2024 Award Recipients
Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Sabina E. Deitrick – Associate Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs; Co-Director of the Urban and Regional Analysis Program at the University Center for Social and Urban Research
Chapter Leadership Award: Dr. Chris Schultz – Assistant Dean and Adjunct Professor at Montgomery County College
Ph.D. Research Award: Hasina Jalal, University of Pittsburgh; Mingean Park, Penn State Harrisburg; Michael Rosenthal, West Chest University; Thomas J. Westrick Jr., West Chester University, Victoria Williama, Penn State Harrisburg.
Outstanding Student Award: Alex Nagy, Penn State Harrisburg; Yeobin Yoon, Penn State Harrisburg.
Student Paper Award: Sophia Bollinger, Kyle Carey, Carla Land, Casey McMillan, Matthew Meagher; Penn State Harrisburg MPA capstone project.
2023 Award Recipients
Public Service Achievement Award: Mike Pries – Chairman of Dauphin County Board of Commissioners
Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award: Susan G. Hockenberry – Owner of SGHock LLC
Chapter Leadership Award: Dakotah Kinnan – Management Analyst at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Distinguished Public Service Achievement Award: RJ Susko – Planning and Development Director at Town of McCandless
Outstanding Student: Jingyu Guo, Penn State Harrisburg Doctoral Program; Eric Macadangdang, University of Pittsburgh master’s degree program and Community Networks Coordinator, UrbanKind; Kesley Richardson, West Chester University doctoral program and Chair of the Bill Anderson Research Fellowship; Matthew Tenney, Penn State Harrisburg master’s degree program and Small Business Ombudsman, Oregon Secretary of State
Student Paper Award: Bri Bovbjerg, Zachariah Hoydich, Karly Keppel, Ruichen Ma, Eric Macadangdang, Shannah Mallett, Adam Nie, Danté Watson, University of Pittsburgh master’s degree capstone project; Joyce Acevedo-Cabrera, Samantha Daugherty, Matthew Tenney, Penn State Harrisburg master’s degree capstone project.
Ph.D. Research Award: Jonathan Sternesky, West Chester University; Mingean Park, Penn State Harrisburg; Asqa Ali, Penn State Harrisburg; Eli Levine, Penn State Harrisburg
2022 Award Recipients
Chapter Leadership: Dr. Glenn S. McGuigan – Library Director and Head Librarian at Penn State Harrisburg
Scholar-Practitioner: Aravind Menon – Program Manager for Resource Optimization at Penn State University College of Medicine and Doctoral Student at Penn State Harrisburg
Outstanding Student: Kristen Hoffa, MPA Program, Department of Public Policy and Administration, West Chester University; Jessica Lord, MPA Program, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg; Mingean Park, Doctoral candidate, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg.
Student Paper: Aysha Muhammad, Therese Pitman, Georgia Verrastro, Aoxiang Wang, and Haozhe Zhang, MPA Program, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh; Julie Brooks, William Cole, Michelle Curtis, Leah Mothersbaugh, and Connor O’Leary, MPA Program, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg; Richard Oliver, MPA Program, Department of Public Policy and Administration, West Chester University; Mingean Park, Doctoral candidate, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg.
