WASHINGTON, June 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GovLoop and Young Government Leaders (YGL) are proud to announce 'NextGen 30', this year's finalists for the 5th Annual NextGen Public Service Awards for superior public service and achievement. From increasing awareness around fair housing, creating a new workplace model for disability organization, improving digital services for citizen engagement, to bolstering assistance for homeless veterans, the finalists have embodied what it means to be a public servant in a myriad of meaningful and impactful ways.
"The thirty finalists for the NextGen Public Service Awards have accomplished remarkable successes and we're proud to congratulate them and share their stories," said Steve Ressler, GovLoop founder and president.
Each year, the Awards recognize exemplary public sector leaders for their dedication to improving and invigorating government. This year, more than 100 public servants were nominated by their peers. A selection committee of current and former government employees selected thirty finalists in five categories.
Exemplary Leaders
This category recognizes leaders with 4 – 15 years of government experience who have demonstrated benevolence, competence, integrity, dedication, and commitment to improve and inspire our communities.
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Sabrina DeLay, Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Ann Geisen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
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Ilija Hardage, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
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Ted Kowalski, Department of the Treasury
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Monica McDaniels, Office of Public Health, Nutrition Services, Women, Infants & Children
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Kai Fawn Miller, Department of Veteran Affairs
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Katherine Spivey, General Services Administration
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Nicole Stillwell, Department of State, Consular Affairs
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Kenneth Sullivan, Department of Homeland Security – The National Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of Infrastructure Protection – National Infrastructure Coordinating Center
- Sy Williams, Department of Veteran Affairs
Innovators
This category recognizes leaders with 4 – 15 years of government experience who have identified new opportunities and improved their organization in an innovative way.
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Tisha Calabrese Benton, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
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Ebony Johnson, Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Kevin Kuhn, Environmental Protection Agency
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Susanna Marking, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Will Sullivan, Broadcasting Board of Governors, Office of Digital and Design Innovation
Courageous Champions
This category recognizes individuals with less than 3 years of government experience who are blazing a path with courage and determination.
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Laila Alequresh, City of Philadelphia
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Monte Desai, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
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Daniel Hoffman, Montgomery County Government
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Joshua Marcuse, Leadership & Organizational Development Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Department of Defense
- Mihir Pathak, National Aeronautics and Space Administration/White House
Silent Heroes
This category recognizes individuals who operate behind the scenes, silently working to create better government. They are dedicated and committed, and work without the limelight.
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Christine Azevedo, Department of Veteran Affairs, Veteran Health Administration
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Jamie Edmunds, Department of Agriculture, Departmental Management
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Brodie Mack, Department of Transportation
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Sandra Simpson, Wheaton Park District
- Sarah Thokey, Probation and Pretrial Services, Texas Northern
Advocates
This category recognizes individuals who are dedicated to cultivating talent and mentoring the next generation of public service leaders to be stellar future community leaders.
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Karla Aguirre, Utah Department of Workforce Services
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Chris Hamm, General Services Administration, Federal Systems Integration and Management Center
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Carol Johnson, Arkansas Fair Housing Commission
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Joan Mower, Broadcasting Board of Governors
- Jason Olsen, Federal Employees with Disabilities
The NextGen Public Service Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 19 at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. A Forbes Top Social CIO, Dr. David A. Bray of the Federal Communications Commission will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. All public sector employees are welcome to attend to congratulate the finalists! To attend, RSVP for free here: http://direct.govloop.com/nextgen-awards
The NextGen Public Service Awards Ceremony kicks off the Next Generation of Government Training Summit July 20-21st at the Renaissance DC Hotel.
About NextGen:
The Next Generation of Government Training Summit educates, inspires and promotes innovation and positive growth for emerging leaders in government.
Since 2010, the two-day summit has enhanced the working and personal lives of 3,000+ government employees with new skills, best practices and motivation to be a change ambassador for positive growth in government.
About GovLoop:
GovLoop's mission is to "connect government to improve government." We aim to inspire public-sector professionals by serving as the knowledge network for government. GovLoop connects more than 200,000 members, fostering cross-government collaboration, solving common problems and advancing government careers.
About Young Government Leaders:
Young Government Leaders (YGL) is building a community of leadership for 5,000+ young public servants across the country through professional development activities, networking opportunities, social events, seminars, fellowships, and scholarships.