Center for the Future of Arizona Names Recipients of 2023 Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards

Annual awards recognize the value of civic service through nonelected public servants

PHOENIX, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) announces the 2023 recipients of the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards at an annual ceremony at the Arizona City and County Management Association (ACMA) conference in Tucson. The awards are an annual effort to recognize the important work accomplished by dedicated, nonelected public servants across the state while underscoring the impact made by individuals committed to civic service.

This year's recipients include Retired Maricopa County Manager Joy Rich, Maricopa County Correctional Health Services Education and Quality Management Manager Mark McCall, Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Executive Director Sherri Collins, City of Scottsdale Management Associate to the City Manager Stephanie Zamora, and Bisbee City Manager Stephen J. Pauken.

"CFA is honored to present the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards as an essential part of advancing The Arizona We Want," says Dr. Sybil Francis, Chair, President & CEO of Center for the Future of Arizona. "While highly-visible elected officials set policy direction and make important decisions, our nonelected public servants and the roles they fill are not as easily observed yet vital to the quality of life in Arizona. We applaud the 2023 award recipients for their dedication, professionalism, and expertise in solving public problems and improving our communities."

The Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards, named after the Community Outreach Director whose life was taken in a mass shooting in 2011 at a "Congress on Your Corner" event for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, is a cooperative effort between CFA, the Zimmerman family, and ACMA highlighting the contributions nonelected public servants make to the communities they serve.

Public servants who are eligible for the awards include those who are employed by cities and towns, counties, special districts, agencies of the executive and legislative branches of state government, tribal governments, and personal staff working for members of Arizona's congressional delegation. 

All award nominees are judged on their qualities and achievements related to:

• How they have changed the way government works to serve the public interest
• Their ability to take risks and inspire others
• Their impact on connecting Arizonans to civic life

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SOURCE Center for the Future of Arizona