LocalSmart Awards honor top local government leaders, projects
StateScoop unveiled on Monday the winners of the first LocalSmart Awards, a program created to highlight the inspirational people and projects making government more efficient and effective.
After first announcing the awards program in June and opening up nominations to the state and local government technology community, StateScoop received more than 100 nominations of the most impressive people and projects working in government today. The list of nominees, who were required to be current employees or recent IT projects in city, county or municipal government, was narrowed down to 88 of the most popular, which were posted online for public voting at the end of July.
The state and local government community voted throughout most of August, with a remarkable turnout. The high level of participation is a testament to the passion of the SLED community and its commitment to recognizing the influential work of dedicated public servants around the country.
“My StateScoop team and I wanted to highlight the important work being done in local government across the country with the LocalSmart Awards,” said Goldy Kamali, founder and CEO of Scoop News Group. “Our esteemed journalists and award-winning editors cover the state and local IT leadership community every day and have developed a very engaged and deeply connected community. We received overwhelming excitement for the LocalSmart awards and gathered more than 100,000 votes! We are so happy to celebrate and highlight the leaders in that community this year.”
“Growing up in a small town, I know firsthand the impact local government can have on its residents,” said Jake Williams, StateScoop’s associate publisher and director of strategic initiatives. “The StateScoop team and I are thrilled to celebrate these leaders and projects in the community that are making cities, counties and municipalities more inclusive, efficient and effective for the residents they serve.”
The awards highlight winners in five categories:
GoldenGov: City Executive of the Year — The visionary city government executive (mayoral or c-level) leading and transforming how cities navigate a new technology landscape with innovative ideas and inspiration.
GoldenGov: County Executive of the Year — The executive-level leader (executive or c-level) serving county governments in a dynamic, engaging and transformational way through the implementation of technology.
Local IT Leader of the Year — The county or city leader at the managerial or director level who is leading the charge to transform their communities with technology.
Cybersecurity Leader of the Year — The county or city leader whose focus and effort to improve information security is protecting systems and resident information.
Local IT Innovation of the Year — The innovative technology project that is improving lives and changing the way residents receive services at the local level.
The winners will also be highlighted in a podcast miniseries with an individual episode for each category. The first episode, featuring the GoldenGov: City Executive of the Year winners, launched Monday.
