𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐲-𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫

GENEVA, N.Y. — Persistence, passion, and purpose came together on one unforgettable stage as Geneva native Carrie Hessney Doran was crowned the 2026 Woman’s International Champion at the National Auction Association’s International Auctioneer Championship in San Antonio, Texas.

For Hessney-Doran, the championship was far more than a title. It was the culmination of a journey that began long before she ever stepped behind a microphone.

Born into an auction family, Carrie grew up immersed in the industry. Her father, Joe Hessney, founded Hessney Auction Co. in 1981, and from an early age she learned the business from the ground up. Like many auctioneers’ children, she sold hot dogs at auctions, ran clerk sheets, helped set up tents, cashiered sales, and filled countless roles behind the scenes. Yet despite growing up around the auction block, she never imagined herself becoming the auctioneer.

That changed when she attended Missouri Auction School in 2012.

“I had never really attempted to auction before,” Hessney-Doran recalled. “But once I started learning, it felt natural. The more I practiced, the better I became, and it lit a fire in me.”

That fire only grew stronger after attending her first National Auction Association Conference & Show in 2014.

“Watching the International Auctioneer Championship that year, I was hooked. I wanted nothing more than to stand on that stage one day.”

Over the next 14 years, Hessney-Doran dedicated herself to mastering her craft. She became a graduate of the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI), earned the Certified Estate Specialist (CES) and Auction Marketing Management (AMM) designations, and built an impressive career calling a wide variety of auctions across the country.

Today, while Hessney Auction Co. continues to specialize in firearms, sportsman, coin, jewelry, vehicle, and equipment auctions, Hessney-Doran has also become one of the nation’s leading benefit auctioneers through Hessney Benefits, which helps nonprofit organizations raise more money by combining strategic fundraising with the excitement and energy of professional live benefit auctions.

Through her work, she has helped nonprofit organizations raise more than $50 million, supporting causes ranging from youth organizations and health initiatives to community foundations and national charities.

Although her professional accomplishments continued to grow, one goal remained unfinished.

The International Auctioneer Championship.

She competed year after year, steadily improving while learning from every opportunity. Along the way, she earned numerous accolades, including the 2013 New York State Rookie Champion, 2016 New York State Bid Calling Champion, 2023 New York State Auctioneer of the Year, five International Auctioneer Championship finalist appearances, and First Runner-Up at the 2024 International Auctioneer Championship.

Still, the championship remained just out of reach.

Until her seventh appearance.

Rather than focusing solely on bid calling, Hessney-Doran spent months preparing mentally, reminding herself that confidence was every bit as important as performance. She trained with past champions who not only offered feedback but also encouraged her to trust the auctioneer she had already become.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t the bid calling,” she said. “It was getting out of my own way. I do this every day, and I love it. I just needed to show the judges who I really was.”

When she stepped onto the championship stage for the finals, something changed.

“My favorite moment was selling in the finals,” she said. “I had fun. I laid it all on the table and gave it everything I had. When I finished, the crowd went wild. It felt like a win.”

Moments later, that feeling became reality.

“Relief. And pride.

Relief that I had done what I set out to do. That the plan worked. That I had left everything I had on that stage.

And pride. Pride in my family. Pride in my business. Pride in myself.

For so many years, this championship felt just out of reach. I watched from the outside, wondering if one day it could be me.

Then, in one unforgettable moment, it was.

I had done it. I accomplished something that once felt impossible. Hearing my name announced as the 2026 Woman’s International Champion is a moment I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

No championship is won alone, and Hessney-Doran is quick to credit the people who have supported her every step of the way.

She expressed heartfelt gratitude to her husband, Tim, their son, Skye, and their daughters, Lucy, and Evelyn, along with her parents, mentors, and the team at Hessney Auction Company who kept the business moving while she traveled to competitions and benefit auctions.

“I would like to recognize my husband, Tim, and our amazing kids,” Hessney-Doran said. “They support me, they encourage me to take on all the jobs and all the hours. I know it means more work for our family. Tim, you are an amazing dad. Thank you for believing in me, encouraging me to chase my dreams, and making it possible for me to pursue this career I love.”

She also recognized the dedicated team at Hessney Auction Company for stepping up whenever she was away.

“Your hard work and dedication to our business and this profession are appreciated more than you know.”

As meaningful as the championship is, Hessney-Doran believes its greatest purpose is the opportunity it creates to inspire others.

During her year as champion, she hopes to introduce more young people to the auction profession by visiting schools and classrooms, sharing the many opportunities auctioneering provides, and encouraging students to consider careers built on communication, leadership, entrepreneurship, and service.

“I want young people to know that an auctioneer can look like any one of them,” she said. “An auctioneer can be a mom. An auctioneer can be a woman. I’ve said for years, ‘If you can see her, you can be her.’ Representation matters, and I hope that when a little girl sees me on stage, she realizes this profession is something she can do too.”

She also hopes to encourage fellow auctioneers to embrace competition, reminding them that every appearance on the International Auctioneer Championship stage is an opportunity to grow.

“The championship is an incredible honor, but the journey to get here is what shaped me,” she said. “Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep asking questions. Keep finding mentors. Every auction you call and every experience you have makes you a little better than you were the day before.”

While her résumé includes national designations, industry leadership, speaking engagements, and helping nonprofits raise more than $50 million, Hessney-Doran says her favorite memories aren’t measured by awards.

Instead, they take her back home to Geneva.

“My grandfather never missed an auction. He always sat in the first seat of the front row to my right. My dad would stand in the back corner whenever it was my turn to take the microphone. Every auction, I’d look up and see them both watching me with the same proud smile.

My grandfather isn’t here to see this championship, but I know he would have been proud. Every time I step behind the microphone, I still think about those moments, and they’ll always remind me why I love this profession.”

After seven attempts, countless hours of preparation, and a lifetime dedicated to serving others through auctioneering, Carrie Hessney-Doran has earned one of the profession’s highest honors.

More importantly, she hopes her story reminds others that success isn’t defined by how quickly you achieve a goal—but by the courage to keep pursuing it.

“If my story encourages even one person to chase a dream they didn’t think was possible,” she said, “then sharing it has been worth it.”