NextGen Public Service Award Winners Announced

We are proud to host the 11th Annual NextGen Public Service Awards for superior public service and achievement. The awards recognize deserving individuals selected from the public service community for their intelligence, exuberance and dedication to improving and invigorating government.

General Information

The winners are in! Nominations were submitted online from April 1 – June 12, 2020, for the NextGen Public Service Awards. The 12 winners were announced on June 30, 2020, and publicly recognized during the NextGen Government Training Summit, which will be hosted virtually August 19-20, 2020.

Please read more about the award categories and their specific attributes. The selection committee determined and assigned categories based on the information submitted via the nomination form. The 2020 award winners are listed by category below. The 2020 award winners are listed by category below.

NextGen Public Service Award Categories and 2020 Award Winners

Courageous Champion
This award recognizes a public servant that is blazing the path for their generation in government with courage and determination at the local, state, national, or international level.

2020 Award Winners:

• Robert Nunnery, Coordination Center Manager, Transportation Security Administration
• Amanda Ames, Chief Engineer, Louisiana Department of Health and Bureau of Engineering Services

Innovator of the Year
This category recognizes an individual or team who has identified new opportunities and improved their organization in an innovative way.

2020 Award Winners:

• William Mamourieh, HQ AETC/A9 Director, Analysis and Innovation, United States Air Force
• Terry E. Lee II, Talent Acquisition Manager, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice

Silent Hero
This award recognizes a public servant who has operated behind the scenes, silently working in a dedicated and committed fashion, without the limelight. He or she has laid the foundation for stellar public service results and impacted positive change in their organization at the local, state, national or international level.

2020 Award Winners:

• John Arrington, Unified Communications Program Manager, Department of Labor
• Steven McAndrews, Senior Cybersecurity Policy Advisor, Office of Management and Budget

Exemplary Leader
This award recognizes an individual government leader who has demonstrated benevolence, competence, integrity, dedication, and commitment to improve and inspire their organization or community at the local, state, national, or international level.

2020 Award Winners:

• Venus Eagle, Product Manager, Registration Division of the Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency
• Lester Claravall, Child Labor Program Administrator, Oklahoma Department of Labor

NextGen Advocate
This award recognizes an individual who is consistently and relentlessly advocating for their project or team to further their organization’s mission, or an individual who is dedicated to cultivating talent, mentoring and helping to guide NextGen public service leaders to become our future community leaders at the local, state, national, or international level.

2020 Award Winners:

• Kim Wittenberg, Health Scientist Administrator, Department of Health and Human Services
• Stephan Buckner, Assistant Director for Marketing, Digital and Strategic Communications, U.S. Census Bureau

Dedication During COVID-19
This award recognizes an individual who has gone above and beyond to during the coronavirus pandemic or has worked to ensure business continuity so that the mission of their agency is still accomplished in these unparalleled times. He/she has shown a commitment to improve and inspire their organization or community at the local, state, national, or international level.

2020 Award Winners:

• Theresa Sokol, Assistant State Epidemiologist, Louisiana Office of Public Health – Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section
• Vira Ross, Registered Nurse, Department of Veteran Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System