The Topeka Professional Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) awarded its annual membership awards on May 18, 2010.

Mary Napier was awarded the Vanguard Award for 2010 and National Chapter Star Award. Napier is President and owner of Napier Communications, which offers a unique combination of services, ranging from graphic design, publication layout and design, editorial, and public relations.

This is her second time receiving this award, but was very deserving for all of her hard work in the past year. She spent countless hours working to improve the image of Topeka AWC by re-designing the organization’s website (www.topekaawc.org) and constantly keeping it current. She also took on the role of Chair for the 2010 Headliner Awards Luncheon. The event was the first ever for the Topeka chapter and was a great success. The luncheon recognized women in the community who made headlines for their work in the communications industry. With her experience as a past president of Topeka AWC, Napier also stepped up to the plate to run meetings while the current president was on maternity leave.

“I constantly use her as a resource to ask questions and bounce ideas off of her. I feel that she makes our chapter much stronger,” said Joanne Montgomery, V.P. Membership Recruitment.

Napier joined AWC in 2005 and has been dedicated to the group since that time. She has served on the board as the V.P. of Administration, 2005-2006; President-elect, 2006-07; President, 2007-08; Past President and Website Chair, 2008-09; and Website Chair and Headliner Awards Chair, 2009-2010.

The Vanguard Award, also known as the National Chapter Star Award, is presented in memory of past chapter member Louise Roote, a former editor at Capper’s Weekly and AWC member. This award recognizes a member with more than two years chapter membership for outstanding involvement in the organization.

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Amanda Schuster was awarded the Rising Star Award for 2010. Schuster currently works at the League of Kansas Municipalities as its Communications Specialist and has been a member since 2008.

Upon joining, she immediately volunteered for the position of V.P. Membership Retention. Later in the year, she volunteered to take on the additional role of President-Elect when the position became vacant. As V.P. Membership Retention, she helped with membership drives, keeping members current, and speaking to students at Washburn University about Topeka AWC. After volunteering for President-Elect, Schuster helped with the AWC Scholarship Selection Committee and the Headliner Awards Selection Committee as well as speaking at the event.

“She is a young professional, and yet her passion and her dedication set her apart and put her years ahead of her peers. She is a true asset to the Topeka Chapter,” said President Jamie Hornbaker.

Schuster will continue as President-Elect for another full year on the AWC Board for the 2010-11 term, which starts July 1.

The Rising Star Award is presented in honor of past chapter member Carolyn Terhune who was AWC president from 1978 to 1980. This award recognizes a member with less than two years of chapter membership for outstanding involvement in the organization.