Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott and the OneStar Foundation announced the recipients of the 42nd annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards on Wednesday in a press release, recognizing individuals, families, organizations, and businesses for volunteer service across the state.
The awards, presented in collaboration with the OneStar Foundation, honor individuals, groups, and organizations for volunteer service that strengthens Texas communities. The program is administered by OneStar and recognizes volunteer leadership, dedication, and community impact across the state.
“I am honored to recognize this year’s Governor’s Volunteer Awards recipients as Texans whose commitment to service is making a lasting difference,” said First Lady Cecilia Abbott. “Their dedication reminds us that service has the power to unite communities, uplift neighbors, and inspire others to step forward. It is a privilege to celebrate these individuals, families, and organizations whose commitment to service reflects the very best of the Texas spirit.”
“These awardees demonstrate the extraordinary impact that service can have not only on communities, but on the people who serve alongside one another,” said Chris Bugbee, President and CEO of OneStar Foundation. “By sharing their stories, we hope to encourage more Texans to get involved, build connections across differences, and take action to strengthen their communities through service.”
Abbott serves as honorary chair of the awards, and recipients will be honored during National Volunteer Month in April at a reception at the Texas Governor’s Mansion.
The Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Larry Dolan of Dallas, Dave Freriks of Lubbock, Darrell Rodenbaugh of Plano, and Timothy Stroud of Houston.
Dolan, Dallas CASA’s longest-serving volunteer since 1997, has advocated for more than 100 children in the child welfare system and mentored new volunteers. One former child he supported later returned to volunteer with CASA.
Freriks, who retired from the U.S. Secret Service, has coordinated Salvation Army disaster services in the Texas South Plains for nearly 30 years, assisting nearly 700,000 people. He also serves on the Salvation Army board and leads Lubbock’s Lions Club and Red Kettle Campaign, which raised over $5 million.
Rodenbaugh has volunteered with North Texas Performing Arts for 19 years, including more than a decade of full-time service. Under his leadership, the organization expanded twelvefold and now serves more than 11,000 students annually at five locations.
Stroud founded the Killeen Police Department Law Enforcement Assistance Fund in 2006 after his father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. The volunteer-run fund has provided $1.4 million in crisis support. Stroud also leads Stay Tuned for Vets and Operation Turkey Houston, which delivers over 11,000 Thanksgiving meals yearly.
Asvini Thivakaran of Round Rock received the First Lady’s Rising Star Award. Starting in second grade, she collected over 65,000 batteries, prompting Round Rock to launch a permanent recycling program that has diverted more than 100,000 batteries from landfills. She founded Electrify Your Thoughts to offer STEM opportunities to over 1,000 underserved students.
John R. Dunn Jr. of Kerrville earned Volunteer of the Year. After the July 4 flood in Hunt and western Kerr County, he led recovery as president of Hunt Preservation Society and board chair of Kerr Together. He helped secure over $10 million for repairs, aid, and water restoration.
Oscar, Yolanda, and Adrian Cisneros of El Paso won Volunteer Family of the Year. After losing their son Alex to cancer, they volunteered 18 years with Project RAP, helping children process trauma through creative expression.
Corporate Champion Awards were presented to TeamCITGO of Houston, Kendra Scott of Austin, and KENS 5, San Antonio’s Own, based in San Antonio.
TeamCITGO volunteers logged 9,074 hours with 135 causes in 2025 and supported 846 causes financially. Efforts included the Caring for the Coast program, which generated more than 200,000 volunteer hours, with 40% occurring in Texas and the Gulf Coast region, along with food redistribution efforts.
Kendra Scott’s programs include Kendra Cares in pediatric hospitals and the Yellow Library in 24 Texas Title I schools. In 2025, the company held over 12,000 Gives Back events and logged 9,000 volunteer hours. After the Central Texas floods, it raised over $500,000.
KENS 5 mentors high school students via Communities In Schools and leads the Stuff The Bus drive. Its 2024 coverage reached 5.9 million impressions to help supply 140 schools.
Community Champion Awards went to NiHao Food Bank Initiative of Keller and Ark of Highland Lakes of Marble Falls.
NiHao, started in 2021, has delivered nearly 3 million meals. In 2025, it backed HB 26 and raised funds for 120,000 meals.
Ark provides crisis aid and launched Valley View Village in 2025. It led recovery after the 2025 July 4 flood, training 840 volunteers.
Lifelong Learning with Friends of Austin received the Education Champion Award. Since 2010, it has paired over 700 adults with disabilities and 1,600 UT students in classes on science, arts, and skills.
BOUNCE Student Disaster Recovery, statewide, won the Rebuild Texas Disaster Impact Award. For 12 years, it has deployed student teams for repairs after disasters, including 82 volunteers after Hurricane Beryl.
Nicole Gabler of Houston received the AmeriCorps Legacy of Service Award for her service from 2013 to 2015 with SWIFT and ongoing work with hospitals, Make-A-Wish, and other organizations.
More information about the awards and recipients is available on the OneStar Foundation website.