History of the Awards
In 1986, the National Flight Nurses Association* (NFNA) Board of Directors sought some means to recognize exceptional leaders in the profession of flight nursing. Determining that leadership skills and journalistic communication were two important factors in advancing the profession, awards were developed to acknowledge outstanding capabilities in these areas.
The Katz-Mason and Jordan Awards were first presented to the persons they were named after at the 1986 NFNA Conference held in Washington, DC. Marcia Katz and Jean Mason were the two persons most instrumental in the organization of NFNA and provided exceptional leadership for the Association during its earliest years.
John Jordan developed the edited Flight Nurses News, the first newsletter type communication of NFNA. Flight Nurse News evolved into the Journal of Aeromedical Healthcare, which later became the AeroMedical Journal.
Katz-Mason Award For Transport Nursing Excellence
This award is presented for exceptional leadership to an individual who has had a positive impact on flight transport nursing on a global scale. The recipient must be a registered nurse and an active member of ASTNA.
Award winners were presented with their award in conjunction with the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC).
*Also known as the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association(ASTNA)
2025 AWARD RECIPIENT
Michael Frakes has devoted nearly three decades to advancing the science, safety, and professional identity of critical care transport nursing on a global scale. His career began as an EMT and firefighter and evolved through roles as a paramedic, flight communications specialist, nurse, and flight nurse—experiences that grounded his later contributions in evidence-based practice, systems improvement, and mentorship. He is currently the Vice President of Clinical Care and Chief Quality Officer at Boston MedFlight, leading clinical care, quality, and education for one of the nation’s most respected critical care transport programs.
Past Katz-Mason Award Recipients
2025 Michael Frakes
2023 Kris Bauer
2022 Capt. Danielle James
2021 Brian Solada
2020 Kris Halliwell
2019 Angie Cunningham
2018 Scott Deboer
2017 Patricia Corbett
2016 Leslie Lewis
2015 Stephanie Steiner
2014 Michel Hall
2013 Sandy Correia
2012 Debra Milliner
2011 Janie Ford
2010 Karen Arndt
2009 Jim Mobley
2008 Denise Treadwell
2007 Allen Wolfe
2006 Major Christopher Paige
2005 Elisabeth Henley
2004 Richard McKinstry
2003 Capt. Paula Crawford-Gamble
2002 Capt. Gregory J. Rupert
2001 Sandy Kinkade
2000 Renee' Holleran
1999 Sandy Jones
1998 Carol Wichman
1997 Sally Brush
1996 Heather McLellan
1995 Sandy Sigman
1994 Karen Johnson
1993 Sally Brush
1992 Jean Herges
1991 Maureen Mooney
1990 Ford Kyes
1989 Lynn Eastes
1988 Janet Whalen
1987 Patty Campbell
1986 Marcia Katz
Jean Mason