Government Champions 250

In honor of the America 250 celebration, Local Gov 250 and the National Academy of Public Administration are excited to announce the Government Champions.  These Champions recognize and celebrate the exceptional individuals, from all levels of government, who make a significant impact in their work in cities, counties, regional councils, states and the Federal Government.  These individuals are currently working (or recently retired) in government who exemplify “democracy at the doorstep” through dedication, innovation, and the highest sense of public service. 

​

The Government Champions will be recognized at an event on Tuesday May 12, 2026 in Philadelphia.

​

HONOREES

Alabama

​David L. Albright, PhD, DCH Board Member, DCH Health System

Kelli Bentley, Human Resource Director, Anniston Water Works and Sewer Board

Laura Hall, Representative, Alabama House of Representatives

Lee Perryman, Former Sylacauga City Councilman, Sylacauga City Council

​

Alaska

Neil Stichert, Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat Program Manager, Alaska Region 10, U.S. Forest Service

​

Arizona

Bobby Yu, Supervising Deputy County Attorney, Business Transactions and Land Use Unit, Pima County Attorney's Office

Brian Johnson, Pima County Treasurer, Pima County Government

George Flores, Retired, City of Buckeye

Jan Lesher, Pima County Administrator, Pima County

Joseph David Young, City Attorney, City of Prescott

Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix

Lisa Garcia, Deputy Town Manager/ Town Clerk, Town of Florence

Mary Cameli, Chief, City of Mesa Fire and Medical Department

Sara Rinfret, Professor and Director of Public Administration, Northern Arizona University

Scott Somers, Vice Mayor, Mesa City Council

Shannon Portillo, Director and Coor Presidential Chair School of Public Affairs Watts College of Public Service Arizona State University, ASU

​

Arkansas

Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service, University of Arkansas

​

California

Alexander Fung, Economic Development Manager, City of Eastvale

Bina Lefkovitz, Trustee, Sacramento County Board of Education and President, Association of the California County Boards of Education

Brian Mohan, City Manager, City of Moreno Valley

Chris Zapata Jr., City Manager, City of Sausalito

Clement Lau, Senior Analyst, County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office

Dennis Kauffman, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer, City of Roseville

Eric Palmer, Senior Communications Coordinator, ReGen Monterey (Monterey Regional Waste Management District), CA

Jaime Moore, Fire Chief, Los Angeles Fire Department

Jennifer Contini, Chief Assistant City Attorney, City of Anaheim

John Gioia, County Supervisor, Contra Costa County

Jon Givner, Chief Assistant City Attorney, San Francisco City Attorney’s Office

Juliana Lucchesi, Assistant City Manager, City of Yreka

Magda Gonzalez, Retired, City of Half Moon Bay

Mercy Santoro, Deputy Director, Parks and Recreation, County of Los Angeles

Pat Martel, West Coast Region Director, ICMA

Patrice Chamberlain, Health Equity Specialist, CA Dept. of Public Health

Rivkah Sass, CEO Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Public Library

Stephen W. Griswold III, Assistant General Manager, Town of Discovery Bay

​

Colorado

Brandy Reitter, Executive Director, Colorado Broadband Office, Governor’s Office of Information Technology

Brooke Spain, Community Events Manager, Town of Parker

Casey Brown, Lead Workforce Specialist, City and County of Broomfield

Jim Golden, Chief Financial Officer, City of Longmont

Jordan Reif, Assistant City Attorney III, City of Loveland

Kathleen E. Hodgson, City Manager, City of Lakewood

Yvonne Fischbach, Executive Director, Hyland Hills Parks & Recreation District

​

Connecticut

Dr. Mohamad Alkadry, Professor & School Director of the School of Public Policy, University of Connecticut

​

Delaware

Amy Marasco, Mayor, City of Lewes

Paul Baumbach, Former Delaware State Representative, State of Delaware General Assembly

​

District of Columbia

Clarence Anthony, CEO & Executive Director, National League of Cities

Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accounting Office

Jehan Pitt, Congressional Fellow, United States House of Representatives Democratic Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

John A. Donnelly, Sr., Fire Chief, Washington DC Fire and EMS Department

Nina Albert, Deputy Mayor, Planning and Economic Development, DC Government

Shenita McConis, PE, PMP, AICP, Master Planner, PPAID, Installation Readiness Branch, USACE Headquarters

Vincent Micone, Former Acting Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, U.S. Department of Labor

​

Florida

Alexander Diaz, Town Manager, Town of Golden Beach

Aneisha Daniel, Director/CEO, Miami Dade County Solid Waste Management

Bryce Fehringer, Urban Planner, Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency

Byron W. Brooks, County Administrator, Orange County Government - Orange County

Carlos Baia, City Manager, City of Temple Terrace

Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami-Dade County

Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager, Bal Harbour Village

Ken Burke, Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Pinellas County Government

