‘Governing’ honors Reed as a national public official of the year

Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by nevonnemcdaniels in People

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed, whose public-service career spans more than 30 years in county and state government, has been selected by Governing magazine and online service as one of America’s top officials of the year.

Reed’s citation primarily focuses on his even-handed conduct of the nation’s closest gubernatorial election in 2004 and his advocacy of election reform in the years that followed.

“Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed … exuded fairness in managing a disputed gubernatorial election in 2004, then reformed the administration of elections in his state,” the magazine said in announcing his selection on Oct. 26.

Reed is one of eight honorees drawn from nominees representing state, city and county government staffers and elected officials who have demonstrated “a notable positive impact.”

Reed and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are the two statewide elected officials honored this year. Others include a state lawmaker, a mayor, and staffers from city, county and state government. From a potential field of tens of thousands aross the country, nominations came from readers, experts in public and private leadership and the editorial staff.

Reed called the award “an amazing honor,” and said he shared the accolades with state and county election officials and state lawmakers and the governor who used the hard-learned lessons from the 2004 election to reform the election system. Together, they passed and implemented hundreds of improvements, created a statewide voter registration database, improved training of election workers, moved the state primary earlier in the summer, and made the system more effective, efficient and accountable.

“One of my real passions has been promoting fair, accurate, accessible, secure elections, and really getting people involved in their government and their communities,” said Reed, who was re-elected to a third four-year term last November. “This national recognition inspires us to redouble our efforts and be a role model. The work of reform and improvement never ends.”

Award winners are profiled in the new edition of Governing. They will be honored at a dinner in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 19.