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A Steuben crystal eagle is presented to
individuals whose career has a significant
portion as a public service practitioner.
Washington, DC — Winners of the prestigious National Public Service Awards, the premier awards for excellence in public service at all levels of government, have been announced by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). The awards will be presented on Monday, March 29, 2007 at noon, at the ASPA National Conference, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
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| ASPA and NAPA established the National Public Service Awards in 1983 to honor individuals whose accomplishments are models of public service within and outside the work environment. The NPSA Awards Program recognizes individuals who exhibit the highest standards of excellence, dedication, and accomplishment over a sustained period of time and who are creative and skilled career managers at all levels of public service. The 2007 National Public Service Award winners are: |
Peter M. Blumberg, Ph.D.
Director
National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s)
Laboratory
of Cancer Biology and Genetics
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Barbara S. Dorf
Director
U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
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James E. Hartwell, Jr.
Program Manager
U.S.
Air Force’s (USAF’s) Hurlburt Field
Evaluation Squadron
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Thomas H. Muehlenbeck
City Manager
Plano, Texas |  |
Mark A. Pisano, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
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2007 Winners in Word document
Peter M. Blumberg, Ph.D., is the head of the Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Promotion Section In the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics. He has done ground-breaking research into the causes and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and pain. Blumberg has identified promising scientists in biology and chemistry and, since 1999, has brought six deaf scientists into his group at NCI. He has developed a network of contacts at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. |
| | | To better ensure equal opportunity for this underserved talent pool of scientists, Blumberg taught himself sign language. This not only simplifies communication but makes the young scientists feel fully integrated into the work environment in his lab. For students at Gallaudet, Blumberg’s efforts have demonstrated that their opportunities are not limited and they will be judged on their talents. The former students have authored many papers and gone on to pursue graduate studies in fields such as pharmacology and biology. |
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| Blumberg's effort extended to integrate the deaf students into the activities of the lab, ensuring that they could participate in the collegial work environment. Other lab employees have since welcomed the students and two of the especially successful deaf scientists now serve as much-needed role models for other deaf citizens. |
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| Robert H. Wiltrout, Ph.D., director of NCI’s Center for Cancer Research, nominated Dr. Blumberg. |
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| Barbara S. Dorf is the director, Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight in the Office of Administration within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She has been at the forefront of efforts to move HUD to true public-private partnerships. In 1981, Dorf changed the way HUD provided funds to redevelop the South Bronx by increasing participation of grassroots, community-based nonprofit organizations. Five small nonprofits made such progress that they were featured on Nightline, showing the South Bronx as a viable community with shops and housing in place of destruction. |
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| By establishing, in 1999, satellite broadcasting, webcasting, and cable television materials for HUD programs, Dorf brought government training to the community rather than having the community come to the department; HUD was the first federal agency to offer satellite training for its notice of funding availability (NOFA). Through her work, HUD also became the first federal agency to have 100 percent of its competitively distributed funds available for application through the federal government’s electronic portal for grant applications, www.grants.gov. |
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| In 2003, Dorf introduced a Logic Model to measure performance and results of HUD’s grantees. It has worked so well in collecting information and assessing results of the activities that the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has said HUD’s Logic Model will serve as the model for other agencies. |
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| Keith A. Nelson, HUD’s assistant secretary for administration, nominated Ms. Dorf. |
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| James E. Hartwell, Jr. is a program manager at the United States Air Force’s (USAF’s) Hurlburt Field, in the Test and Evaluation Squadron. As a retired military officer and civilian public servant, his ‘service before self’ mentality has benefited his community and country. During military service, he helped transforms system development in the Aerospace Defense Command and Pacific Command so that time from system concept to combat was substantially reduced. Today, he applies his military-rated aviator experience to direct planning, execution and reporting of assigned air and space operations, center test programs, and Homeland Defense initiatives. |
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| As a member of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach City, Texas, Hartwell worked with local attorneys to execute a complex plan to purchase properties in high-crime/drug-use areas. He helped convert the properties into affordable housing, where citizens now take pride in a safe, drug-free community. After Hurricane Katrina, he traveled to Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to assist victims in cleanup and recovery and set up relief stations throughout Fort Walton Beach. |
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| Proud of his Native American heritage, Hartwell is a member of the Northwest Florida Inter-Tribal Council and Honor Guard; for 14 years he has helped organize and direct the largest annual military-sponsored pow-wow in the world. He has served as a Boy Scout scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster on eight occasions. |
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| Colonel Vincent P. DiFronzo, Commander of the 505th Command and Control Wing, nominated Mr. Hartwell. |
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| Thomas H. Muehlenbeck is the city manager of Plano, Texas and previously served in the same position in five other cities, including Virginia Beach, Virginia and Galveston, Texas. Plano’s population has grown from 114,500 to 252,000 since Muehlenbeck came to the city in 1987. This has entailed overseeing growth in all facets of community life, from paved streets to libraries, to parks and athletic facilities. |
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| Homeland security has been a top priority since 9/11, with the expansion of Plano’s emergency operations into on-going terrorism training activities, commitment to construction of a dedicated emergency operations facility, and the September 2006 appointment of a director to head the city’s year-old Homeland Security Department. |
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| With Muehlenbeck’s passion for the environment, there has been a continuing commitment to a green and clean Plano. Plano became the first city in Texas to offer automated refuse and recycling collection to its citizen and he recently was honored as an urban forester by the Texas Forest Service. |
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| Muehlenbeck’s personal commitment to mentoring young professionals in municipal governance careers led to receipt of the Joy Samson Mentoring Award from the North Texas City Managers Association. He was an active proponent in developing Plano’s Management Preparation Program, a management succession program. |
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| Douglas J. Watson, Ph.D., director of graduate programs in public affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas, nominated Mr. Muehlenbeck. |
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| Mark A. Pisano, Ph.D. is executive director, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Pisano oversaw activities related to the Regional Transportation Plan that SCAG adopted in 2005 – no small feat in a region of 15 million people spread over 38,000 square miles. SCAG’s Compass Southern California vision program has been described as probably the most effective statement of regional planning and policy in the U.S. |
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| Pisano was the founding CEO, in 1990, of the Southern California Hazardous Waste Management Authority and founding president of the LINC/Corporate Fund for Housing, a public/private corporation that develops subsidies to supplement loss of federal low-income housing subsidies. Pisano continues to serve as chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the Development Committee for this organization, which has created more than 5,500 housing units in the past 15 years. |
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| He has been a trustee board member since 1995 of Resources for the Future, which conducts applied economic research in the field of natural resources. Pisano has held leadership positions in the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), serves as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, is an active member of the International City/County Management Association, and was a board member and chair of the Membership Committee of the National Civic League for many years. Since 2000, he has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s (USC’s) School of Policy, Planning, and Development. |
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| Chester A. Newland, Duggan Distinguished Professor at USC, nominated Dr. Pisano. |
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| For additional information on the award, please contact Elaine Orr, NPSA coordinator
(npsa@napawash.org) or Melissa Thorpe, Senior Communications Advisor for the Academy ( mthorpe@napawash.org) . Both can be reached at 202-347-3190. |
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| For general information on the awards, go to www.napawash.org, and click on Awards on the left. Correspondence can be addressed to: |
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| National Public Service Awards
c/o National Academy of Public Administration
1100 New York Avenue, Suite 1090E
Washington, DC 20005
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