Union County educators honored at 2026 Crystal Apple Awards

About 150 people filled Eastern Oregon University’s Gilbert Event Center in La Grande on Monday as InterMountain Education Service District and Union County schools handed out the 2026 Crystal Apple Awards to the staff members who keep daily school life moving.

The honors went far beyond classroom teaching. IMESD uses the Crystal Apple program to recognize principals, assistant principals, teachers, paraeducators, office staff, maintenance staff and other district employees, a reminder that rural schools often depend on people who carry more than one responsibility at a time. In communities where parents know the bus driver, the secretary, the custodian and the classroom teacher by name, the award points to the full network of adults students rely on every day.

This year’s Union County winners reflected that range. At Stella Mayfield Elementary in Elgin, Monica Harris was honored as a special education teacher. Also in Elgin, Lilly Skalozub was recognized as an administrative assistant at Elgin High School. In Imbler, Jillian Gray, a third-grade teacher at Imbler Elementary, and Glen Olson, a bus driver, were among the honorees. Wendie Perry, secretary III at Island City Elementary, was also recognized.

La Grande’s honorees included Melanie Rowen, a fifth-grade teacher at Greenwood Elementary, Kat Smith, a custodian at Greenwood Elementary, and Theresa Tishmack, head cook at La Grande Middle School. In North Powder, Dana Marlia, a second-grade teacher at North Powder Charter School, and Ashley Wright, a paraprofessional at the same school, were honored. Union Elementary winners were Brandi Tobin, an educational assistant, and Don Nowak, a sixth-grade teacher.

The Crystal Apple nomination window opened Feb. 17 and closed April 1. IMESD said nominations could come from administrators, teachers, paraeducators, students, school staff, parents or community members, and nominees had to work for IMESD or one of its 17 component districts in Morrow, Umatilla or Union counties with at least one year of regular service.

The May 4 ceremony honored winners from Elgin, Imbler, La Grande, North Powder, Union and IMESD. A second Crystal Apple celebration was scheduled for Monday, May 11, at Wildhorse Resort in Pendleton for honorees from Morrow and Umatilla counties.

Legacy awards also recognized Nicholle Arnoldus, Amanda Hovekamp and Matt Carlsen for longtime service across the county. IMESD says the Crystal Apple Leadership Award remains part of the program for exemplary school administrators, while the Doug Flatt Memorial Leadership Award ended after 2022.