In 1999, the Board of Directors of the Iowa Organization established the Kay Egan Memorial Award to honor Mrs. Egan's memory and her dedication to the concerns of crime victims. The award will be presented annually to an Iowan whose service to crime victims and their interests reflects Kay Egan's dedication. After John's death in 2003 the award was renamed to include John. IOVA wanted to recognize the fact that John and Kay Egan were a team in their effort to support victims of violent crime.
Gary Flanagan
On June 24, 2009, Coach Ed Thomas, the A-P Parkersburg High School football coach, was shot and killed in front of 22 high school students, between the ages of 15-17, in a makeshift weight room in the bus barn in Parkersburg, Iowa, a small rural community. At that moment in time, countless individuals’ lives were changed forever. Gary Flanagan, is the A-P High School counselor. Following the EF5 tornado on May 25, 2008, Mr. Flanagan was use to going above and beyond for the students he worked for and the community that he loved; however on June 24, 2009, Mr. Flanagan would assume a new role in his assistance of these 22 high school student crime victims and the Parkersburg community. From the first moment following the news of the murder and the young people impacted, Gary Flanagan was involved in providing services to the witnesses, the adolescents’ parents and family members, and his grieving co-workers and community members. Mr. Flanagan was instrumental in arranging for trauma experts to debrief those exposed to the violence; he met regularly with law enforcement members, collaborated with the Survivors Program advocates to provide resources and support and spoke with the Attorney General’s assistant prosecutors and victim service provider. Gary advocated, following consultation with trauma experts, to allow students and their families the chance to return to the weight room, after it had been cleaned. He assisted in getting information to each student and family member regarding issues to be aware of involving sudden loud noises on the first 4th of July, the starter pistol at the first track meets, or the need to be aware of “bloody zombies” and being grabbed at in the dark during the first Halloween “haunted houses”. Mr. Flanagan assisted in making arrangements for a group of individuals from Des Moines to meet with the Thomas family and the witnesses’ family members to discuss and fill out compensation paperwork. He facilitated weekly groups with the boys and girls separately, who had been witnesses, to discuss feelings and questions. Gary assisted in educating and advocating for the students with their teachers as they struggled with normal academic requirements following the trauma. During the year that preceded the shooting death of Coach Thomas and led to the trial and conviction of Mark Becker, Mr. Flanagan, tirelessly put his needs last in order to respond to the numerous “crime victims”, who were horrifically created that day. Gary Flanagan kept in regular contact throughout that summer and following school year with each of the students and family members through on-going personal phone calls. He was the conduit between the Survivors Program, law enforcement, the Attorney General’s Prosecutors, the students, and school district, all the while continuing to meet the needs of the entire high school student body, following a horrific tornado that left over 40% of the students and staff homeless the previous year. He participated and arranged a “trip” to the courthouse upon learning that none of the young witnesses had ever been in a courtroom, he arranged a pizza party at the end of the school year. He supported and was present for each of the witnesses during witness preparation and kept each witness and family member up to speed with trial information. He arranged a group for when the verdict came in and supported the kids, who had a range of emotions and thoughts on the outcome. He was present in the witness room prior to their testimony and was in the courtroom as each student testified, even arranging small bags of “goodies” for each young person. Much of Gary Flanagan’s service to crime victims will probably never be totally known. His contribution to the victim service field and his willingness to learn, advocate, and expand his knowledge base regarding crime victims is far-reaching for the individuals whom he supported and the community that he served. If not for Mr. Flanagan’s unfailing support and involvement following this tragedy, many needs of these young witnesses and this community would not have been met, secondary trauma would have been a guaranteed outcome and any healing would have been so much harder to begin. His collaboration and openness to work with all disciplines in the victim service field from advocates, to victim witness coordinators, to prosecutors, to DCI agents to local law enforcement assisted in cementing effective partnerships in all areas. The Egan Award is a perfect fit for an individual that embodies the ability to serve victims of crime while going to extraordinary efforts to collaborate with other disciplines, impacting an entire community.
