Eleven local governments and four individuals have been recognized for their outstanding programmatic and personal contributions through ICMA’s 2010 Annual Awards Program. These outstanding individuals and communities will be celebrated during the 96th ICMA Annual Conference, October 17-20, 2010, in San Jose, California.

ICMA's Annual Awards Program recognizes creative contributions to professional local government management and demonstrates the value professional management contributes to the quality of life in our cities, towns, and counties. This year, an independent, 17-member evaluation panel reviewed more than 150 eligible nominations.

The ICMA awards are conferred in two categories: Professional Awards, which recognize individual achievement by outstanding chief administrative officers, assistant administrators, academics, and others; and Program Excellence Awards, which are presented to local governments and their chief administrators in recognition of their innovative and successful programs. ICMA congratulates the recipients of its 2010 Annual Awards.

Professional Awards

• Award for Career Excellence in Honor of Mark E. Keane recognizes an outstanding chief local government administrator who has fostered representative democracy by enhancing the effectiveness of local elected officials and by consistently initiating creative and successful programs. Recipient: James K. Spore, city manager, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Award for Career Development in Memory of L. P. Cookingham recognizes an outstanding local government administrator who has made a significant contribution to the career development of new talent in professional local government management. Recipient: Eric A. Anderson, city manager, Tacoma, Washington
• Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award in Memory of Buford M. Watson, Jr. recognizes a local government management professional who has made significant contributions toward excellence in leadership while serving as an assistant (regardless of title) to a chief local government administrator or department head. Recipient: Douglas J. Hewett, assistant city manager, Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Academic Award in Memory of Stephen B. Sweeney recognizes an academic leader who has made a significant contribution to the formal education of students pursuing careers in local government. Recipient: Marvin K. Hoffman, professor and director, MPA Program, Appalachian State University, North Carolina

Program Excellence Awards

• Community Health and Safety Awards recognize the local government programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in the community's safety, health, and/or wellness, including enhancement in the quality of life for the disadvantaged. This category is sponsored in part in memory of Carolyn Keane, first wife of ICMA’s 4th Executive Director, Mark Keane, and in memory of Bill and Alice Hansell, parents of ICMA’s 5th Executive Director, Bill Hansell. Recipients: Cornelius, Oregon, Cornelius Community Engagement (10,000-49,999 pop.), David R. Waffle, city manager; and Wake County, North Carolina, Advanced Practice Paramedic Program (50,000+ pop.), David C. Cooke, county manager  
• Community Partnership Awards recognize the programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in multi-participant involvement between and/or among a local government and other governmental entities, private sector businesses, individuals, or nonprofit agencies to improve the quality of life for residents or provide more efficient and effective services. Recipients: Central City, Nebraska, South Recreation Project (less than 10,000 pop.), Christopher Anderson, city administrator; Needham, Massachusetts, Emotionally Intelligent Signage (10,000-49,999 pop.), Kate P. Fitzpatrick, town manager, and Christopher T. Coleman, assistant town manager ; and Sugar Land, Texas, Extraordinary Partnership Brings College Campus to Sugar Land (50,000+), Allen Bogard, city manager
• Community Sustainability Awards recognize the innovative local government programs or processes that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in balancing that community's social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs. Recipients: Bayside, Wisconsin, Measuring Green (less than 10,000 pop.), Andrew K. Pederson, village manager; Hickory, North Carolina, Operation No Vacancy (10,000-49,999 pop.), Mick Berry, city manager, and Andrea Surratt, assistant city manager; and Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands, City of the Sun (50,000+ pop.), Joost G. Den Hertog, city manager
• Strategic Leadership and Governance Awards recognize the innovative and successful local government programs or processes that have significantly affected a local government organization's culture or strategic direction. Recipients: Mission, Kansas, Mission Vision (less than 10,000 pop.), Michael J. Scanlon, city administrator; Decatur, Georgia, The Sound of the City-Decatur’s Collaborative Budgeting Process (10,000-49,999 pop.) Peggy Merriss, city manager, and Andrea Arnold, assistant city manager; and Schaumburg, Illinois, Talent Management (50,000+ pop.), Kenneth J. Fritz, village manager, and Paula Hewson, senior assistant to the village manager

In addition to recognition at the 96th ICMA Annual Conference, the 2010 Annual Award recipients will be highlighted in a commemorative booklet that will be published on icma.org and in a fall issue of PM magazine. For more information about the program, visit http://icma.org/awards, or contact Felicia Littky at awards@icma.org or 202/962-3656.