VCU’s Wilder School Announces 2013 “Excellence in Virginia Government Awards”

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will honor individuals and organizations in six categories for distinctive contributions to the practice of government and dedication to the well-being of Virginia’s communities.

The awards will be presented during the ninth annual Excellence in Virginia Government Awards ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Richmond Marriott, 500 E. Broad St.

The following awards will be presented for significant contributions to Virginia through public service:

Lifetime Achievement Award: With more than five decades of service to the commonwealth, Delegate Lacey Putney will be recognized for a career that has earned him bipartisan respect for his dedication to Virginia’s citizens and the legislative leadership. Putney, who has represented the 19th District in the House of Delegates since 1961, is the longest-serving member in the history of the Virginia General Assembly. During his distinguished career, he has served on numerous committees, including appropriations, privileges and elections. Since 2008, Putney has served as the chair of the appropriations committee.  

Public Private Partnership Award: The Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3) and Director Tony Kinn will be recognized for the consolidation of Virginia’s transportation public-private partnerships and the facilitation of more than $1 billion in projects since its inception. Established by the enactment of Virginia’s Public-Private Partnership Act in 1995, the OTP3 is comprised of a diverse group of professionals whose mission is to develop complex public-private partnerships across all modes of transportation.

Innovation in Government Award: The Virginia Values Veterans (V3), an initiative of the Department of Veterans Services, builds vital public-private partnerships by leveraging state and federal agencies and industry leaders to share resources and educate employers on how to tap into the exceptional pool of talented veterans, reservists and National Guard in Virginia’s workforce. In its pilot year, V3 has trained more than 400 employers who have provided almost 3,000 jobs for Virginia veterans. The award will be presented to Paul Galanti, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services.

Community Enhancement Award: The Thrifty Spot, Matthews County Public Schools and Special Education Instructor Cathy Walker are being honored for the creation of a transition-to-work program that provides special needs students with on-site job training in a school-based business. Since 2010, the retail thrift store has been empowering special needs students to become active participants in their communities by providing vocational skills instruction directly linked to their individual academic, communication, daily living and transition goals.

Unsung Heroes Award: Steve Falden, an administrative and program specialist with more than three decades of service to the Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute (SVMHI), will be recognized for his distinguished care to clients and fostering a sense of pride among colleagues. Falden began working for SVMHI as a direct service aide in 1980. Today, he continues to work closely with clients to assist them in their daily activities and to monitor their safety. Described by colleagues as a team player who is always willing to serve in whatever role he is assigned with dignity and excellence, Falden is a role model who has become a respected, critical part of the fabric of care in southern Virginia.

Hill-Robinson Expansion of Freedom Award: Senator Yvonne Miller, the first African-American woman to serve in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly and the first woman ever to chair a Senate committee, is being honored posthumously for her furtherance of minority and children’s rights. Miller’s service in the legislature spanned from 1984 to 2012, and she also had a 43-year career as an educator in Norfolk public schools and at Norfolk State University. During her tenure in the legislature, Miller was passionate about improving the lives of the indigent and underrepresented. She introduced and supported bills that championed education, free clinics, Medicaid expansion and the restoration of voting rights for nonviolent felons.