The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards: Christopher Purdy (MPAff-DC ’19) and Corrie Stokes (MPAff ’99). Purdy has been selected for the LBJ Rising Leader Award, while Stokes will receive the Distinguished Public Service Award.
“We are proud to celebrate the achievements of Chris Purdy and Corrie Stokes, two alumni who embody the LBJ School’s mission of cultivating leaders dedicated to public service and advancing the public good,” said Dean JR DeShazo. “Their integrity, innovation and commitment to making a difference demonstrate the profound impact LBJ graduates have in communities across Texas, the nation and the world.”
Distinguished Public Service Award winner, Corrie Stokes
Corrie Stokes, Class of 1999, has been selected for the Distinguished Public Service Award. Established in 1989, the Distinguished Public Service Award is presented each year to an LBJ alum whose career and public service record best represents the values and mission of the LBJ School. Criteria for the award includes contributions to public policy, promoting the advancement of the public affairs vocation, engagement in community service or volunteerism, showing commitment to the LBJ School and its mission, demonstrating leadership and other attributes. This award is open to professionals from the public, private or nonprofit sectors.
Stokes has devoted her career to accountability, transparency and improving the performance of local government. She joined the City of Austin in 1999 and was appointed City Auditor by the Austin City Council in 2015. Under her leadership, the Office of the City Auditor has become a model of rigorous performance auditing and effective oversight.
Beyond her service to Austin, Stokes has held prominent leadership roles in the auditing profession nationally. She is a member of the Comptroller General’s Domestic Working Group and Yellow Book Advisory Council, a past president of the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA), serves on ALGA’s Peer Review Committee and is part of the executive committee of the Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum. She is also a Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Government Auditing Professional and Certified Fraud Examiner.
“The LBJ school helped me develop and refine the skills I needed to do my job as a performance auditor, while also introducing me to real-world policy problems and approaches to solving them,” Stokes said. “As a bonus, it introduced me to other students and faculty who have served as lifelong friends and mentors.”
Her distinguished career reflects both professional excellence and a deep commitment to accountability in public institutions, making her a deserving recipient of this award.
LBJ Rising Leader Award winner, Christopher Purdy
Christopher Purdy, Class of 2019, has been selected for the LBJ 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.”
Purdy is the Founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, an organization dedicated to mobilizing veterans to protect democratic values and institutions. A former Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard and Iraq War veteran, he has leveraged his lived experience to shape national conversations around democracy, security and civic engagement. Before founding his own nonprofit, Purdy led veterans’ initiatives at Human Rights First, an international human rights organization, and built a career as both an advocate and educator.
His work exemplifies the LBJ School’s mission to improve the quality of public service and address critical challenges in society. By empowering veterans as leaders in civic life, Purdy is forging innovative pathways to strengthen democracy at a time when it faces growing threats.
“My time at the LBJ School gave me the skills to take on complex challenges and the confidence to pursue a career in public service. During my policy apprenticeship with Human Rights First, I saw firsthand how veterans’ voices could shape policy, and that experience opened the door for me to later lead their veterans' program and ultimately start my own non-profit,” Purdy said. “The professors, mentors and classmates I met at the LBJ School were essential in helping me grow as a collaborator and expand my professional network.”
The LBJ School will honor these outstanding individuals on Thursday, Sept. 25, during a ceremony that will celebrate our esteemed alumni and officially welcome the incoming class of students to the LBJ community as part of our Party on the Plaza event. Click here to RSVP.
Visit the Alumni Recognition page for more information on the LBJ School awards and previous winners.