VCU’s Wilder School presents Excellence in Virginia Government Awards

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University today honored eight Virginians with the first annual Excellence in Virginia Government Awards.

The Wilder School’s awards celebrate the accomplishments of Virginians who have made distinctive contributions to the practice of government and to the well-being of the commonwealth’s communities and citizens.

At ceremonies held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, master of ceremonies Robert D. Holsworth, Ph.D., director of the Wilder School and acting dean of VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, said the awards “enable us to honor people who represent the best managed state in the country.”

The following awards were presented to eight Virginians who have made significant contributions to the commonwealth through public service:

·    The Public-Private Partnership Award was presented to Virginia Senate Majority Leader Walter A. Stosch for his leadership in the introduction, passage and implementation of Virginia’s landmark Public-Private Transportation Act.

·    The Public Information Award was presented to the Virginia Department of Education for the Virginia School Report Card, described as a model for how information about the performance of large public institutions can be communicated to citizens. Representing the education department were Peter A. Blake, Virginia secretary of education; Wilbert Bryant, who serves in the U.S. Department of Education as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs and as counselor to the secretary for the White House initiative on historically black colleges and universities; and Jo Lynne DeMary, Ph.D., superintendent of public instruction for the state Department of Education.

·    The Innovation in Government Award was presented to Richard P. Kern, Ph.D., director of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, for developing an innovative felony sentencing system that is viewed as a national model to reduce disparities in criminal punishments and ensure more efficient use of state correctional resources.

·    The Community Enhancement Award was presented to the Child & Family Network Centers, Alexandria, Va. Representing the centers was its executive director, Barbara Fox Mason, who was hired in 1985 by concerned parents in a low-income housing project to start a preschool to better prepare their children for kindergarten. The organization has expanded to nine locations enrolling 218 students.

·    The Expansion of Freedom Award was presented to Robert J. Grey, Jr., partner, Hunton & Williams and past president of the American Bar Association. Under Grey’s leadership, the ABA took significant steps to educate the public about the American jury system and to improve legal representation for those underserved by the legal system.

·    The Lifetime Public Achievement Award was presented to Richard D. Brown, director of the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. Brown’s 35-year-career with state government is marked by his practical and prudent approach to public budgeting, specifically his guidance in developing and managing the Commonwealth’s biennial budget.