Galen Sparks and Susan Rocha Awards for Outstanding Public Service
AS OF OCTOBER 10, 2019, CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE AWARDS:
- City Attorneys are now eligible.
- Division by city size has been eliminated.
- The awards now recognize in-house (Galen Sparks) and outside counsel (Susan Rocha).
Galen Sparks served as an assistant city attorney and dedicated public servant for the City of Dallas for over 27 years. He distinguished himself in a variety of areas of municipal law and generously shared his time and expertise in a way that substantially enhanced the professionalism of his fellow municipal lawyers.
The TCAA Galen Sparks Award for Outstanding Public Service is intended to recognize and honor a current or former city attorney or assistant city attorney for significant and distinguished career achievements in the field of municipal law. The TCAA board grants one award each year for an in-house city or assistant city attorney.
Susan Rocha served as an assistant city attorney for the City of San Antonio early in her career, and went on to be a trailblazer in municipal law. She served as president of both the Texas City Attorneys Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, and was a mentor and role model for many attorneys in the field due to her hard work, many achievements, and – of course – irrepressible personality.
The TCAA Susan Rocha Award for Outstanding Public Service is intended to recognize and honor any current or former city attorney or assistant city attorney for significant and distinguished career achievements in the field of municipal law. The TCAA board grants one award each year for outside counsel serving as a city attorney or assistant city attorney.
The recipients of these awards will be honored at the TCAA Summer Conference. In addition, TCAA will provide complimentary registration for the conference. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 25, 2025.
For criteria and an application form, click here.
Outstanding Mentor Award
Just about every lawyer has a mentor who guided his or her career. In an effort to recognize the efforts of a special municipal law mentor, the TCAA Board of Directors created the TCAA “Outstanding Mentor Award.” The award is intended to recognize and honor a municipal attorney for his or her significant and distinguished mentoring achievements related to young attorneys and their practice in the field of municipal law.
The nominee must have demonstrated the qualities of a mentor to one or more young municipal attorneys by: (1) serving as a role model to young municipal lawyers in his or her community; (2) fostering the development of young municipal lawyers; and (3) significantly contributing to the profession and/or the community.
The recipient of this award will be honored at the TCAA Summer Conference. In addition, TCAA will provide complimentary registration for the conference. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 25, 2025.
Click here for the nomination form and criteria.
Recipients
| Year | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Galen Sparks Award – Nominations Now Open Susan Rocha Award – Nominations Now Open Outstanding Mentor – Nominations Now Open |
| 2024 | Galen Sparks Award – Meredith Riede, Sugarland Susan Rocha Award – No Nominations Received Outstanding Mentor – No Nominations Received |
| 2023 | Galen Sparks Award – No Nominations Received Susan Rocha Award – Wayne Olson, Olson & Olson LLP Outstanding Mentor – Michael J. Cosentino, City of San Marcos |
| 2022 | Galen Sparks Award – No Nominations Received Susan Rocha Award – Monte Akers, Messer, Fort & McDonald PLLC Outstanding Mentor – Mick McKamie, Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla & Elam L.L.P. Outstanding Mentor – Art Pertile, Olson & Olson LLP Outstanding Mentor – Tyrone Cooper, Retired- City of Beaumont Outstanding Mentor – Don Glywasky, City of Galveston |
| 2021 | Galen Sparks Award – No Nominations Received Susan Rocha Award – No Nominations Received Outstanding Mentor – Dottie Palumbo, Bojorquez Law Firm, PC |
| 2020 | Galen Sparks Award – Trevor Fanning, Baytown Susan Rocha Award – Bryn Meredith, Taylor Olson Adkins Sralla & Elam, L.L.P. Outstanding Mentor – Randy Strong, Law Office of Randall B. Strong |
| 2019 | Galen Sparks Award – No Nominations Received Susan Rocha Award – Victor Flores, Plano Outstanding Mentor – Gary Smith, Richmond |
| 2018 | Galen Sparks Award – Deidra Penny, Houston Susan Rocha Award – No Nominations Received Outstanding Mentor – David La Brec, Clark Hill Strasburger (Retired) Outstanding Mentor – Trish Nasworthy, Grand Prairie Outstanding Mentor – Ignacio Ramirez, Baytown |
| 2017 | Galen Sparks Award – Ross Crow, Austin Susan Rocha Award – Donna Fairweather, Galveston Outstanding Mentor – Marcus Norris, Underwood Law Firm, P.C. |
| 2016 | Galen Sparks Award – David Barber, Arlington Susan Rocha Award – Janet Spugnardi, Irving Outstanding Mentor – Diane Wetherbee, Plano (Retired) Outstanding Mentor – Jay Doegey, Arlington (Retired) |
| 2015 | Galen Sparks Award – Savita Rai, San Antonio Susan Rocha Award – David (Mitch) Satterwhite, Lubbock Outstanding Mentor – No Nominations Received |
| 2014 | Galen Sparks Award – Patricia (Trish) Link, Austin Susan Rocha Award – Kinley Hegglund, Wichita Falls Outstanding Mentor – Harvey Cargill, College Station (Retired) Outstanding Mentor – Patrick Bernal, Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Bernal, Hyde & Zech, P.C. |
| 2013 | Galen Sparks Award – Donna Edmundson, Houston Susan Rocha Award – Annette Jones, Waco |
| 2012 | Galen Sparks Award – Elaine Hengen, El Paso Susan Rocha Award – Theresa James, Abilene |
| 2011 | Big Cities – Linda Frank, Arlington Other Cities – Sarah Garder-Cox, Temple |
| 2010 | Big Cities – Don Knight, Dallas Other Cities – Steven Kean, Tyler |
| 2009 | Big Cities – Peter Merkl, Corpus Christi Other Cities – Jerikay Gayle, Round Rock |
| 2008 | Outstanding Public Service – Brenda McDonald, Irving |
| 2007 | Outstanding Public Service – Lisa Aguilar, Corpus Christi |
| 2006 | Outstanding Public Service – No Nominations Received |
| 2005 | Outstanding Public Service – Dorothy Palumbo, Denton |
| 2004 | Outstanding Public Service – Bill Wood, San Antonio |
| 2003 | Outstanding Public Service – Jeanene McIntyre, Arlington |
| 2002 | Outstanding Public Service – Lynn Nunns, Carrollton |
| 2001 | Outstanding Public Service – Ed Snyder, Denton |
| 2000 | Outstanding Public Service – Roxanne Nemcik, College Station |
| 1999 | Outstanding Public Service – Chad Weaver, Midland |
| 1998 | Outstanding Public Service – Claud Drinnen, Amarillo |
| 1997 | Outstanding Public Service – Michael Bucek, Denton |
| 1996 | Outstanding Public Service – Robert Diaz, Arlington |
| 1995 | Outstanding Public Service – Donald VanDiver, Lubbock |
| 1994 | Outstanding Public Service – Tom Finlay, San Antonio |
| 1993 | Outstanding Public Service – Nanette Williams, El Paso |
| 1992 | Outstanding Public Service – Tyrone Cooper, Beaumont |