Anchorage-area professional joins largest-ever class of honorees receiving national recognition for supporting people with intellectual, developmental disabilities
ALEXANDRIA, VA. – ANCOR, a leading national association dedicated to advancing the future of supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), has announced that 57 professionals are among its 2026 class of Direct Support Professional of the Year Award recipients. Leading the pack is Carly Neumuth, a direct support professional (DSP) who works for Cindy and Vic’s R&R in Anchorage, Alaska, and who has been named the 2026 National DSP of the Year. Neumuth and this year’s other honorees will be recognized at an April 23 awards ceremony in Boston, Mass., at ANCOR Connect ’26.
As her nomination letter describes, Neumuth is “‘all the things’—a born DSP whose heart-led support inspires everyone around her.” Neumuth’s profile stood out among a record-breaking 544 nominees for exemplifying all four of the core tenets recognized by the awards program, including leadership, innovation, relationship-building, and the delivery of person-centered supports. Her nomination goes on to explain that “Carly doesn’t just do the work—she elevates it.”
Neumuth’s experience and compassion are clearly demonstrated in the group home where she works, where she has supported three women to build a strengthened sense of community with each other and in the local area. When one of the women expressed interest in getting a cat, for example, Neumuth encouraged her to volunteer at the local Humane Society, something she now does on a weekly basis. When another member of the trio started to show interest in motorcycles, Neumuth invited her to go for a ride on her Harley-Davidson Trike. The woman can now be found regularly at various Harley events and has fully become a part of the local biker community.
Among her colleagues, Neumuth is known for leading by example, described by her supervisor as someone with a “quiet determination and contagious enthusiasm.” A member of the first cohort of direct support professionals in Alaska to complete accreditation training through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, she quickly emerged as a leader among the group of more than 100 DSPs comprising her class. Not only was Neumuth among the first to complete the required trainings despite coming down with COVID-19; she even supported several of her fellow DSPs to complete the coursework as well.
Outside of work, Neumuth has long been a track and field coach for Special Olympics, representing Alaska twice in the national competition. Her teams return with medals, but also with stories of joy, friendship and growth. And, Neumuth’s influence has rippled outward, leading DSPs from other local agencies to get involved in Special Olympics as well.
“Celebrating the nation’s most outstanding direct support professionals is one of the great joys I have as a leader within the national provider community, and Carly [Neumuth] is a perfect reminder why,” said Lori Kress, president of ANCOR’s Board of Directors and chief executive officer for Dungarvin, a provider of I/DD services based in Mendota Heights, Minn. “Each of this year’s honorees exemplifies what it means to deliver supports that are truly person-centered, and each one demonstrates what it means to be a bridge between people and their communities.”
Barbara Merrill, ANCOR’s chief executive officer, added: “Being recognized with a DSP of the Year Award is a tremendous honor every year. But this year it’s particularly significant given the enormous pool of talented professionals from which our judges had to choose. And the timing couldn’t be better, as funding cuts at the federal level and in many states mean that our nation’s direct support professionals need recognition now more than ever.”
The annual DSP of the Year Awards are presented alongside ANCOR’s Diamond Partner, Morrisville, N.C.,-based Relias, which has underwritten the awards since their inception in 2007.
The complete listing of recipients of the 2026 DSP of the Year Awards is below, and each honoree is profiled in ANCOR’s digital publication, Recognizing Excellence 2026. All 57 award recipients will be celebrated during a breakfast ceremony in Boston, Mass., on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 8:45-10:15 am EDT, concurrent with ANCOR Connect ’26. Members of the press interested in attending the awards breakfast should email Sean Luechtefeld, ANCOR’s vice president for membership and communications.
National Direct Support Professional of the Year
Carly Neumuth, Cindy and Vic’s R&R, Anchorage, Alaska
Special Category Award for Advocacy
Tameka Coles, Abound Health, Harrisburg, N.C.
Special Category Award for Innovation
Braeden Tyler-Babkirk, Dungarvin, Spokane, Wash.
Special Category Award for Leadership
Kirsten Purinton, Emory Valley Center, Lenoir City, Tenn.
Special Category Award for Person-Centeredness
Amanda DeStefani, Penn-Mar Human Services, York, Pa.
Special Category Award for Relationships
LeAnna Tillman, Easterseals Midwest, Joplin, Mo.
State Direct Support Professional of the Year Award Honorees
Alabama: Crystal Holifield, Volunteers of America Southeast, Mobile
Alaska: Thomas Bandelow, Hope Community Resources, Anchorage
Arizona: Siobhan Gonzales, Mosaic, Tucson
Arkansas: Megan Eash, Network of Community Options, Batesville
California: Melanee Garls, Outside the Lens, San Diego
Colorado: Amanda McConnell, DDRC, Lakewood
Connecticut: Kumia Lott, Ability Beyond, Bethel
Delaware: Ritchy Corvil, Mosaic, Newark
District of Columbia: Jeromy Boler, St. John’s Community Services, Washington
Florida: Cira Melendez, ResCare Community Living, Ocala
Georgia: Wanda Renee Newkirk, All Ways Caring HomeCare, Fitzgerald
