Governor’s awards honor those dedicated to public service
Scholarships worth $60K will be given
The 2016 Governor’s New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Awards has selected 11 individuals from throughout the state, plus a lifetime achievement family, to fete at a gala banquet Nov. 16 in Albuquerque.
The event at the Marriott Pyramid North will feature celebrated Albuquerque Journal editorial cartoonist John Trever delivering a keynote address on his unique vision and perspective on the Land of Enchantment. Tickets are $75, or $750 for a table of 10.
The program this year plans to give out a total of more than $60,000 in scholarship money to representatives of the state’s three research universities — the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and New Mexico State University.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is going to Joe and Christine Di Gregorio and family from the greater Gallup area.
This year’s honorees hail from Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Roy, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Lea County, McKinley County, Edgewood and Albuquerque, and include a pair of law enforcement officers, plus perhaps the youngest ever recipient of this award.
They are, alphabetically:
Dr. John Andazola, Doña Ana County
Patsy Cline (posthumous) of Lea County
William and Aileen Garcia of Santa Fe
Priscila Gonzales of Roy, and now Albuquerque
Retired Deputy Robin Hopkins of Bernalillo County
Ron Lovato of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Jim Ogle of Albuquerque Mary Ellen Pellington of Gallup
Donovan Smith, 13, of Albuquerque
State Police Officer Jeremy Vaughn of Edgewood
The 47th annual awards program seeks out individuals to recognize not only for unusual contributions to public service, but also for exceptional contributions to the community.
Developed by Dr. Albert Rosenthal, professor and director emeritus in public administration at the University of New Mexico, in the 1960s, it has raised tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships at three New Mexico universities.
The program is chaired by Sherman McCorkle and Gov. Susana Martinez.
It aims to promote public appreciation of the quality of people in public service and to encourage outstanding young people to seek careers in the public service.