Three ICMA Life Members—Ted A. Gaebler, Daniel A. Kleman, and Jan C. Perkins—will receive recognition as the 2016 recipients of the organization’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA) during the Celebration of Service ceremony taking place on Wednesday, September 28, in conjunction with the 102nd ICMA Annual Conference in Kansas City.

ICMA’s prestigious DSA is presented to city, town, or county managers who have retired from and made an outstanding contribution to the local government management profession. The award recognizes individuals whose service has been evaluated by their peers as strong or exceptional and who have made major contributions beyond direct service to local government. DSA recipients must have been retired from the profession for a minimum of two years.

The 2016 ICMA DSA recipients are:

 

Ted A. Gaebler. A forward-thinking local government leader, lecturer, teacher, entrepreneur, and mentor to countless MPA students, Gaebler’s lifelong quest has been to transform and restore trust in government and to create government organizations that are community-centric and put residents first. A strong leader and visionary, Gaebler is coauthor of seminal best-seller, Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector, which informed the 1993 creation of the Clinton-Gore Administration’s initiative to reform the federal government. Gaebler continues his service to the profession as an ICMA senior advisor in California. He has been an ICMA member since 1965. 

 

Daniel A. Kleman. A dedicated public manager, consensus builder, and advocate of professional local government management, Kleman was cited for his ability to bring diverse parts of a city or county together for constructive dialogue and problem solving and for being an innovator who isn’t afraid to challenge staff to try new things. He served on the ICMA Executive Board as Southeast regional vice president (1986-88) and president (1993-94) and continues to serve as a senior advisor in his home state of Florida. He is an ambassador for the local government management profession and has won the respect of elected officials, his peers, and those who have called him their boss. He has been an ICMA member since 1967.

 

Jan C. Perkins. A promoter of strong ethics and advocate for the development of leadership skills for professional staff, Perkins was cited for her outstanding administration, demonstrated leadership, and skill as a manager of people. She continues her life of public service by providing one-on-one advice, guidance, and counseling to early-and-mid-career professionals and inspires others with her willingness to share personal stories that show her heart, vulnerability, humanity and tenacity in facing and overcoming obstacles. Perkins continues to serve as an ICMA liaison to California and New Mexico, as well as to Women Leading Government, the affiliate organization she helped found. She has been an ICMA member since 1976.

To learn more about the outstanding achievements of these three ICMA members and their contributions to the local government management profession, read the 2016 ICMA Awards booklet, which highlights the recipients of the DSA, Local Government Excellence, and Service Award plus the ICMA Certificates in Performance Management.

2017 ICMA Distinguished Service Award nominations will be accepted next spring.