NACRC Official of the Year

Official Guidelines

The Public Official of the Year Award recognizes the member who has best exemplified a commitment to excellence in county government, as well as exhibiting exemplary service to the community they serve. It is the highest award that NACRC presents to any member.

The boards of commissioners or supervisors, state associations, individual recorder, election official or clerk making the nomination must be a current member in good standing of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks.

The nominee must be a current member in good standing of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks.

Nominations should include support documents, such as newspaper articles, resumes and/or letters of support which illustrate the reasons the nominated individual should receive the award.

All nomination materials must be received in the NACRC Executive Director’s Office (Executive Director, NACRC, 2501 Aerial Center Parkway Suite 103, Morrisville, NC 27560; fax = 919.459.2075; email = info@nacrc.org) by the indicated deadline. Materials arriving after that deadline will not be considered.

The current president of the Association will appoint a committee chair and at least two members to review the nominations; members of said committee and nominees will remain anonymous.

After the deadline for submitting nominations, the Executive Director will forward all materials to the members of the selection committee.

The selection committee may at any time during the selection process contact the nominator for additional information or supporting materials.

After the committee has selected the recipient, the chair of the selection committee will report to the executive director who the winner is so that the award plaque can be ordered.

The Public Official of the Year Award will be presented each year at the Installation and Awards Banquet during the Annual Conference.

These guidelines will be reviewed each year by the Awards Committee for any changes or additions that might need to be made.

2009 Public Official of the Year Award Winner

The Public Official of the Year Award was presented to Travis County, Texas, Clerk, Dana DeBeauvoir, at the Annual Conference of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC) on July 25 in Nashville, Tenn.

Each year, the Public Official of the Year Award honors a person that has exemplified leadership, ingenuity and excellence in his or her office. Excellence in government is a challenge in our ever-changing world. Delivering top quality service during good times is easy; only those with long-term vision are able to continue to deliver quality service in bad times.

DeBeauvoir has devoted herself to bringing high ethical standards, effective and cost efficient management practices, the benefits of new technology and high quality customer service to her office since elected in 1986. She has served as a co-chair of a NACRC Interest Group and has been essential in developing session topics and securing exceptional speakers to present the topics.

DeBeauvoir has been committed to conducting fair and secure elections that provide access and convenience to voters. She was honored as the 2005 national recipient of the Election Center’s Best Practice Award for her work using risk analysis to implement security measures for electronic voting systems. Her county is recognized across the country for its groundbreaking early voting program that is centered on customer-friendly polling locations in high-traffic retail locations. She has also implemented innovative new programs in the Recording Division of her office. During her tenure, she has converted a system of handwritten indexes and vulnerable cloth-bound books to a library of safely preserved electronic images that can be viewed on microfilm or on the Internet. These changes have made it easier for businesses and members of the public to research records.

“This person’s heart and soul is in public service and she has been an outstanding leader within her office and our association,” says Tarrant County, Texas, Clerk, Suzanne Henderson.

Public Official of the Year Recipients

2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972

Dana DeBeauvoir, Clerk, Travis County, TX
Sue Baldwin, Recorder, Broward County, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
David Orr, Cook County, IL
John T. Frey, Clerk, Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax, VA
Scott Doyle, clerk of Larimer County, CO
JoAnn Thomas, Peoria County, IL
Mark Monacelli, St. Louis County, MN
Cathy Pearsall-Stipek, Pierce County, WA
Maxine Olson-Hill, Burleigh County, ND
John O’Brien, Essex County, MA
Duane Smith, Minidoka County, ID
Rebecca Jackson, Jefferson County, KY
E. William (Bill) James, Blue Earth County, MN
Bernice A. Peterson, Sonoma County, CA
Ardis Schmitt, El Paso County, CO
Donna McKendrick, Tooele County, UT
Judith Medearis, Hamilton County, TN
Joan Swift, Clark County, NV

Ernest Hawkins, Sacramento County, CA
Nina B. Reid, Utah County, UT
Helen Hudgens, Coconino County, AZ
Elizabeth Stokes, Roanoke County, VA
Bernice J. Conley, Jackson County, MO
Jim Watkins, Lake County, FL
William F. Huish, Utah County, UT
Irene Pruitt, Rockingham County, NC
Marjorie Page, Arapahoe County, CO
Loretta Bowman, Clark County, NV
Katie Dixon, Salt Lake County, UT
E.D. “Bud” Dixon, Polk County, FL
Joe Breidenbach, Walworth County, WI
Oscar Soliz, Nueces County, TX
Betty June Hayes, Orange County, NC
Eulalia Hotz, Madison County, IL
Fred G. Hill, Jefferson County, TX
Eunice Ayers, Forsyth County, NC
William G. Sharpe, Los Angeles County, CA

