The program - a public-private partnership between the Institute and Georgia Trend magazine in cooperation with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association - recognizes the public service contributions of officials from across Georgia in five categories (state official, county elected, county appointed, city elected, city appointed). Winners were chosen from a pool of nominations submitted by citizens and officials from communities throughout the state.
The 2003 Georgia Excellence in Public Service Awards Winners:
The winners were selected for their leadership, commitment, and innovation in public service. More specifically, Commissioner Breeden is recognized for his outstanding service to technical and adult education in Georgia. Commissioner Gooch was selected for his extraordinary service in a time of crisis, including a wide-ranging budget reform program for Lumpkin County that erased a $16 million deficit. County Administrator Nash was selected for her 25-year stewardship in leading a large metropolitan Atlanta county with population growth in excess of 250 percent during the last decade. Mayor Burgess was selected for his contributions to Georgia local government in general and specifically for working to preserve Social Circle's historic character while providing for the city's future growth. City Manager Merriss was likewise recognized for her central role in strong community revitalization and management innovation in improving the quality of life for Decatur and its residents.
"As part of the Institute's mission to support good government, we believe that it is useful to develop a program that highlights public service excellence and formally recognizes those individuals who serve Georgia's communities and citizens with distinction," notes Jim Ledbetter, director of the Institute. "After all, a viable democracy depends on active and engaged citizens and leaders, committed to improving their communities and improving the lives of their citizens. We hope that these awards will help foster a continued commitment to public service in our current workforce, as well as encouraging people to consider dedicating their careers to public service."
Neely Young, editor and publisher of Georgia Trend, added, "We are pleased to be a part of this program to recognize outstanding public service. Through our years of coverage of Georgia business and government, we have learned that there are many dedicated public servants who don't always get the recognition they deserve. Every one of the winners today has a good story that we can acknowledge and share with our readers."
