2026 Marcopul Legacy in Prevention Award Recipient: Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz
The Marcopul Legacy in Prevention Award honors an individual whose work reflects meaningful and lasting contributions to prevention in Pennsylvania. This year’s recipient has spent more than 30 years building the field from the ground up: as the first prevention professional at the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) in Berks County, a mentor to generations of prevention professionals, and a steady advocate through decades of shifting policy and funding landscapes.
She helped shape some of the state’s earliest coalition-based prevention programs, from Communities That Care to Berks County Drug-Free Communities and has spent just as much energy investing in people as in programs: mentoring colleagues, training new prevention specialists, and staying connected to the youth she’s worked with long after they’ve grown into their own careers.
Jacklyn Steed, Drug and Alcohol Assistant Administrator at the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA), introduced Marcia and shared what her mentorship has meant to the field:
“In many ways, Marcia herself is a protective factor for her community.”
On what makes Marcia who she is, she said:
“Her compassion, kindness, and unwavering support draw people to her naturally.”
On the impact of Marcia’s career, she added:
“Marcia’s legacy is not only in the programs she helped build, but in the countless lives she has touched, mentored, and inspired over close to four decades.”
Accepting the award, Marcia reflected on nearly four decades in the field:
“We might not have the funding behind us, the money behind us, but we have the spirit, and that’s what makes prevention strong.”
On the character of the field itself, she said:
“As prevention specialists, we’re resilient and we’re creative. We’re committed to best practices.”
She closed with words from Margaret Mead that have served as her touchstone throughout her career:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Congratulations to Marcia on this well-earned recognition and thank you for close to 40 years of showing up for Pennsylvania’s prevention community.
2026 Pioneer in Prevention Award Recipient: Kim Bowman
The Pioneer in Prevention Award recognizes an individual whose work fundamentally changed the direction, structure, or understanding of prevention in Pennsylvania. It isn’t presented every year — only when someone’s contributions have truly defined the field. This year, that recipient is Kim Bowman.
As deputy secretary during the formation of Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Kim helped build the infrastructure that prevention professionals across the state still work within today. Her career spans more than 40 years, and her influence reaches well beyond any single program or position, shaping how state agencies collaborate, how prevention is funded, and how the field understands its own mission.
Kathleen Collier, CPA President and Prevention Manager for Chester County, introduced Kim:
“She made Chester County a place I wanted to plant myself, raise my children, and build a career.”
On Kim’s influence, she said:
“I feel that if I can be a hundredth of what Kim is, I will make an impact in our world.”
“The most amazing thing about Kim is she knows the work was not finished with her, but she was the pioneer and led the way.”
She closed with a reminder of Kim’s own words on why this work matters:
“Our duty is to provide and serve the citizens of this county and PA.”
Accepting the award, Kim reflected on a career spent building the field from the ground up:
“I want to thank all of you for the work that you do, because you really are the critical piece to all of this.”
Looking back across her career, she noted:
“During that career, I came to realize just how critical prevention was to ensure that we do more than just clean up the wreckage after the fact.”
“Being able to work across agencies, in partnership and not at odds, I think really was a tremendous benefit.”
She closed with a bit of humor:
“I think being a pioneer means you’re old, so I do take that to heart a little bit.”
Congratulations to Kim on this rare and well-earned recognition, and thank you for a career that helped define what prevention in Pennsylvania looks like today.