Mission

The Kempe Award, first awarded in 1985, is presented to professionals and philanthropists who have contributed substantially to the community on behalf of children and who have creatively fought the war against child abuse.

The Kempe Award, first awarded in 1985, is presented to professionals and philanthropists who have contributed substantially to the community on behalf of children and who have creatively fought the war against child abuse.

The first Kempe Award recipients were Sam Gary, Chairman of the Board of the Piton Foundation, and his wife, Nancy, a member of the University Hospital Child Protection Team.

 

In 1988, the Kempe Board of Directors established two categories, a Professional Honoree and a Community Honoree, to recognize that the vision will only be accomplished with a collaborative effort between professionals and community.

 

In 1993, a perpetual plaque, naming all Kempe award recipients, was created and is displayed in The Kempe Foundation suite. This plaque reminds all who come to Kempe that without the strength and help of devoted professionals and community leaders, help would not come to them.

This year we honor U.S. Bank as our Community Honoree:

 

U.S. Bank has been a strong supporter of The Kempe Foundation for many years, through their leadership, donations and sponsorship of Kempe initiatives to educate on child abuse and neglect and its prevention.

 

Most recently U.S. Bank supported the Kempe “Super Hero” Campaign, a community-wide ad campaign that uses Kempe’s ongoing theme of empowering children, with a celebrity twist. The message of the campaign implores the public to unite around this cause and to come together as a community to create change and make a difference in the life of an abused and neglected child. 

U.S. Bank has a long-standing tradition of giving back to the community. U.S. Bank believes in building strong partnerships and investing in communities where it does business to achieve long-term economic health and high quality of life. U.S. Bank helps people achieve homeownership, entrepreneurs build businesses and community organizations deliver essential services.  U.S. Bank supports affordable housing and small business development and empowers individuals and small businesses by providing financial education.

 

Kempe is privileged to have received such significant support from U.S. Bank is service to our mission. U.S. Bank’s support in raising awareness has helped The Kempe Foundation make significant advances in the fight against child abuse and neglect.

 

This year we honor Janet Dean L.C.S.W. as our Professional Honoree:

As the Director of the Community Infant Program in Boulder, Janet Dean leads a preventive-intervention service for infants and their parents. Through this program, home-based services are provided by maternal child health nurses and infant mental health psychotherapists.

Janet began her career in 1971, after receiving a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She joined Dr. C. Henry Kempe at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center to participate in research and clinical work in the area of child abuse and neglect prevention, parent-infant attachment, and home visitation. She focused on predicting and preventing child maltreatment.

Janet worked for nine years as the Senior Research Associate for our Child Protection Team. By 1982, Janet had earned her Master’s in Social Work from University of Denver, School of Social Work.  Since then, Janet has developed community prevention models providing comprehensive, intensive home-based infant mental health services to families during pregnancy and the first five years of life. She has published extensively, produced educational videotapes, and given lectures on various child abuse topics. Janet also provides training and consultation and continues to educate those around her about the dangers of child maltreatment.

Janet Dean is continuously working to better the lives of the smallest victims of abuse. She gives a voice to those who have none and continues to uphold Dr. Kempe’s original vision of ending child abuse.

2009

Janet Dean, LCSW

U.S. Bank

 

2008

Lucinda Tanner, Child Heath Associate/ Physician Assistant

Kempe Child Protection Team

John D. Faught,JD,

Fognani & Faught, PLLC           

 

2007

Margaret Tulley, MSW, LCSW

Program/Clinical Director, The Kempe Center

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, P.C.

 

2006

Edward Goldson, M.D.

The Children’s Hospital/

The Kempe Child Protection Team

David D. Mandarich

Richmond American Homes

 

2005

Judé Liguori

Denver Department of Human Services

Janice McIntosh

Catholic Charities

 

2004

Kathleen Brock

Community Leader

Marvin Ventrell, JD

Executive Director, National Association

of Counsel for Children

 

2003

The Elway Foundation

Robert Harmon, M.D.

Director, Kempe Therapeutic Preschool

 

2002

Georgia Imhoff

Community Leader

Gail Ryan, M.A.

Director,

Kempe Perpetration Prevention Program

 

2001

Lynn & Lisa Taussig

Community Philanthropist &

President and CEO of National Jewish

Medical and Research Center

Dr. Dori Biester

President and CEO

The Children’s Hospital of Denver

 

2000

Wayne and Debra Berger

Community Philanthropists

Dr. Kim Oates, M.D.

Chief Executive,

University of Sydney Hospital

 

1999

Jack and Viki Thompson

Community Philanthropists

M. Douglas Jones, Jr., M.D.

Chairman, CU Department of Pediatrics

The Children’s Hospital

 

1998

Ascent Sports

(Denver Nuggets and Colorado

Avalanche)

Robert R. McCormick

Tribune Foundation

 

1997

Dick Saunders

Community Leader

President, Saunders Construction, Inc.

Henry K. Silver, M.D.

(posthumously)

Co-author Battered Child Syndrome

 

1996

Ryan McKibben

CEO and Publisher, The Denver Post

Lula O. Lubchenco, M.D.

Professor, CU Department of Pediatrics

 

1995

Roxanne and Fred Vierra

Founder, Hope for the Children

Chairman & CEO, TCI International, Inc.

Ruth S. Kempe, M.D.

Child Psychiatrist,

Kempe Children’s Center

 

1994

Esther and Jerry Priddy

Owners, Estate Liquidators

Brandt F. Steele, M.D.

Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry,

University of Colorado

 

1993

Howard Torgove

Past Chair, Kempe Children’s Foundation

Richard Krugman, M.D.

Dean, University of Colorado School of

Medicine

 

1992

The Atler Family

Marilyn Van Derbur, Larry and Jennifer

Jim and Kathy Smith

US West

 

1991

Charles Steinbrueck

Founder and Chief Executive Officer,

PACE Membership Warehouse

Hendrika Cantwell, M.D.

a Founder of the Denver Crisis Center

 

1990

Walt Imhoff

President and Chief Executive Officer,

Hanifen, Imhoff Inc.

Donald Bross, Ph.D., J.D

Legal Counsel, Kempe Children’s Center

 

1989

Sidney Shlenker

Owner and Chairman, Denver Nuggets

Sally Holloway

Executive Director, Family Focus, Inc.

 

1988

Bea Romer

First Lady of Colorado

Norm Early

Denver District Attorney

 

1987

John W. Dick and Elisabeth Dick

Founders of Hope for the Children,

which became Kempe Children’s

Foundation

 

1986

Jules Amer, M.D.

Pediatrician

 

1985

Sam Gary

Chairman of the Board, Piton Foundation

Nancy Gary

University Hospital Child Protection Team