The first paragraph says it all.  In an article entitled “12 State Legislators to Watch in 2012″, GOVERNING gives its list of those lawmakers (Democrat and Republican) whose  demonstrated ability predicts a bright future in government.

Herman Boone

e.Republic will again be a major supporter of the Greater Sacramento Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Dinner on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at the Sacramento Convention Center.

In its 13th year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner is held in honor of the man who is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights.  Dr. Dorothy Enomoto, a former classmate of Dr. Kings, and retired U.S. Marshal, Jerry Enomoto, co-chair the dinner.

This year’s dinner theme is education and the keynote will be Herman Boone, former coach of the T.C. Williams High School football team and inspiration for the movie “Remember the Titans”, starring Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui is honorary co-chair of the dinner and will be in attendance along with community, government, business and religious leaders and general public.

The dinner is an invitation to all in the Greater Sacramento area with proceeds going to local non-profits.  To register see www.mlkcelebration.org

Nine Leaders Recognized as Best and Brightest in State,

City and County Government

(WASHINGTON, D.C., October 27, 2011)—GOVERNING today announced the top state and local government officials being honored for leadership and excellence.  The 2011 Public Officials of the Year are leaders from state, city and county government and are being recognized for outstanding accomplishment in their positions and communities. The annual awards program is in its 18^th year.

Public Officials of the Year are selected from nominations submitted by readers, experts in the public and private sectors, and the GOVERNING editorial team. Among the qualities recognized are leadership, courage, innovation, creativity and good management.   With the nine officials honored this year, GOVERNING has named a total of 167 people as Public Officials of the Year.

“These dynamic state, city and county public officials faced both economic and political challenges,” said GOVERNING Publisher Fred Kuhn. “Through their collective vision, these stellar leaders worked to better not only their communities but to set an example for future leaders to follow.”

GOVERNING’s 2011 Public Officials of the Year are:

Mike Beebe, Governor, State of Arkansas. Under Governor Beebe’s leadership, Arkansas has weathered recent financial storms as few other states have.  As the 2011 fiscal year approached, it was one of just four states that didn’t face a budget shortfall, and it repeated that fortune this year.  As a result, Arkansas has been spared the deep cuts and rounds of layoffs that other states have endured. Followers of Arkansas politics say the state’s stability is largely due to the governor’s steady fiscal hand, which explains why Beebe enjoys such wide bipartisan support and a 67 percent job approval rating.

Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, The City University of New York. Chancellor since 1999, Matthew Goldstein has been instrumental in CUNY’s transformation from “an institution adrift” to “a veritable American dream machine.” Central to his strategy has been a unique sustainability partnership with the city of New York in which together, school and city have paved the way for the foundation of a new type of infrastructure based on renewable energy. The result:  A game-changing model of sustainability for urban growth and a new era of excellence for CUNY.

Ronald Haddad, Chief of Police, City of Dearborn, Michigan.  Home to the nation’s most concentrated Arab community, Dearborn, Michigan, boasts one of the most widely admired approaches to counterterrorism—one pioneered by the city and state’s first Arab-American police chief. Heralded as “a model for the nation and for federal policy,” Haddad’s approach uses community-based policing to defend against violent extremism. A 7 percent drop in crime in 2010 and Dearborn’s culture of trust and civic engagement are testaments to Haddad’s success.

Lee E. Haworth, Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Sarasota-Manatee-Desoto Counties. When the number of foreclosure lawsuits in his circuit rose from 900 in 2006 to 8,500 in 2008, Judge Haworth started requiring that banks meet with homeowners about their options before filing for foreclosure. As a result, 25 percent of those facing foreclosure resolved their cases, and the program became the framework for the statewide mediation program enacted by the Florida Supreme Court in 2010.

Nigel Jacob and Chris Osgood, Co-chairs, Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, City of Boston.  The co-chairs of a unique IT agency are changing the way citizens interact with cities. Their first initiative, Citizens Connect, is a maintenance-request app that has been downloaded more than 16,000 times and replicated in more than 20 countries since its 2009 launch. Today, the duo is working with small development firms, nonprofits and colleges, and is managing almost 20 new projects that address needs in infrastructure, education and what they call “participatory urbanism.”