Leon Pinder, Director of Public Works & Support Services, City of West Palm Beach, City of West Palm Beach

Otto Drozd III, Executive Secretary, Fire Chief (Ret.), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association NFPA

Philip Harris, DBA, Director of Economic Development, City of Greenacres

Tarik Rahmani, CFO/Interim Deputy City Manager, City of North Miami Beach

​

Georgia

Amy Martin, Senior Planner, City of Valdosta

Angela Bowers, Director of Disability Access and ADA Compliance, City of Atlanta- Mayor’s Office

Bill Bruton, Jr., City Manager, City of Marietta

Cheryl R. Small, EdD, Central Library Administrator, Fulton County Library System

Dr. Joe Pennino, Deputy City Administrator, City of Roswell

John Amos Ward III, County Manager, Walton County

Lisa Y. Benjamin, Partner, Lexicon Strategies; former Chief Operating Offficer, City of Atlanta

Monica Callahan, Planning & Development Director, City of Madison

Sarah Huffman, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Risk Management, City of Rome

Hawaii

Suzanne Vares-Lum, President, East-West Center

Idaho

Debbie Geyer, City Clerk, City of Caldwell

Illinois

Adam Szalkowski, Assistant Fleet Division Manager, City of St. Charles

Christine Jones, Village Clerk RMC CMC, Village of Burlington

Dr. Shami Goyal, Chief Medical Officer, Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation

Ghida Neukirch, City Manager, City of Highland Park

Jeremy Barkei, Assistant Public Works Director (formerly Water Superintendent), City of Batavia

Leonel B. Jaramillo, Economic Development Navigator, City of Kankakee - Economic and Community Development Agency (ECDA)

Molly Talkington, Director of Finance, City of Rolling Meadows

Nina Westhoff, Meter Reader, City of St. Charles

Patsy Diaz, Cultural Liaison, Chicago Park District

Phil Kiraly, Village Manager, Village of Glencoe

Phillip Green, AICP, Transportation & Long Range Planner, Village of Hoffman Estates

Richard Reinbold, Village President, Village of Richton Park

Tim McMahon, Bureau Chief for Federal Affairs, Illinois Department of Transportation

William (Paul) Hopkins, Public Works Manager – Electric Services (retired), City of St. Charles

​

Indiana

Dan Huge, Public Finance Director, State of Indiana

Ernest Malone, Fire Chief, City of Indianapolis Fire Department

Linda Pride Thompson, Senior Environmental Planner (retired), City of Bloomington - Planning & Transportation Department

​

Iowa

Jeffrey Pomeranz, City Manager, Cedar Rapids

Sara Kurovski, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill

​

Kansas

Maddy Campbell, Supervisor of the Office of Community Engagement, City of Wichita

Robert Layton, Retired City Manager, City of Wichita

Taylor Eubanks, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kansas Department of Commerce

​

Kentucky

Jonathan Joseph, Teacher and Councilman, Jefferson County Public Schools & Louisville Metro Council

Tyler Morton, Council Member, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government

​

Louisiana

Kate Hoadley, Chief of Staff, Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, City of New Orleans

​

Maryland

Ericka Rohrbaugh, Manager of Opportunity and Transformation, City of Frederick

Gayon Sampson, Chief of Staff, City of Frederick

James R. Benjamin, Jr. Esquire, County Attorney, Baltimore County Government

Michael Ettlinger, Senior Fellow, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Sara Gross, Chief, Affirmative Litigation Division, Baltimore City Law Department

Shamiah Kerney, Deputy City Administrator, City of Baltimore

Stacy L. Rodgers, Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor, University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs, Schaefer Center for Public Policy

Tanisha Briley, City Manager, City of Gaithersburg

Tiffany Davis, Director, Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University

Trisha L. Wolford, Fire Chief, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, President, International Association of Fire Chiefs

Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council President, Baltimore City Council

​

Massachusetts

Bran Shim, Senior Advisor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG)

Melissa Termine Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Town of Lexington

Michael Herbert, Town Manager, Town of Ashland

Michelle Wu, Mayor, City of Boston

​

Michigan

Courtney Pendleton, Chief Operating Officer, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Danielle Mahoney, Assistant City Manager, City of Novi

Dr. Ladel Lewis, 2nd Ward Flint City Councilwoman, City of Flint

Jane Bais DiSessa, Retired, City of Lansing

Mark Wollenweber, Retired

Marlon Brown, Director, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, State of Michigan

Rhonda I. Ricketts, Finance Officer and Treasurer, Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