2021 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Beverly A. Cigler, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Administration, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg
Chapter Leadership: Dr. Victor S. DeSantis, Executive Director of Community Engagement, Government and Economic Development, Millersville University
Outstanding Scholar-Practitioner: Kate Ellison, Manager, Government Advocacy and Communications, UPMC and MPPM program at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh; and Alex Swan, Economic Development Analyst, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and MPA student at the School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg
Outstanding Student: Dakotah Kinnan, MPA program, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg; Eric Raabe, MPA program, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh; Alaina Sforza, MPA program, Department of Public Policy and Administration, West Chester University; Saahir Shafi, Doctoral candidate, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg
Student Paper: Zoe Burch, Yingzi Liu and Brett Stewart, MPA program, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh; and Donald Dyer, Christina Emond, Michael Hackenburg and Andrew Zeller, MPA program, School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg
2020 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Marita Kelley, Regional Director, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and Past President, Keystone State Chapter
Chapter Leadership: Tyler Sova, U.S. General Services Administration and Keystone State Chapter Board of Directors
Innovative Public Service Partnership: Congress of Neighboring Communities (Connect); and the City of Harrisburg & Penn State Harrisburg
Outstanding Scholar-Practitioner: Jennifer Bert, University of Pittsburgh and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Office
Outstanding Student: Huiting Qi, Penn State Harrisburg PhD program; Emma Yourd, University of Pittsburgh MPA program; and John Tintera, Millersville University BA program
Outstanding Student Paper: Huiting Qi, Penn State Harrisburg
2019 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: David Margolis, Retired, Commonwealth of PA Agency Fiscal Officer
Public Servant Leadership: Dr. Michele Tantardini, Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs
Excellence in Local Government: Luke Reven, East Brandywine Township, Chester County
Outstanding Young Professional: Nathan Reese, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Outstanding Student: Eunsil Yoo, Penn State Harrisburg PhD program
Student Paper: Dylan Lucas Yingling, Penn State Harrisburg MPA program and Sahir Shafi, Penn State Harrisburg PhD program
2018 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Dan Jurman, CEO Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County
Excellence in Public Service: Jeffery L Osgood, Jr., Senior Vice Provost, West Chester University
Public Servant Leadership: David Margolis, PA Department of Transportation
Excellence in Local Government: Lisa Schaefer, County Commissioners Association of PA
Outstanding Young Professional: Matt Holliday, Prothonotary of Chester County
Outstanding Student: Yoon Ah Shin, University of Pittsburgh
Student Paper: Michele Curtis, Penn State Harrisburg, Catherine Dertouzos, West Chester University and Christina Dertouzos, West Chester University
Innovative Partnership Award: Dr. Michele Tantardini and student research team, Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs
2017 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Dan Jurman, CEO Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County
Excellence in Public Service: The Honorable Eugene DePasquale, Auditor General
Public Servant Leadership: Dr. Bing Ran, Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs
Excellence in Local Government: Rick Loughery, Chester County Recorder of Deeds
Outstanding Young Professional: Nolan Ritchie, Senate of Pennsylvania
Outstanding Student: Laura Bleiler, West Chester University
Student Paper: Juan Bermudez Blanco, Penn State Harrisburg and Tyler Sova, West Chester University
2016 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Terry Madonna, Franklin and Marshall College
Excellence in Public Service: Secretary Sharron Minnich, Governor’s Office of Administration
Excellence in Local Government: Edward Knittel, PA State Association of Boroughs
Young Professional In Public Administration: Terrell Martin, PA Department of Transportation
Outstanding Student: Abigail Lombard, Allegheny College
Student Paper: William Simonson, West Chester University, and Brandin McDonough, Penn State Harrisburg
2015 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Gene Barr, PA Chamber of Business and Industry
Excellence in Public Service: Rick Schuettler, PA Municipal League
Excellence in Local Government: Jeffrey Stonehill, Borough of Chambersburg
Young Professional in Public Administration: Jennifer Horn, McCormick Taylor
Outstanding Student in Public Administration: Kathryn Barone, Penn State Harrisburg
Outstanding Student in Public Administration: Mike Kirby, Shippensburg University
2014 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Elam Herr, PA State Association of Township Supervisors
Excellence in Public Service: Clint Eisenhower, PA Department of Human Services
Young Professional in Public Administration: Jamie Legenos, PA Department of Transportation
Outstanding Student in Public Administration: Gregory Wilson, Penn State Harrisburg
Student Paper: Jonathan Ravin Hicks, Penn State Harrisburg and Brandon Danz, Shippensburg University
2013 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Nancy Dering Mock, Nancy Dering, Inc.
Excellence in Public Service: Honorable Barry Schoch, P.E., PA Department of Transportation
Outstanding Student: Phil Wolgemuth, Shippensburg University
2012 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement: Christ Zervanos, Retired, Director of the Bureau of Labor Relations, Pennsylvania Office of Administration
Public Servant Leadership: David Margolis, Director of the Bureau of Fiscal Management, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation