neely Award recognizes an employee or associate of a pump installer contractor for exceptional performance to his/her employees and TGWA.
• Mark Campbell Excellence in Training Award recognizes an individual for his/her contributions to the industry through training.
• Honorary Life Member Award recognizes a deserving individual who has had a positive impact on the industry and TGWA.

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Questions? Contact Bobby Bazan ([email protected]), Theresa Davis ([email protected]), or call our office at (512) 472-7437. 

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Past Awardees
* indicates awards presented posthumously

Owen F. Jensen Award
2024 Frank Glass 
2023 Chris Lange 
2022 Terry Lowe
2021 Roger Russell
2020 Dale Felder
2019 John Julian
2018 *Jason Cadwallader
2017 Mike Pyburn
​2016 William McKinley, Sr. 
2015 John Harvey Ebert, Jr. 
2014 John Taylor 
2013 Lonnie Ball 
2012 Ross D. Smart 
2011 Edmund J. Friedel, Jr. 
2010 Patrick Lange 
2009 Randy Roberts 
2008 Jerry L. Browning 
2007 *Jim Bob Neely 
2006 Patrick Casarez 
2005 G. Pete Brien 
2004 Charlie Waller 
2003 Rusty Gilmore 
2002 James R. “Jim” Taylor 
2001 *Allen E. Johnson 
2000 Bill C. Stoner 

​​1999 Raymond Whisenant, Jr. 
1998 Travis Russell 
​1997 Charlie Waller 
1996 J. Clark Abel 
1995 *Leo Fleming 
1994 *A.C. “Ace’ England 
1993 William ‘Bill” Lange 
1992 *Robert Bob Neely 
1991 Tucker D. Rudder 
1990 John Pyburn 
1988 *Gary Grant 
1987 J. W. “Bub” Richardson 
1986 Tommy Bussell 
1985 John Weisinger 
1984 *C. M. “Son” Stoner 
1983 Leeland Lawson 
1982 *Ken Watson 
1981 Frank Grimes 
1980 *Kenneth Millican 

​1979 B. J. “Billy” Swinehart 
1978 R. B. “Dick” Holton 
1977 Joe Dalton 
1976 Byron D. Boucher 
​1975 E. C. Stone 
1974 *Justin Smart 
1973 Cecil Gaulden 
1972 Ralph Scott 
1971 *Taylor Virdell, Sr. 
​1970 *Robert “Bob” Sheegog 
1969 *Taylor Virdell, Sr. 
1968 *Owen Jensen, Jr. 
1967 W. D. “Dub” Jones 

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​Wesley Young Award 
2024 - Van Schmuck 
2023 Gulf Coast Pump & Supply 
2022 Rodney Ball 
​2021 Ray Bedair 
2020 Jim Jackson
2019 Richard Brice  
2018 Robert Lasater 
2017 Robert “Bob” Hill 
​​​​2016 Jerry Hatley 
2015 Steve Gray 
2014 Carl Ward
​2013 Ryan Arnett 
2012 Steve Doggett 
​2011 Judy Herndon & Robert D. “Bob” Trees 

2010 Tres Buchek 
2009 Ronnie Hensley 
2008 Don Childers 
2007 Dan Gardner 
2006 Gary Oliver 
2005 Joe Dobry 
​2004 Jimmy Vela 
​2003 Doug Dearing 
2002 *Jerry Weir 
2001 Randy Lyne 
2000 Mark Durham 
​​1999 Matt Beasley & David Bludau 
1998 Eddie Linnartz 
1997 Steve Herndon 
1996 Simmons Pump Corporation (R. H. Raymond Pickering)  
1995 APSCO 

1994 *Buck Lively
1993 *Casey Myers 
1992 *Everett Chase 
1991 Frank Canon 
​​​1990 Tom Sterzing 
1989 Gary Morrow 
1988 *Guy Fugate 
1987 Becky Sterzing-Allen 
1986 *Ken Howard
1985 Murphy Beverly  
1984 Tommy Patton 
1983 Lee Raudebaugh 
1978 “Tiny” Gilstrap 
1977 Bill Rawlings 
​1971 *R. J. Gilmore 

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​Joe Vickers Award 
2024 Bill Stein 
2023 Kelley Cochran 
2020 Steven Bond 

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Gary D. Grant Award 
2024 Martin D. Lingle, Jr.
2023 Daniel Murga 
2022 Leroy Barrett  
2021 Jeff Brien 
2020 Eric Branch 
2019 Dale Ball 
2018 Roger Russell 
2017 G. Pete Brien 
2016 R. Chad Hillis 
2015 Steve Bond 
2014 Christopher Lange 
2013 Carlos Gorostiza 

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​Robert J. Neely Award 
2024 Dean Hansen 
2023 Earl Gill 
2022 Ezequiel Cervantes
2021 Wendell Goss 
2020 Jaythan Browning 
2019 Justin Abel 
2018 Alex Neely 
2017 William “Bill” Lange 
2016 Dale Ball 
2015 Bill Klemt 
2014 R. Chad Hillis, John Julian  
2013 Daniel Kutscher 

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Mark Campbell Excellence in Training Award
2024 Jimmy Vela 
2023 Josh Cummings 
2022 Jesse Zwiebel 
2021 Adeline Fox 
2020 Darol Hayse 
2019 Jerry & Dawn Hatley 
2018 Robert “Bob” Hill 
2017 Steve Doggett 
2016 Mike Melancon 
2015 Adam Foster 
2014 Kris Jackson 
2013 Jerry Weir 

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Honorary Life Member Award

2024: Steve Musick (GWS), Jerry Browning (C&D), Gary Oliver, Joe Chapman 
2023: *Mark Collins (M&S), Mike O’Day, Paul Rhodes, Stacey Allison Steinbach 
2022: Judy Burkett, Travis Russell, Jim Taylor, John Taylor 
2020: Steve Mahler, Ross Smart (C&D), Dean Robbins (TGWA) 
​2019: Rusty Gilmore (C&D) 
2018: G. Pete Brien (C&D), Mike Melancon (M&S) 
2017: Don McElroy (C&D) 
2016: Ronnie Hensley (M&S), Mo Rainey, Robert “Bob’ Trees 
2015: *Elmer “Skip” Cook (M&S), Veronica ‘Ronnie” Jones  
2014: Jerry Barnett, *Ralph Cadwallader (C&D), Gene Pettey 
2013: *Earl Hildebrandt 
2012: *James O. Siegert
2011: Charlie Waller (C&D), *Walter “Bud” Kern (C&D) 
2010: John Buchek (M&S), Don Childers (M&S), Mark Durham (M&S), George Ozuna (GWS), Lynn Wright (GWS) 

2009: John Ashworth (GWS), Morris Besley (M&S), Joe Dobry (M&S), *Allen Johnson (C&D), *Charles “Charlie” Raymond (C&D) 
2008: Leroy Goodson, *Homer L. Lowe (C&D), *Harvey J. Ebert, Sr. (C&D), John W. Collins (M&S), Randy Lyne (M&S)
2007: Raymond Felder (C&D), Gene E. Blaylock (M&S) 
​2006: John Pyburn (C&D), Bill Klemt (GWS), 2005: C. Alan Berkebile (GWS), Bill Stoner (C&D), Tom Sterzing (M&S) 
2004: Jay A. Pierce, John Weisinger, George Secor, Bob Ball, *Doug Dearing 
2003: Billy Green (C&D), *Gary D. Grant (C&D) 
2002: *Casey Myers (M&S), Dan Parris (M&S), Steve Wiley (M&S), Ted Small (M&S)
2000: Robert L. “Bob” Bluntzer (GWS), *Rebecca Sterzing (C&D) 

1999: *Leo Fleming (C&D), *Elmer “Skip” Cook (M&S), Jim O’Connor (C&D) 
1998: Tommy C. Bussell (C&D) 
1997: Ken Howard (M&S), *Ken Watson (M&S)  
1996: Marvin L. “Marv’ Klug (GWS), B. J. Swinehart (C&D), *Everett Chase (M&S)  
Before 1996: *A. E. Fawcett, *Guy Fugate, *R. J. Gilmore, Frank Grimes, *Richard B. Holton, *Owen F. Jensen, J., *Don M. McKinley, *Robert J. Neely, *Justin F. Smart, *C. T. Sterzing, Joe J. Vickers, *Taylor Virdell, Sr.  

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President's Award
2024 Robert “Bob” Hill 
2023 Amy Bush, RMJ Geo, Inc. 
2022 Van Schmuck, Pumps of Houston
2021 Sarah Kirkle, TGWA & Charlie Waller, Uvalde Pump Service
2020 Dean Robbins, TGWA
2019 Stacey Steinbach, Texas Groundwater Association & Adeline Fox, Texas Ground Water Association, Austin, TX 
2018 TGWA Women’s Division 
2017 Mike Pyburn, Almeda Water Well, Manvel
2016 Dale Felder, Felder Drilling Company, Angleton
2015 Billy Ray Lange, Lange Drilling Company & John Julian, Canadian Water Well

​2014 Kim Ford, High Plains Drilling, Inc., & Patrick Casarez, Patrick Water Well
2013 Bobette Neely Naylor, Neely Water Well & David Rumbelow, Texas Pumps & Controls, LLC
2012 Robert Wagstaff, R. L. Wagstaff Company & William “Bill” Corey, Pentair Water, Delavan, WI 
2011 Leroy Goodson, TGWA
2010 Patrick & Shirley Casarez, Patrick Water Well & Randy Pfeifer, Franklin Electric 
2009 Veronica “Ronnie” Jones, Worldwide Drilling Resource, Bonifay, FL & Ray Bedair, Pumps of Houston
2008 Lisa Henley, TGWA 
2007 Karin Malone, Malone Well Service