The National Governors Association (NGA) will honor seven outstanding individuals and one organization at its upcoming 98th Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The Awards for Distinguished Service to State Government will be presented August 5, during the meeting's opening plenary session.
"The men, women and organization we recognize this year are to be commended for their meaningful contributions to state government," said NGA Chairman Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. "My fellow governors and I are grateful for the dedication each of these honorees has demonstrated through service to their states."
State officials to be honored are:
- Cheryl Frasca, director, Alaska Office of Management and Budget
- Dora Schriro, director, Arizona Department of Corrections
- Lonice Barrett, director of implementation, Commission for a New Georgia.
Barrett's distinguished career in state government is characterized by exemplary service, leadership, citizen involvement, stewardship, innovation and extraordinary achievements that have resulted in better government for Georgians, said the NGA in a release. In 2004, after 36 years of service to his state, Barrett postponed retirement to accept Gov. Sonny Perdue's request to implement the recommendations of the
Commission for a New Georgia to achieve a highly effective state government. Barrett has directed more than a dozen major innovation initiatives in a remarkable span of government operations and services, including statewide procurement processes, capital asset management, workforce development, tourism marketing, customer service, leadership development and strategic industries. Results in documented cost savings have surpassed $37 million, with projected revenues and savings of more than $200 million a year from newly implemented programs.
Gov. Perdue said of Barrett -- who was a Government Technology Conference Keynoter last winter in Atlanta -- "His intelligence, integrity and humility have won the lasting trust, credibility and admiration of legislators, colleagues and citizens throughout Georgia."
