Alumni Recognition

The LBJ School Alumni Board is accepting nominations for two alumni recognition awards — the Distinguished Public Service Award and the Rising Leader Award.

NOMINATE SOMEONE by July 31 at 5pm CDT to be considered for the 2024 Awards!

Past Distinguished Public Servant Award Recipients

2023: Peter McCanna (MPAff '86)

2023: Anne Stuhldreher (MPAff '96)

2022: Bird Runningwater (MPAff '96)

President & Executive Producer CloudWoman Media

2021: Shamina Singh (MPAff '97)

Founder and President of Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard

2020: Alejandra Castillo (MPAff '98)

Former CEO of YWCA

2019: Stacey Abrams (MPAff '98)

Former Democratic nominee for Georgia governor

2018: Nancy La Vigne (MPAff '91)

Vice President for Justice Policy, Urban Institute

2017: Mark Zion (MPAff '80)

Executive Director, Texas Public Power Association (retired)

2016: Laura Huffman (MPAff '91)

State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Texas

2014: Mike Naeve (MPAff '72)

Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates

2013: David Berteau (MPAff '81)

Senior Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

2012: Robert N. Campbell, III (MPAff '73)

Vice Chairman and U.S. Public Sector Leader, Deloitte LLP

2011: John O'Brien (MPAff '81)

Director, Texas Legislative Budget Board

2010: Courtney Brown (MPAff '83)

Former Director, LBJ School Office of Student and Alumni Programs

2009: Edward E. Emmett (MPAff '74)

Harris County Judge

2008: Anne Dunkelberg (MPAff '88)

Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities

2007: Rafael Fernández de Castro (MPAff '86)

Chair and Full-Time Professor, Department of International Studies, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

2006: Sheila Wilson Beckett (MPAff '77)

Resident Budget Adviser, U.S. Treasury Department

2005: Jorge C. Garcés (MPAff '77)

Deputy Managing Director, North American Development Bank

2003: Michael Reyna (MPAff '82)

Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, Farm Credit Administration

2002: Dana DeBeauvoir (MPAff '81)

Travis County Clerk

2001: Albert Hawkins (MPAff '78)

Assistant to the U.S. President and Cabinet Secretary

2000: Bill Owens (MPAff '75)

Colorado Governor

1999: Craig Pedersen (MPAff '81)

Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board

1998: Tim Delaney (MPAff '83)

Chief Deputy Attorney General, State of Arizona

1997: Ken Apfel (MPAff '78)

U.S. Social Security Commissioner

1996: Steve Spinner (MPAff '84)

Job Training Adviser, U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee (posthumous recognition)

1995: Jesus Garza (MPAff '77)

Austin City Manager

1994: Susan Rieff (MPAff '80)

Governor's Policy Council Director and Chief Environmental Policy Adviser, Texas Governor's Office

1993: John Hall (MPAff '78)

Chair, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission

1992: DeAnn Friedholm (MPAff '79)

State (Texas) Medicaid Director; Deputy Commissioner of Medicaid, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

1991: Rodney Ellis (MPAff '77)

Texas State Senator

1990: Jan Hart Black (MPAff '75)

Dallas City Manager

1989: Billy Hamilton (MPAff '75)

Director of State and Local Services, KPMG Peat Marwick

Rising Leader Award

The Rising Leader Award recognizes the efforts of our more recent alumni who exemplify the LBJ mission of “improving the quality of public service in the United States and abroad at all levels of governance and civic engagement.”

Selection Criteria

  • Nominees should be under the age of 40 or within the first 10 years of their graduation from the LBJ School and must have been involved in public service.
  • For the purposes of this award, public service is defined as activities or contributions that are conducted in the interest of the common good and the welfare of the community or society. This can include, but is not limited to, direct service to the public, implementation of policies and regulations, engagement in community development, advocacy for social justice, volunteerism, and the advancement of the public affairs profession.  

Past Rising Leader Recipients

2023: Drew Masada (MGPS '09)

2022: Chris Rodriguez

President & CEO at Ability360, MPAff 2012

2021: Erol Yayboke (MPAff '06)

Director of the Project on Fragility and Mobility at CSIS

2020: Lauren Rose (MPAff '10)

Public Policy Director, Texas Network of Youth Services

2019: Rudy Metayer (EMPL '16)

Pflugerville City Councilmember

2018: Rachel Hoff (MGPS '14)

Communications Director and Policy Adviser, Senate Armed Services Committee

2017: Matthew Randazzo (MPAff '03)

Chief Executive Officer, The National Math + Science Initiative

2017: Vanessa Stotts (MPAff '13)

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State