Quiet Heroes and Innovators (D-4)

Title

Quiet Heroes and Innovators (D-4)

Description

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

- Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) well known actor (Superman)
 
Although many public servants work in environments that challenge even the most optimistic, creative, and industrious personalities, they are most often highly motivated by a calling to contribute to improving the lives of their fellow citizens and by a compelling desire to address social problems. While some individuals, drawn to public service become promoted to positions of great responsibility such as the United States President and Supreme Court Justices, many, many more serve in relative anonymity. Some of these are quiet heroes and innovators who deserve to be recognized for their service to the public.

In this collection we celebrate quiet heroes and innovators, some of whom have been memorialized with national monuments as in the case of Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and activist who made significant contributions to the rights of African Americans, and was recognized with national awards for public service. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) along with the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) established the National Public Service Award to honor individual public servants who are deemed as formidable examples of public service based on their careers and accomplishment. Winners of this award are celebrated for their willingness to take risks to achieve change, for making a profound difference to improve public service, for achieving savings in government operations, developing a cadre of government leaders, and for contributing to the communities in which they live. Indeed, many of these can be regarded as quiet heroes and innovators in the public sector.

Collection Items

U.S. Ambassador John Christopher Stevens (1960-2012) A Man Who Built Bridges
Ambassador Christopher Stevens joined the United States Foreign Service in 1991. His early overseas assignments included: deputy principal officer and political section chief in Jerusalem; political officer in Damascus; consular/political officer in…

Shane Morris - Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals Finalist 2012
Diplomatic Courier Shane Morris played a crucial behind-the-scenes role for the State Department during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, ensuring that U.S. embassies were able to dispatch and receive critical classified documents and equipment to…

Frank Zolin - Department of Motor Vehicles Reformer
DMV Reformer of the '90s
Appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson, Mr. Zolin moved to Sacramento in 1991 to lead the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after overseeing the Los Angeles Superior Court system. He implemented customer service improvements and…

Lisa J. Messersmith, Ph.D. - U.S. Public Health Researcher
An American public health researcher helped shape AIDS law in Vietnam: Lisa J. Messersmith, Ph.D. Messersmith moved to Vietnam in 1998 to serve as the sexuality and reproductive health program officer for the Ford Foundation’s Office for Vietnam and…

Phil Weinberg - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
2012 SLOAN Public Service Award Winner: Phil Weinberg (Principal, High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology, Department of Education) Phil Weinberg is Principal of Brooklyn's High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology (HSTAT), a…

Ruth E. Stark, Ph.D. - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
Dr. Ruth Stark, distinguished professor of chemistry and acting dean of science at The City College of New York, is one of six extraordinary city employees to receive the 2012 Sloan Public Service Award. She was recognized Wednesday, March 14, at two…

James McConnell - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
Whether it is a hurricane, a fire, a flood, a black out or a terrorist threat, the City turns to James McConnell, Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Data, Office of Emergency Management and his team to produce the GIS data maps that are essential…

Donna Leno Gordon - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
In her over two decades of service at Coney Island Hospital, Donna Leno Gordon has been a pioneer in the field of palliative care, the branch of medicine concerned with helping patients manage pain and discomfort and with easing the overwhelming…

Sarah Carroll - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
Sarah Carroll is responsible for overseeing the nearly 10,000 applications submitted annually to the City's Landmarks Preservation Commission. Some are to grant a New York City building landmark status; others to modify, upgrade or alter an existing…

Jefrick R. Dean, Sr. - 2012 Sloan Public Service Award Winner
Bus Operator, New York City Transit Authority In his 22 years as a bus operator, Jefrick Dean has driven every bus route out of the East New York Depot in Brooklyn. On his current route, Dean drives from the depot to downtown Brooklyn and back to…
View all 18 items