Karen Muelhaupt
Karen Muelhaupt has a long history of working with and helping victims of violent crimes. She was a rape counselor for the 5th Judicial District. She did the same kind of work for what was then the Polk County Victim Services Center, now the Polk County Crises and Advocacy program. But Karen went above and beyond her job descriptions. She, with the Egan's and others developed a death notification training manual for coroners, law enforcement, prosecutors and victim service providers. She led the development of the Polk County Homicide Crisis Response Team, which, among other services , cleaned up murder scenes and debriefed workplaces and neighborhoods and groups affected by homicide. She organized the creation of a doll house sized courthouse to help children get used to the process of giving testimony and help them understand court processes.
She worked with her Temple and local churches to organize a citywide drive for emergency clothing, seat suits, and diapers for those being served by the Family Violence Center. She re-established the Temple's "Feed the Homeless" project that prepares and serves meals at the Churches United Shelter. She was a member of the first response crisis team sent to Oklahoma City after bombing in 1995. She has done so much more than could be written in this space. Thank you Karen for all you do and have done.
Karl Schilling
Karl attended IOVA meetings as a representative for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Karl became, and remains today, one of the greatest advocates through his ability to offer sound advice and guidance for victim service providers. Karl has never worked directly with victims of crime, but he has always been the individual "behind the scenes" to assure that victims are treated with dignity and respect.
In 635-577 BC, Solomon stated "Justice shall only be achieved when those not injured by crime feel as indignant as those who are." Acording to Solomon, Karl is JUSTICE because he feels indignant for others and that is why he volunteers so much time to IOVA where he is making a difference in the lives of crime victims.
This year's theme for National Crime Victims' Rights Week is "25 years of Rebuilding Lives: Celebrating the Victims of Crime Act." While he was not one of the founding members, he joined soon thereafter and has volunteered countless hours. Karl has been volunteering for 25 years and is still volunteering!
Sergeant Joe Gonzalez
Des Moines Police Department
Among his many contributions to the relationship between law enforcement and the Latino community, Joe has been an integral part of the H.O.N.R.A. (Hispanic Outreach Neighborhood Resource Advocate) program, a specialized unit that would address the high volume of calls the department received from Spanish-speaking callers. This unit handles the majority of Spanish speaking calls in the area and builds trust with the growing Latino community.
In addition to this initiative, Joe takes calls in his off time to assist individuals needing assistance or to direct them to valuable resources. He gets called out in middle of the night to crime scenes where a Spanish interpreter is needed to sort out some of the most dangerous and difficult cases. Joe�s commitment to the Latino community and to youth programs is evidenced in the multiple boards he serves on and organizations that he is a part of. These are just a few examples of how Joe goes above and beyond his duties by participating in a variety of events created for the betterment of the Latino Community.
Joe has a reputation for high integrity and as an officer who gets the job done while treating others with the respect they deserve. As a result of his standing in the department he was able to transcend the concerns existing in the minds of some officers that his efforts in HONRA would work against them as opposed to complement their crime fighting initiative.
Sandra McGee, Program Manager, Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services, 2007 Recipient
Sandra�s experience in her current position, as Program Manager for Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services, and previously as a Violent Crime/Sexual Assault Coordinator at Polk County Victim Services, demonstrates her commitment, passion, and devotion to victims of trauma and violent crime. Throughout her career, Sandra has focused on helping children and adults who have experienced the outcomes of violent crime. It is this dedication that sets her apart in her professional field. In addition, Sandra serves the community as a board member for numerous organizations, further demonstrating her focus on the needs of survivors. Sandra�s contribution to, not only violent crime survivors but also the Des Moines Community, make her an inspiration to all those who know and work with her.
