Advancing the theory and practice of public administration in Northern Virginia

 

2007 Northern Virginia Chapter

Public Service Awards

Join the Northern Virginia chapter on June 28, 2007 as we honor the following Public Service Award recipients at our Annual Awards Banquet. The banquet will be held from 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. at the Marco Polo restaurant in Vienna, VA. Cost is $26 per person and is payable at the door. RSVP by June 20th.

The Hodding Carter Outstanding Journalism Award
Designed to recognize an individual or group for exemplary news coverage of a public program, issue or event. The coverage informed the public while recognizing public service at its best and demonstrated concern that the reporting assist the mission and goals of public service.

Gary Reals, Reporter, Channel 9 News

Mr. Reals has been a reporter for forty years and has covered top stories in the Washington Metropolitan region. He was the primary reporter assigned to the DC Beltway sniper case, and he covered the entire trial of John Muhammad in Virginia Beach. He was a lead reporter who covered the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as well as the hearings before the 9/11 Commission. Throughout his career, Mr. Reals has covered regional as well as national politics and was one of the main reporters for the Presidential Campaign of 2004 and the 2000 Florida recount of Supreme Court decision, Bush vs. Gore. Mr. Reals entered the news arena at WMAL-AM in 1970 where he held many behind-the-scene positions at WMAL-AM radio. He became a street reporter in 1975 and entered the television arena when he joined WUSA-9 in 1980. Mr. Reals is a highly skilled, articulate, and polished professional reporter. He is keenly sensitive to the impact of news stories on crime victims. Mr. Reals has demonstrated a noteworthy ability to accord crime victims the privacy, dignity, and respect they deserve in accordance with victims’ rights laws yet he is able to accurately convey the news of which they may be a component in a valid but respectful manner. Mr. Reals is a proven model of excellence in the broadcasting sector.

Jerry Seper, Reporter, The Washington Times Newspaper

Jerry Seper is an exemplary national reporter for The Washington Times newspaper who has covered a wide range of issues including, but not limited to, politics, crime, terrorism, homeland security, sex abuse, gangs, and immigration. Notably, Mr. Seper has written hundreds upon hundreds of stories on immigration issues, and he has spent months at a time on the Southern and Northern borders where he obtained, firsthand, vital information concerning the pertinent issues and related impact of immigration and border patrol. His investigative reporting is objective, clear, and without bias. He enlightens the public on critical issues related to the broad-based and significant impact of immigration issues facing this nation. Mr. Seper is a former Los Angeles police officer, he served in Viet Nam, and he has been employed at The Washington Times for twenty-two years. Throughout his tenure, he has excelled as an investigative reporter; his contributions to public service, as both a police officer and military veteran, have enhanced his ability to be a highly effective and well-respected journalist who has made a tremendous impact in the public service sector.

Public Service Award
Recognizes an individual, private institution or public organization for promoting the role and ideals of public administration. Nominees must live, work or be located in Northern Virginia. Those eligible include: government agencies, state, local or federal employees, and private or nonprofit employees or institutions. The nominee should show evidence of significant and continuing contributions to public administration through conferences, programs, presentations, writing or other substantive projects.

Detective Robert Murphy and Detective Stephen Milefsky
COLD CASE SQUAD
Fairfax County Virginia Police Department

These two detectives are an impressive team. They joined the unit in the year 2000 and were handed more than 70 open homicide cases dating back to 1964. Last year, they made significant strides and closed 6 cases involving the deaths of eight people; they did this in a one-year period-- a remarkable record. Suspects were charged in 6 killings, including one man charged with three murders. A fugitive who was being sought for a long time was tracked down and brought to Fairfax for a 7th homicide. These skilled homicide detectives corroborated evidence with witnesses, questioned suspects, and conducted a great deal of leg work in a detailed, thorough manner. For their professionalism, their dedication, their knowledge, expertise, high level of skill, and their extremely significant contributions to public safety, these two detectives are receiving the Public Service Award.

Dr. Lawrence Stein, MD
Medical Director of Sleep Lab
Medical Director of Acute Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit
Virginia Hospital Center

As Medical Director of the Acute Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, Dr. Stein’s extensive knowledge of lung disease and disorders has led him to become a leader who has had prodigious impact in this arena. Stein’s diagnostic skills have excelled where others have failed, and he has been able to assess, diagnose, and treat some of the most dangerous and prevailing lung disorders. As a sought after consultant on difficult cases, he has directed the care of severely ill patients who had little chance of survival without his comprehensive critical care skills and expertise. As Director of the Sleep Clinic, he has tremendously impacted the lives of patients whose lives were literally falling apart due to sleep disorders. He has been able to assist those who have been totally non-functioning individuals and impacted them to the point of becoming full functioning individuals who can now lead relatively normal lives. His tremendous knowledge and level of expertise concerning sleep disorders has made him a notable leader in this field, and he is frequently tapped for his professional expertise on the subject. Dr. Stein’s leadership positions at the hospital combine his acute diagnostic skills with his extensive knowledge base, and he is highly regarded by other medical professionals in the region who frequently call upon him for his expertise and advice in both critical and pulmonary care as well as sleep disorders. Dr. Stein has also contributed greatly to the Arlington Free Clinic by extensively devoting his time and providing his expertise to indigent patients who are unable to afford health care and who have critical and unusual health problems. He holds down all of these positions and duties in addition to serving as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University along with his regular medical practice.

Public Administrator / New Professional Award
Awarded to a Northern Virginia Chapter member with less than five years of full-time service in the public sector who has made a significant contribution to the chapter and to public service. No age criteria for this award. Nominees should be active members of the chapter, have a record of outstanding public service, show evidence of outstanding leadership, integrity, creativity and a response to challenge, show dedication to democratic ideals, demonstrate sensitivity to government’s challenges, and maintain a commitment to professionalism and to the development of useful skills.

The Kathy Hensley Award for Distinguished Chapter Service
Awarded to the chapter member who has served the chapter for five years or more and made significant contributions to the chapter.

Special Achievement Award
Awarded to the Northern Virginia Chapter member who has performed in a particularly outstanding manner on a specific project or contributed to the chapter in some significant way during a one year period. Among those eligible are council members, chairs of chapter committees, and newsletter editor.

Outstanding Service Award
Awarded to a full-time student member of the chapter majoring in public administration or public affairs who has made a significant contribution to the chapter.

The American Society for Public Administration was formed in 1939 and is the premier professional association for public administrators in the United States. Our chapter is a voluntary association of interested individuals from government, nonprofit, academia, and private sector organizations dedicated to promoting recognition for public service, providing professional development opportunities, and offering technical assistance to area public administrators.