What are you doing May 1-7?

Celebrated the first week of May since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is a nationwide public education campaign honoring the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees. PSRW gives governments at all levels the chance to showcase their contributions to their communities.

If your government plans to celebrate PSRW – by holding a special event, giving citizens a chance to meet the people who serve them, or recognizing the contributions of public employees in another way – we’d like to know. Please send an email describing your plans to Amy Mayers at amayers@icma.org by or before April 8 (feel free to attach a program description or report, if you have one). Starting in mid-April, we will post a list of PSRW celebrations across the country on the ICMA website!

For all video buffs, there’s even a special contest you can enter. Learn more on the official PSRW website. Act fast – the deadline is April 17.

Nominations Open for New Local Government Workforce Excellence Award

Local governments face a talent crisis just as real as the fiscal crisis. While the government workforce is older and more educated than that of the private sector, many governments do not have a plan for how they will recruit, develop, and compete with the private sector for the best and the brightest.

The Center for State and Local Government Excellence, joined by ICMA, the National League of Cities, Government Finance Officers Association, and International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR), seeks nominations of innovative and successful workforce programs. All units of local government are eligible and anyone may submit nominations.

Learn more and download a nomination form at http://www.slge.org/award.