Lt. Brian Tiedemann,2006 Recipient
When five-year- old Evelyn Miller was reported missing, Lt. Tiedemann organized a six day search that resulted in the recovery of her body. It was a difficult job with a sad ending, but Evelyn�s family was helped and profoundly touched by Lt. Tiedemann�s dedication, professionalism, and his empathy for them. A letter from Evelyn�s aunt said, �Lt. Tiedemann was always there to answer our questions about the search. We were never turned away or made to feel like we were a bother, and he always treated us with the utmost respect�it seemed�he was always on duty, even though it was a holiday weekend and he has a family of his own. There was never a time where I had to search for him, or wondered where he was, because he was always able to be found at the command center.� Lt. Tiedemann �s service was in the highest tradition of peace officers.
Michael R. Coveyou, 2005 Recipient
Mr. Coveyou was nominated for his long and dedicated service to IOVA and the crime victims of Iowa. Mike was involved in the first evaluation of the Iowa crime victims' compensation program after its first year of operation, implemented the domestic abuse victims' notification of rights for the Department of Public Safety, and wrote and implemented the law establishing statistical reporting of domestic violence cases in Iowa. He also served on grant review committees for crime victim services for nearly 20 years, and as a member of the IOVA Board of Directors for 10 years. He also designed the first Web sites for IOVA, the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mike has been a major voice for including the rights and needs of crime victims in state and local policy for 20 years. He has influenced the inclusion of victim issues on the "radar screen of law enforcement in Iowa" both in his professional career at the Iowa Department of Public Safety and through volunteer work. Mike had previously been recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault in 1999, and with a Gold Seal Award by the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2002.
Carole Meade, 2004 Recipient
Ms Meade has been a pioneer in developing victim services and advocacy for victims in Iowa through her work with the Polk County Rape Crisis Center, Polk County Victim Services, her tenure as Executive Director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, her role as one of the three founders of IOVA, her unceasing advocacy for victims, her unflinching insistence of respectful and ethical treatment of crime victims and her sharing freely of her time and experience. Ms Meade recieved the Outstanding Victim Assistance Award from the Iowa Corrections Association in 1988. The award was, among other things to recognize her longevity in victim services as an advocate of victims rights.
Patrick C. Jackson, 2003 Recipient
Dedicated to serve protect and advocated for victims, Mr. Jackson started his career as a campus police officer and an officer in Oklahoma City, OK. Returning to Iowa after graduating from law school, Mr. Jackson assumed the role of Asst. District Attn. and then District Attn. of Des Moines County. As President of the Iowa County Attorney's Association, the association formally recognized victim witness coordinators in Iowa. He also created the first child protection team in Des Moines County, as well as, the first stop violence task force. Mr. Jackson believes in the "team approach" working closely with the local sexual assault center, battered women's shelter and law enforcement.
Betty Brown, 2002 Recipient
As administrator of the Victim and Restorative Justice Program in the Iowa Dept of Corrections, Betty Brown was the fourth recipient of the Egan Award. While working for Polk Co. Victim Services, Ms. Brown established the Victim-Offender Mediation Program. Acredited with many other innovative programs Ms. Brown is said to believe in the accountability of offenders, information, support and services as well as reparations for the victims of crime and their communities.
John Egan, 2001 Recipient
The third Award was presented to John Egan in May of 2001. John, who was Kay's husband, was a long-time volunteer for the Polk County Victims Services. He also served for many years as an IOVA Board Member, previously having served as Vice President and as Treasurer.
Vickie Crompton-Tetter, 2000 Recipient
Vickie, a survivor of a homicide herself (her daughter was murdered by the boyfriend in 1986) has been a long time advocate for crime victims in Iowa. She advocated for many of the laws now in the Iowa books to recognize the rights of crime victims and to provide services to them, including the law that established the Domestic Abuse Review Team in Iowa. She served as the Co-Chair of that team. Ms. Crompton-Tetter also served for nine years in the Iowa Crime Victims Assistance Board.
Ruth Donnelly, 1999 Recipient
Mrs. Donnelly, whose daughter was a murder victim, was instrumental in the creation of the Polk County Homicide Survivors Support Group and has continued to serve as a volunteer with the group for many years.