​

Minnesota

Cory Kampf, Chief Financial Officer, Anoka County

Daniel R. Buchholtz, Administrator, Clerk/Treasurer, City of Spring Lake Park

Zach Walker, City Manager, City of Bloomington

​

Missouri

Brooklyn Wasser, Director of Business Opportunities, Missouri Department of Economic Development

David Warm, Executive Director, Mid-America Regional Council

Josh Henges, Homelessness Prevention Coordinator, City of Kansas City

Kim Nakahodo, Deputy City Administrator, City of North Kansas City

Marlene Nagel, Director of the Office of Resource Development, Mid-America Regional Council

Matthew Gigliotti, City Attorney, City of Kansas City

Tammy Queen, Assistant City Manager, City of Kansas City

​

Mississippi

Toby Barker, Mayor, City of Hattiesburg

​

Montana

Donna Gaukler, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Missoula

​

Nebraska

Chris Anderson, City Administrator, City of Central City

Heather Buller, Recreation Director, City of La Vista

​

Nevada

Jeff Dorocak, City Attorney, City of Las Vegas

Kelvin Watson, Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

Michon Eben, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony

Stephanie Garcia-Vause, City Manager/CEO, City of Henderson

​

New Jersey

David G. Brown, II, Town Manager, Township of Ocean

Justin A. Riggs, Deputy City Manager, City of Cape May

Kerry Anne Henry, Associate Director, New Jersey Department of Children and Families’ Office of Housing

LaKeesha Eure, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, City of Newark

Matt von der Hayden, Township Administrator, Stafford Township

Sivaraman Anbarasan, Council At-Large, Township of Franklin, Somerset County

Stacey Flanagan, Director of Health and Human Service, City of Jersey City

​​

New Mexico

Pamela S. Hyde, Retired, SAMHSA, State of New Mexico, State of Ohio, State of Colorado

​

New York

Carol A. Sheibley, Deputy Mayor, Village of Gowanda, NY

David Galin, Chief of Staff, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheenan, NY

Dr. Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Director, Greater Ithaca Activities Center, City of Ithaca, GIAC

Emily Dove, Firefighter, Ithaca Fire Department

Greggory Houck, Director, Ithaca Youth Bureau, City of Ithaca

Jacob Crawford, Town Councilman, Town of Guilderland

Jared M. Kraham, Mayor, City of Binghamton

Joshua Webster, Senior Code Inspector, City of Ithaca, Building Division

Megan Wilson, Deputy Director of Planning & Development, City of Ithaca, Planning Department

Mike Moody, Acting Fire Chief, Ithaca Fire Department

Nantasha Williams, Represents the 27th district, New York City Council

Sarah Potwin, Executive Library Director, City of Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Public Library

Sean Maguire, Executive Director, Albany County Land Bank Corporation

Steve Noble, Mayor, City of Kingston

Thomas Roach, Mayor, City of White Plains

Victor Kessler, City Attorney, City of Ithaca

William Brazill, Mayor, Village of Minoa

William J Aiello, Mayor, City of Olean

​

North Carolina

Anca Grozav, Chief Deputy State Budget Director, North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management

Anna Snyder, Assistant Director, Wayne County Public Library

Dave Cuddeback, EMS Director, County of Wayne

E.B. Borden Parker, County Attorney (retired and now named County Attorney Emeritus), Wayne County

Jennifer Bryson Robinson, Former Elected Official, Town of Cary, Central Pines Regional Council

Kimberly McGuire, Social Services Director, County of Wayne

Lee Worsley, Executive Director, Central Pines Regional Council

Perry James, Senior Consultant / CFO, North Carolina League of Municipalities / City of Raleigh, NC

Sue Schwartz, FAICP, President Board of Directors, American Planning Association and former Executive Director of Planning, City of Greensboro

​​

North Dakota

Corbin Dickerson, Assistant City Attorney, City of Minot

Nancy Horst, Legal Administrative Assistant, City of Minot

​​

Northern Marina Islands

Erlinda C. Naputi, Library Director, Joeten-Kiyu Public Library

​

Ohio

Carla Williams-Scott, Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships and Community Outreach, The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University

Darnell Brown, Retired Chief Operating Officer, City of Cleveland

Jeanine Hummer, First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Civil Division, Franklin County, Ohio Prosecutor's Office

Katherine Keough-Jurs, Director, City of Cincinnati, Department of City Planning and Engagement

Katie Eviston, Finance Director, City of Springfield

Tom Lindsey, Worthington Law Director, The City of Worthington

​

Oklahoma

Brenda Hall, City Clerk, City of Norman

​

Oregon

Brian Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer, Metro

Leslie Goodlow, Deputy Director Housing and Neighborhood Services, Portland Housing Bureau

Ruth Osuna, Retired, Washington County

Sarah Medary, City Manager (retired), City of Eugene (1996 - 2025)