Dan Liljenquist, Senator, State of Utah. State Senator Dan Liljenquist braved political fallout to architect Utah’s pension reform, closing the existing, unsustainable system to new workers and offering them instead a defined-contribution plan. His actions effectively removed the possibility of the retirement fund ever bankrupting the state and won accolades from The Wall Street Journal, which called his plan a model other states should replicate. Senator Liljenquist is currently consulting with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation as he works with multiple states on implementing much-needed pension reform.

Joanie Mahoney, County Executive, Onondaga County, New York. County Executive Joanie Mahoney attracted a lot of attention when she challenged a U.S. EPA consent order aimed at cleaning up Syracuse’s Onondaga Lake, considered to be one of the most polluted in the country. The EPA order would have meant three new treatment plants. Instead, Mahoney got the city and county to work together on a much greener approach. From planting green roofs on municipal buildings to ecologically sound landscaping plans, the dozens of programs that make up her “Save the Rain” initiative have become a national model for dealing with overloaded sewer systems and toxic runoff.

Kasim Reed, Mayor, City of Atlanta, Georgia.  Kasim Reed, a mayor who believes that “a lot of the work I’m doing is really for the next mayor,” engineered a major overhaul of the city’s pension plan, solving a $1.5 billion problem and putting the city on its soundest fiscal footing in a generation.  Under his watch, Atlanta’s reserves grew from $7.4 million to more than $70 million by the end of this year. While many cities were cutting services, Reed managed to reopen community centers and pools, added 100 new police officers to city streets and even instituted a modest pay raise for police and firefighters.

GOVERNING’s 2011 Public Officials of the Year are profiled in the November issue of the magazine and on http://www.governing.com/POY. They will be honored at a dinner at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17, hosted by GOVERNING and sponsored by Motorola, NIC, Oracle and SAP.  Press passes to the event are available.

About GOVERNING and GOVERNING Institute

More than 75,000 public officials turn to GOVERNING for the trusted information they can’t find anywhere else. GOVERNING covers state and local government politics, policies and programs essential to this audience.

GOVERNING is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.

]]> http://erepublicinc.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/governing-magazine-announces-2011-public-officials-of-the-year/feed/ 0 e.Republic Inc. GOV11 POY HEADER http://erepublicinc.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/center-for-digital-government-honors-colorado-with-cybersecurity-leadership-and-innovation-award/ http://erepublicinc.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/center-for-digital-government-honors-colorado-with-cybersecurity-leadership-and-innovation-award/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:14:59 +0000 e.Republic http://erepublicinc.wordpress.com/?p=881 ]]>

Cathilea Robinett with Todd Olson, CFO for the Colorado Office of Information Technology and Steve Tchejeyan from McAfee.

The Center for Digital Government honored the state of Colorado as the winner of its first annual Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Award last week at the FOCUS 11 Security Conference .  The award program, underwritten by McAfee, recognizes the commitment of government agencies to keep confidential data secure despite evolving threats.

Highlighted was Colorado’s early adoption of technology and implementation of processes to mitigate risks and combat security breaches. Colorado appointed its first chief information security officer in 2003, and later passed legislation to establish the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer in 2006. Colorado’s leadership enables agencies around the state to implement successful cybersecurity plans and continue to be accountable in keeping data safe.

“The proliferation of government data – while necessary in an information-driven society – creates challenges for leaders at all levels,” said Cathilea Robinett, executive vice president of the Center for Digital Government. “Colorado has continually raised its own game in response to these threats and has become a best practice leader by educating employees, employing processes and utilizing technology to keep the confidential information of its constituents secure. Congratulations!”

The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.

Justin Greeves joins e.Republic as the corporate Vice President of Research.  Based in DC, Justin will lead an integrated research effort across divisions and on both coasts, supporting editorial, online community building, market intelligence and internal business needs as a shared service. Initially, he will focus on developing reader panels to forge deeper relationships with our constituents and gain greater insights into the priorities of state and local government.  Justin brings two decades of experience in public affairs, public opinion and market research with companies such as VisionCritical and Harris Interactive.

Meg Varley-Keller is GOVERNING’s new Marketing Director, responsible for branding, marketing and strategic outreach around existing and new product and service offerings.  Meg comes to us with a broad and diverse background in publishing and government.    Most recently, she held similar roles at Alexander Street Press and RFF Press/Resources for the Future.  Previously she worked at World Bank Publications and the Library Division of CQ Press – all of which are in the Washington, DC area.   Earlier, she was an aide in both the offices of the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio Governor’s Office in Columbus, OH.

