Each year NCFR recognizes a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) who has made an impact on the Certified Family Life Educator program, whether through long-term, ongoing efforts or through involvement in a specific event or activity that has helped to increase awareness and understanding of the CFLE designation and the practice of family life education.

This year’s recipient, Sharon Ballard, has been a long-time friend of the CFLE program. Sharon has been a CFLE since 1998 and is an original member of the CFLE Advisory Board, serving a seven year term!

In addition to developing and implementing a workshop designed to educate local employers to the value of hiring CFLEs and graduates of family studies programs, she and four other active CFLEs, Judy Myers-Walls, Carol Darling, and Karen Myers-Bowman, authored an article that has major implications in advancing the profession of family life education: Reconceputalizing the Domain and Boundaries of Family Life Education which appeared in the October 2011 issue of Family Relations. 

Sharon has been a tireless advocate for the CFLE designation and is very deserving of this award.