Tanya Ange, County Administrator, Washington County

​

Pennsylvania

Adam K. Thiel, Managing Director, City of Philadelphia

Amrinder Singh, Director of Licenses & Inspections / Chief Building Official, Upper Darby Township

Danene Sorace, Mayor, City of Lancaster

Dwight Boddorf, Borough Manager, Tarentum Borough

Jeffrey Stonehill, Manager/Dir of Utilities, Chambersburg Borough

Matthew Popek, AICP, Transportation Planning Manager and Planning Commission Chairperson, Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) and Upper Merion Township

Milzy Carrasco, Director of Neighborhood Engagement, City of Lancaster

Tom Stanuikynas, DVRPC Board Chair and Burlington County, NJ, Supervising Planner, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

​​​

South Carolina

John David Gilreath, Jr., PE, Assistant County Administrator, Infrastructure and Regulation Division, Horry County Government

Shannon Todd, Assistant County Administrator - Administration Division, Horry County Government

Steven Gibson, Deputy City Manager, City of Rock Hill

​

Tennessee

Kelley Blevins Baker, Deputy City Attorney, City of Murfreesboro

Micah Wood, Town Planner and Town Administrator, Town of Thompson's Station

​

Texas

Alan Bojorquez, City Attorney of the City of Buda / Managing Attorney, Bojorquez Law Firm, PC, Bojorquez Law Firm, PC

Andrea Bottiglieri, Mayor’s Fitness Council Coordinator, City of San Antonio

Anna Mesa-Zendt, Transportation Planning Administrator, City of El Paso

Austin Bleess, City Manager, City of Jersey Village

Bassil Ally, Assistant City Attorney V, City of Austin, City Attorney's Office

Chuck Wemple, Executive Director, Houston-Galveston Area Council

David Fields, FAICP, Deputy Director, Capital Planning, Harris County Precinct One, Harris County

David Gray, Director, City of Austin

Dawn Steil, City Secretary, City of Terrell

Demi Engman, Director of Planning and Community Development, City of Beaumont

Denish Simon, Director of Neighborhood Services, City of Terre

Dr. Michael Evans, Mayor, City of Mansfield

James Wansley, Mayor, City of Whitehouse

Lashondra Holmes Stringfellow, AICP, Assistant Director, Development Services (Zoning & Design Review), City of Fort Worth

Melanie Morales, Operations Strategist, Communications & Engagement, City of San Antonio

Michael Garcia, Assistant to the City Manager/Grant Writer, City of Del Rio

Olivera Jankovska, Director of Education & Youth Engagement, City of Houston

Opal Mauldin-Jones, City Manager, City of Lancaster

Rick Weise, Assistant City Manager, City of San Angelo

Rolando Fernandez, Jr., Deputy Director, Austin Convention Center, City of Austin

Scott Houston, Intergovernmental Relations Manager, Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool

Shenequa Crockett, Marketing and Public Relations Professional, City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department, City of Dallas

TC Broadnax, City Manager, City of Austin

Veronica Briseño, Retired, City of Austin

Veronica Campbell, Purchasing Agent, Canutillo Independent School District

Veronica Carrillo, Assistant Director of Finance, City of San Antonio

​

Utah

Dawn R. Ramsey, Mayor of South Jordan, South Jordan City

Levi Hughes, Chief, Kearns Police Department

Mike Winder, City Manager, City of Millcreek

​

Vermont

Justin Johnson, Partner, MMR

​

Virginia

Brian Boucher, Deputy Director of Community Development, Town of Leesburg

Christopher D. Hively, Town Manager, Town of Culpeper

Dr. David Bray, Previously Executive Director for two Successful Bipartisan Commissions, now Chair of the Accelerator at the Stimson Center & Distinguished Fellow

Elizabeth McDonald, Public Utilities Director, Goochland County

India Adams-Jacobs, Town Manager, Town of Bowling Green

John S. Butler, Fire Chief, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

​

Washington

David Goldman, Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director, City of Oak Harbor

Yuri Hattersley, Performance and Process Analyst, City of Bellevue

​

West Virginia

Jan Rader, Director - Mayor's Council on Public Health and Drug Control Policy, Huntington

​

Wisconsin

Andy Pederson, Village Manager, Village of Bayside

Becky McCright, Full-Time Lead Fire Science Faculty, Madison Area Technical College

Gabriel Saiz, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Madison

Jen Garrett, Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Natalie Erdman, Director of Planning, Community and Economic Development, City of Madison

Stephen Nick, City Attorney, City of Eau Claire

Wendy Grant, Facility Coordinator/Office Manager, City of Baraboo Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Department

​

Wyoming

Chad Brush, Fire Chief, Camp Guernsey Fire Department, WY

​

​