Within editorial, GOVERNING is expanding its commitment to original news coverage, the web and computer-assisted journalism with three new people:

Kathy A. Gambrell is the Editor of Governing.com, charged with expanding daily coverage and analysis of the states and localities as public leaders navigate through challenging and important times.   Kathy has been a Washington journalist and editor for 19 years, six of them as the managing editor of the CongressDaily congressional news service. Earlier, she served as the White House correspondent for United Press International during the second Bush administration for four years. A native Washingtonian, she started her career covering state and local government for the Washington Post-owned Gazette Newspapers.  For the past year, she has been a web and online consultant for the AARP and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.

Tina Trenkner is not new to the office but does take on the new role of Deputy Editor of Governing.com.  She will continue building Governing’s presence on, and relationships within, social media as well as taking on greater day-to-day responsibilities for governing.com.

Mike Maciag is GOVERNING’s Data Editor who is working with the editorial team to tell stories through numbers in print, on governing.com and the new GOVERNING Data microsite (www.governing.com/gov-data).  He is the in-house data curator (finding stories hiding in plain sight in publicly available data sets), helping build out an online library of infographics and visualizations and integrating them in GOVERNING’s storytelling.  Mike comes to GOVERNING from the Erie (PA) Times-News, where he worked on online data projects, investigative reporting and writing articles on different topics. He previously held similar roles as an intern at the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Dylan Scott is also new to the editorial team, filling a recently vacated staff writer role.  Dylan has just completed a nine-month reporting internship at the Las Vegas Sun after graduating from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio and winning the Associated Press Society of Ohio award for Best Investigative Reporting in 2010 for a series of articles on Ohio University’s structural deficit.

We are also pleased that GOVERNING’s sales and administrative offices are back to full strength with the addition of Jackie Gault as Sales Director, who formerly served as the VP of business development for the Fairfax County, VA Chamber of Commerce and, earlier, as the North American representative of Monch Publishing of Bonn, Germany.

The sales team is now supported by Nurah Abdul-Majeed and Elisabeth Frerichs – both of whom join GOVERNING as media coordinators.

The DC office is also shared with David Rodgers, the new Regional Sales Director for the Government Technology Media Group.  David comes to GT from the technology vendor side with broad experience selling and managing sales teams in the federal, state and local government markets.

They join the finest group of dedicated professionals in the business.

e.Republic’s Government Technology, Governing and Emergency Management have joined together to provide complementary articles on 9/11′s impact on states and localities.

National Need for a New Network
Government Technology
Ten years after 9/11, plans to build a national communications network for public safety agencies — a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission — remain on the drawing board.

Policing in the Post-9/11 Era
Governing
In America’s largest Arab community, police are pioneering a new way to fight terrorism by strengthening neighborhood ties.

Homeland Spending Uncertainty
Emergency Management
The United States spent an estimated $635.9 billion spent on homeland security in the decade since 9/11, but what is the return on that investment?

This reflects a bi-coastal collaboration and the joint editorial and design resources of three of our publications.  Each story in each magazine is fully self contained, which gives readers the high quality and complete coverage they have come to expect.  Yet when read with the companion pieces in the other magazines, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and readers come away with an even more complete view of the story.

The Azbee Awards honor Editorial, Design, and Digital Excellence and are presented by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE).  Founded in 1964, ASBPE is the professional association for full-time and freelance editors and writers employed in the business, trade, and specialty press.

“We have, by far, some of the best editorial and design talent there is”, said e.Republic CEO, Dennis McKenna.  “We’re thrilled they’ve been recognized and congratulate them for their exceptional work.”