Official Guidelines The Public Official of the Year Award recognizes the member who has best exemplified a commitment to excellence in county government, as well as exhibiting exemplary service to the community they serve. It is the highest award that NACRC presents to any member. The boards of commissioners or supervisors, state associations, individual recorder, election official or clerk making the nomination must be a current member in good standing of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks. The nominee must be a current member in good standing of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks. Nominations should include support documents, such as newspaper articles, resumes and/or letters of support which illustrate the reasons the nominated individual should receive the award. All nomination materials must be received in the NACRC Executive Director’s Office (Executive Director, NACRC, 2501 Aerial Center Parkway Suite 103, Morrisville, NC 27560; fax = 919.459.2075; email = info@nacrc.org) by the indicated deadline. Materials arriving after that deadline will not be considered. The current president of the Association will appoint a committee chair and at least two members to review the nominations; members of said committee and nominees will remain anonymous. After the deadline for submitting nominations, the Executive Director will forward all materials to the members of the selection committee. The selection committee may at any time during the selection process contact the nominator for additional information or supporting materials. After the committee has selected the recipient, the chair of the selection committee will report to the executive director who the winner is so that the award plaque can be ordered. The Public Official of the Year Award will be presented each year at the Installation and Awards Banquet during the Annual Conference. These guidelines will be reviewed each year by the Awards Committee for any changes or additions that might need to be made. 2009 Public Official of the Year Award Winner The Public Official of the Year Award was presented to Travis County, Texas, Clerk, Dana DeBeauvoir, at the Annual Conference of the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC) on July 25 in Nashville, Tenn. Each year, the Public Official of the Year Award honors a person that has exemplified leadership, ingenuity and excellence in his or her office. Excellence in government is a challenge in our ever-changing world. Delivering top quality service during good times is easy; only those with long-term vision are able to continue to deliver quality service in bad times. DeBeauvoir has devoted herself to bringing high ethical standards, effective and cost efficient management practices, the benefits of new technology and high quality customer service to her office since elected in 1986. She has served as a co-chair of a NACRC Interest Group and has been essential in developing session topics and securing exceptional speakers to present the topics. DeBeauvoir has been committed to conducting fair and secure elections that provide access and convenience to voters. She was honored as the 2005 national recipient of the Election Center’s Best Practice Award for her work using risk analysis to implement security measures for electronic voting systems. Her county is recognized across the country for its groundbreaking early voting program that is centered on customer-friendly polling locations in high-traffic retail locations. She has also implemented innovative new programs in the Recording Division of her office. During her tenure, she has converted a system of handwritten indexes and vulnerable cloth-bound books to a library of safely preserved electronic images that can be viewed on microfilm or on the Internet. These changes have made it easier for businesses and members of the public to research records. “This person’s heart and soul is in public service and she has been an outstanding leader within her office and our association,” says Tarrant County, Texas, Clerk, Suzanne Henderson.

Public Official of the Year Recipients
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972	Dana DeBeauvoir, Clerk, Travis County, TX Sue Baldwin, Recorder, Broward County, Ft. Lauderdale, FL David Orr, Cook County, IL John T. Frey, Clerk, Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax, VA Scott Doyle, clerk of Larimer County, CO JoAnn Thomas, Peoria County, IL Mark Monacelli, St. Louis County, MN Cathy Pearsall-Stipek, Pierce County, WA Maxine Olson-Hill, Burleigh County, ND John O’Brien, Essex County, MA Duane Smith, Minidoka County, ID Rebecca Jackson, Jefferson County, KY E. William (Bill) James, Blue Earth County, MN Bernice A. Peterson, Sonoma County, CA Ardis Schmitt, El Paso County, CO Donna McKendrick, Tooele County, UT Judith Medearis, Hamilton County, TN Joan Swift, Clark County, NV Ernest Hawkins, Sacramento County, CA Nina B. Reid, Utah County, UT Helen Hudgens, Coconino County, AZ Elizabeth Stokes, Roanoke County, VA Bernice J. Conley, Jackson County, MO Jim Watkins, Lake County, FL William F. Huish, Utah County, UT Irene Pruitt, Rockingham County, NC Marjorie Page, Arapahoe County, CO Loretta Bowman, Clark County, NV Katie Dixon, Salt Lake County, UT E.D. “Bud” Dixon, Polk County, FL Joe Breidenbach, Walworth County, WI Oscar Soliz, Nueces County, TX Betty June Hayes, Orange County, NC Eulalia Hotz, Madison County, IL Fred G. Hill, Jefferson County, TX Eunice Ayers, Forsyth County, NC William G. Sharpe, Los Angeles County, CA