OASPA & OAEE are committed to recognizing outstanding professionals in our field and have established the following awards.

Hazel Brown and Bill Hunter Awards

Award History

Beginning in 1982, after the retirement of Hazel Brown from the Ohio State University as Assistant director of Placement, OASPA and OASCUS (Ohio Association of Schools, Colleges, and University Staffing) established the Hazel Brown Awards to recognize a member of each other's organization who had contributed greatly to the profession.  OASPA members selected the OASCUS winner and OASCUS selected the OASPA winner.

After the death of Bill Hunter, the OASPA award was renamed the William Hunter Award in his honor and each organization selected the recipient from among its own membership.

Profile of Hazel Brown

The Hazel Brown Award was named in the early 1980's for Hazel Weatherly Brown who was a faculty member and Assistant Director of Education Career Services at the Ohio State University from 1951 to 1981.  The award was created to honor someone who has excelled in serving education students.

Hazel was exceptionally active in the national association, ASCUS (Association of School, College, and University Staffing, Inc.), which later became AAEE.  Because of her national involvement, she and a few others in Ohio founded Ohio ASCUS.  Soon after Ohio ASCUS, she was instrumental in founding Great Lakes ASCUS, which covers a seven-state area.  She faithfully attended these conferences and provided her personal style of leadership to all of these organizations.

Anyone who knew Hazel would remember her high-spirited laughter, her phenomenal Southern-belle receptions before the evening banquets, and her love of working with students and employers from Ohio and across the country.

Hazel passed away from complications of a stroke in the spring of 2002.  This award continues to be an honor to her memory and her prominence in the creation of these associations.

The Hazel Brown Award is presented at the fall conference to a person from the career development field at Ohio colleges and universities who meets the following criteria:

1. Is an active member of OAEE
2. Promotes the goals and mission of the organization
3. upports the advancement of the career field

Profile of William L. Hunter

Bill Hunter retired in June 1995 as Executive Director of Human Resources for Canton City Schools and passed away at his home on April 4, 1996.  Bill graduated from Central State university and received his Masters from Kent State University.  During his professional career, Bill was a teacher, principal (Canton's first black principal), and Executive Director of Personnel.

In addition to his public school career, Bill was a great supporter and chair of the Pro-Football Hall of Fame Festival, a 16-year veteran of Canton's Civil Service Commission, and a 30-year member of Canton's Urban League.

Bill served as the Region II Representative for AASPA.  He was known for his professionalism, his warmth and his sense of humor.  He was also instrumental in establishing the Ohio Minority Recruiting Consortium that continues as one of the model projects in the United States.

The Bill Hunter Award is presented at the fall conference to an administrator who meets the following criteria:

• A highly successful administrator who is commonly acknowledged in his/her district and beyond as such.
• Has made a significant contribution to the Association.
• Has made a significant contribution to improving school personnel work in his/her district and/or beyond.
• Who is a) actively involved in school personnel administration, b) a former school personnel administrator who has taken another position in education, or c) a retired school personnel administrator.