Awards won:

National:
Government Coverage
Gold
GOVERNING
“Louisiana’s Great Reset;
2010 Public Officials of the Year;
Cap & Fade”
October 2010, November 2010, December 2010

Magazine of the Year
Honorable Mention
Emergency Management

Overall Typography
Silver
Emergency Management
“Emergency Management Overall Typography”
July/August 2010

Central Southeast Region:
Editorial
Regular Column, Staff Written
Gold
GOVERNING
“Urban Notebook”
July 2010; August 2010

Design
Opening Page/Spread – Photo
Bronze
GOVERNING
“Statehouse Standstill”
January 2010

Western Region:
Feature Article – Editorial
Silver
Emergency Management
“911: A National Plight?”
May/June 2010

Feature Article – Design
Gold
Government Technology
“Powering Up”
August 2010

Opening Page/Spread – Computer Generated
Gold
Public CIO
“Work-Life Balance”
June/July 2010

Feature Article – Design
Silver
Emergency Management
“Question From The Gulf”
September/October 2010

e.Republic is a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.  http://www.erepublic.com.

and

Emergency Management magazine took home three awards:  Honorable Mention as Magazine of the Year; Silver for Overall Typography and another Silver for Feature Article (written by Elaine Pittman)!

All are incredible feats considering the large number of entries each year.

The Azbee Awards honor Editorial, Design, and Digital Excellence and are given by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE).  Founded in 1964, it’s the professional association for full-time and freelance editors and writers employed in the business, trade, and specialty press.

Here are the specifics:

Government Coverage
Gold
GOVERNING Magazine
“Louisiana’s Great Reset;
2010 Public Officials of the Year;
Cap & Fade”
October 2010, November 2010, December 2010
John Buntin, Jessica B. Mulholland, Zach Patton, Steve Towns, Tina Trenkner and Jonathan Walters

Magazine of the Year
Honorable Mention
Emergency Management

Overall Typography
Silver
Emergency Management
“Emergency Management Overall Typography”
July/August 2010
Jim McKay: Editor, Kelly Martinelli: Creative Director

Feature Article
Silver
Emergency Management magazine
“911: A National Plight?”
May/June 2010
Elaine Pittman, Associate Editor

What a crew of editors, writers, designers and production staff we have here at e.Republic who create our incredible magazines.

The awards honor firms who tailor technology solutions to suit the unique needs of government.  Winners were selected from nominations, submitted by Public sector IT entities, of companies who partnered with them on projects addressing such areas as health and human services; public safety and corrections; and portals and online services.

Full story at http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/survey/84.

“Now, more than ever, it is critical that government and industry work together to achieve success that neither could do as effectively on their own,” said Center Executive Vice President Cathilea Robinett. “These integrators demonstrate how collaboration creates innovation – in turn helping governments operate more efficiently and provide enhanced services to constituents, thus benefitting everyone. Congratulations to the winners!”

See photos at http://www.govtech.com/photos/?g=126724453

Winners:
CIBER, Inc. 
Exceptional Service Award in Health and Human Services

Delegata  
Modernization Award in Corrections and Public Safety

Deloitte Consulting LLP
Performance and Modernization Award in Health and Human Services

Hewlett-Packard Company
Collaboration and Performance Award in Health and Human Services

NICUSA, Inc. 
Exceptional Service and Modernization Award in Portals and Online Services

Northrop Grumman Corporation
Exceptional Service Award in Health and Human Services

Unisys 
Modernization and Performance Award in Health and Human Services

The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation. http://www.erepublic.com

e.Republic’s Government Technology magazine, which focuses on solving problems in state and local government through the smart use of technology, interviewed the champions and is showcasing their stories with exclusive photos in the August issue and with a slide show and video interviews on www.govtech.com/e-government/White-House-Open-Data-Developers-Trade-Ideas.html

The winning open-data applications vary widely in scope, from navigating complicated zoning ordinances to informing parents of child-friendly destinations to helping asthma patients track the use of their medication.

List of Champions and applications:

-          David Van Sickle – Asthmapolis

-          Savita Farooqui – California Cage Fight

-          Dan O’Neil – Citypayments.org

-          David Augustine, Bob Burbach and Andrew Carpenter – Federal Register

-          Conor White-Sullivan – Localocracy.com

-          Jill Seman – MomMaps

-          Randall Leeds – Redirectory Project/ Social Services 211

-          Omar Haroun and Aaron Royston – Sportaneous

-          Waldo Jaquith – Richmond Sunlight

-          David Emory and Brian Ferris – Tri Met Planner

-          Michael Riedyk – Youtown

-          Leigh Budlong – ZonabilitySF

“Champions of Change” is a recurring White House program highlighting ordinary individuals doing extraordinary things in American life.

The Center for Digital Government (http://centerdigitalgov.com) and Government Technology are divisions of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation. (http://www.erepublic.com)