Overview
Mel Schulstad was one of the founders of NAADAC, then known as the National Association of Alcoholism Counselors (NAAC). He was a WWII bomber pilot who retired in 1966 to volunteer for the Fairfax Hospital alcohol program. In 1973, he was a paid counselor for Arlington County and elected as the first President of the Virginia Association of Alcoholism Counselors (VAAC), which renamed later to the Virginia Association of Addiction Professionals (VAAP). For some context on the frequent renaming of awards and organizations, addiction wasn’t always a unified field of study, so many of the organizations and programs we have now were initially focused just on alcoholism. As their scope expanded, they thought it prudent to rebrand to reflect that.
The award was established in 1979, and Schulstad personally presented the award at NAADAC’s Annual Conferences until 2008, four years before he passed away.
To be eligible for the award, one needs to have a minimum of 20 years of service in addiction counseling, demonstrate a history of commitment to advancing the profession, and be an active NAADAC voting member in compliance with the NAADAC Code of Ethics.
Past Winners
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Yasmin Gay (2025)
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Debbie Thomas, CEO of The Walker Center (2024)