NAAP Awards – NAAP – National Association of Activity Professionals

Each year, NAAP honors individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions, setting new standards in their fields. NAAP awards celebrate dedication, leadership, and innovation, highlighting the remarkable contributions that make a lasting impact.

NAAP Award Categories

Rising Star

This award recognizes an outstanding individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and promise in enhancing the lives of our residents. Whether through leadership, creativity, or compassionate care, this rising star is shaping the future of senior living with passion and commitment.

Criteria for the Rising Star

Must be an active member of NAAP
Be an Activity Professional for less than 2 years.

2026 Nomination form for Rising Star Award – coming soon

2025 Rising Star Winner: Kristen Recchia, Illinois

Kristen wonderful with people and puts her heart into everything she does. She’s a hard worker and completely open to learning new skills and conquering challenges. She treats every person in MC as if they are her friend. It makes such a difference. They way she communicates with them is so easy and comfortable. She speaks to them all the same way, doesn’t talk down to anyone. The dignity she affords them is priceless! In programming, she thinks about what is fun and nostalgic and runs with it. They have parties and socials just like the old times. She caters to each of their likes and interests. She has them introduce themselves when people come into the community and has perfected the art of the “meet and greet” with our entertainment. She is present and engaged and is the epitome of meeting them where they’re at. Kristen is a people person. She is welcoming and kindhearted to each resident and family member entering our community. She is always respectful and willing to help wherever is needed. Kristen does not meet a person she doesn’t like. Our residents’ lives have been changed from the inside out by Kristen in the short time she has been here. She is not only their friend but also their sounding board. They feel safe when she is around and know they can depend on her. There is never a day that a resident, staff member or family member doesn’t feel loved by Kristen.

Quality of Excellence

The Quality of Excellence Award honors those who go above and beyond to enhance the well-being of our residents, set new benchmarks for quality, and inspire others through their dedication.

Criteria for Quality of Excellence

Advocated for quality of life in senior living.

2026 Nomination form for Quality of Excellence Award – coming soon

2025 Quality of Excellence Winner: Sandra Sarza, Massachusetts

Sandy has served on the MassCAP-Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals Board since 1996. She has served in various roles on the MassCAP Board. She is currently the President of MassCAP. Sandy has worked in the health care field for 40 years. She worked as an Activity Director for 20 years. She has won the Activity Professional of the year award through MassCAP. She has worked as an Administrator for 20 years. She is currently the Administrator at the Sarah S. Braydon Nursing Center.

Sandy is an advocate for the activity profession and the healthcare industry. She has presented a variety of educational sessions on a state and national level. She has served on the MassCAP Board for 29 years and is the current President. She is a MEPAP instructor and has assisted with many activity professionals becoming nationally certified. She is a dementia instructor through NCCDP had provided dementia training throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Activity Professional of the Year

The Activity Professional of the Year Award celebrates an outstanding individual whose passion, creativity, and dedication have profoundly enriched the lives of seniors. This award honors a professional who goes above and beyond to create meaningful experiences, fosters engagement, and enhances the well-being of residents through innovative and compassionate programming.

Criteria for the Activity Professional of the Year

Must be an active member of NAAP
Contributed and supported to the awareness of the field of activities and their role as the director
Be an activity professional for three or more years.
Include successful activities or achievements the person has accomplished.

2026 Nomination form for Activity Professional of the Year Award – coming soon

2025 Activity Professional of the Year: Salome Jarvis, Nevada

Salome helped create the Southern Nevada Activity Professional Association in the late 1980s. She served on that board for multiple years. She organized and created various workshops and multi-day conferences to support the Activity Professionals in the Southern Nevada area. Salome works tirelessly to ensure the needs of her residents and staff are met. She takes them on outings regularly into the community and helps them choose what they want to do daily. She creates the monthly calendar only after the Resident Council decides what they want to do each month. She has managed the volunteer program at her community, which includes over 100 volunteers, including teens and elders. Many of these teens have entered the healthcare profession because of her service. Many of the elders have gone on to become residents and continue to serve in any capacity. She allowed the residents the freedom to not only choose their activity schedule but also worked with the Food department to create menus specific to their choices.

She spends up to 60 hours each week to ensure each individual is satisfied with their quality of life. She has even spent holidays with residents who do not have family in the community and/or brought to her house for “family” dinner. Her children are in awe of her integrity and commitment.

Before her husband passed away, he told me that Salome loved the residents and she would do anything to ensure their welfare was taken care of. At his funeral service, there were over 500 people in attendance; many were past volunteers, community leaders, and residents.

Salome has been a pillar of greatness in her community for the last 40 years. She is deserving of this award based on the above examples. Salome does not do this to be recognized. She prefers to be behind the scenes, but her story should be shared. This is the very reason why she should be recognized as NAAP’s Activity Professional of the Year. We can only hope that future professionals will desire to do the same. Salome has dedicated herself to the profession and deserves this recognition.

NAAP Leadership Team Awards

Award of Distinguished Service

NAAP proudly honors an exceptional individual whose dedication and service have made a lasting impact on the National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP) and the senior living community. The Award of Distinguished Service to NAAP recognizes a leader who has shown unwavering commitment to advancing the field of senior activities, enriching the lives of residents, and supporting fellow professionals. This award is determined by the NAAP Leadership Team, not eligible for nomination.

2025 Award of Distinguished Service Winner: Steve Vozzella, Maryland

Steve began his journey in the field of Activities in 1991, stepping into the profession as an Activity Assistant. Over the years, his dedication, leadership, and unwavering passion for enriching the lives of older adults have made a lasting impression on all who have had the privilege of working alongside him. For the past eight years, Steve has served as an Activity Specialist and Consultant with Fundamental Clinical and Operational Services, where he has continued to elevate the profession through mentorship, advocacy, and innovation.

What sets Steve apart is not only his deep commitment to the field but his genuine passion for empowering activity professionals. He is a steadfast advocate for professional growth, encouraging certification, ongoing education, and the building of meaningful relationships within the industry. His efforts have directly impacted the confidence, skills, and career paths of countless individuals in the activity profession.

Steve’s contributions go far beyond day-to-day responsibilities. His leadership exemplifies the heart of what it means to serve—bringing joy, dignity, and purpose to the lives of residents, while also inspiring excellence among his peers. His work speaks volumes, and his dedication has not gone unnoticed.

It is with great admiration and gratitude that NAAP presents the Award of Distinguished Service to Steve Vozella. Congratulations, Steve, and thank you for your outstanding commitment to the field of activity professionals.

Business Affiliate Award

2025 Business Affiliate Award Winner: Ridgewater College, Minnesota – accepted by Julie Reginek

Since 2022, Ridgewater College has proudly supported the National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP) conferences by sponsoring various items and providing invaluable support to our attendees. However, Ridgewater’s impact on the field of activity professionals goes back much further.

Julie Reginek, a passionate and dedicated educator, has been instrumental in guiding Activity Professionals across the United States on their path toward earning an associate degree. Under her leadership, Ridgewater’s Activity Director program has become the longest-standing program in the nation dedicated to training students to work with the elderly population in social and recreational settings.

Students in the program benefit immensely from Julie’s wealth of knowledge—she brings over 35 years of experience in activity programming, delivery, and management. More than just teaching skills, she nurtures empathy and a deep understanding of the aging process, helping students develop a balance of caring for and caring about older adults. This holistic approach fosters meaningful, person-centered engagement and enhances the overall quality of life for those they serve.

In recognition of its outstanding contributions to the profession and enduring support of NAAP’s mission, we are honored to present the Business Affiliate Award to Ridgewater College.