Theresa Parker and David Smith Win 2008 National Public Awards

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the National Academy of Public Administration presented the 2008 National Public Service Awards, the premier awards for excellence in public service at all levels of government, at a ceremony in Dallas, Texas, on March 10, 2008, during ASPA's national conference. ASPA and the Academy established the National Public Service Awards in 1983 to honor individuals whose accomplishments are models of public service, inside and outside the work environment. The awards recognize individuals who exhibit the highest standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment over a sustained period of time and who are creative and skilled career managers.

The 2008 National Public Service Award winners are Theresa Parker, Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), and David Smith, County Administrator for Maricopa County, Arizona. Under her leadership as Executive Director, Parker transformed CalHFA-the state agency that finances below-market rate loans to create affordable rental housing and assists first-time home buyers-from a niche lender to a business that has increased its fund equity from approximately $520 million to $1.3 billion. In accepting her award, Parker noted that housing is more than an issue of subprime mortgates. "The child who has a stable place to call home can get started on homework and go to school the next day rested and ready to take on the challenges of a new day."

As Maricopa County, Arizona Administrator since 1994, Smith moved the county from dire financial straits and a reputation for ineffective government to one that has high bond ratings and responds to the needs of its citizens. With support of the Board of Supervisors, his leadership led to creation of the Human Service Campus, which provides Phoenix's growing homeless population with access to resources for housing, health care, and employment. In accepting his award, Smith noted the range of services a local government provides and the continuing challenge of increased citizen need for services and shrinking revenues. One of his current focuses is the criminal justice system, on which the county spends $820 million per year. "The best way we can protect citizens is to coordinate the work of the state, county, nonprofit groups, and faith-based organizations. We are making a concerted effort to reduce recidivism for adults and juveniles by working together," said Smith.

More on Theresa Parker

Theresa Parker has served five California governors with a sustained commitment to serving the public. Her two decades experience in the state's Department of Finance enabled her to save California taxpayers millions of dollars through.

Parker's leadership transformed the CalHFA (the state agency that finances below-market rate loans to create affordable rental housing and assists first-time home buyers) from a niche lender to a business that has increased its fund equity from approximately $520 million to $1.3 billion. Many more Californians now live in decent rental housing and have been able to enter the housing market.

Parker also serves as secretary of the Board of Directors of the National Council of State Housing Agencies and is a member of the Fannie Mae National Housing Advisory Council. She and her Massachusetts counterpart negotiated a partnership with Fannie Mae for all housing finance agencies in the country. This resulted in a 60 percent reduction in the guarantee fees Fannie Mae charges, meaning there are more funds for housing opportunities for low-income citizens across the nation.

In 1991, Parker led the state's efforts to realign mental health, social services, and health programs between the state and the counties. At that time, more than $1.7 billion of state program costs were transferred to counties and specific revenue-raising mechanisms were put in place to pay for these services. The public benefited through the more stable funding and the discretion counties have to meet local program needs. In 1997, she led the California welfare reform efforts.

Parker has developed other governmental leaders through her own work with staff and by leading the Department of Finance's efforts to bring talent from outside of the civil service, at the master's degree level and above, to increase the talent pool for state service. In 2004, the National Council of State Housing Agencies recognized the New Employment Orientation Program that Parker developed for CalHFA as an important innovation that increased employee retention.

Previous positions have included undersecretary of health and welfare for the state of California and chief deputy director for policy, Department of Finance. She is a Board Member of WIND (hope for Homeless Teens in Sacramento and received the 2003 Distinguished Public Official Award from the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. Chester Newland of USC and Elizabeth Hill, Legislative Analyst for the State of California, nominated Parker.

More on David Smith

As Maricopa County, Arizona administrator since 1994, David Smith has led efforts to move the county from dire financial straits and a reputation for 'bad government' to one that has high bond ratings and responds to the needs of its citizens. Maricopa County has gone from Governing Magazine calling it "a poster child for bad government" in 1994 to designating it as one of the two best-run county governments in the nation less than a decade later.

The Managing for Results program Smith put into practice enables the county to examine the impact of actions taken through its $2.2 billion budget and use this information in planning future activities. He believes it important to measure not only the work the county does but also to focus county plans and budgets on service needs and programs designed to address them. This is essential in a county with 15,000 employees in 50 departments who serve 3.8 million residents.

Smith's accomplishments, which he would be quick to say are part of a countywide effort, have taken place as the county had its biggest 10-year population increase in its history. This rapid growth has affected the cost-of-living and access to affordable housing. Lack of the latter has created a sharp rise in homelessness in the county. Smith was instrumental in creating the $25 million Human Services Campus (HSC) in downtown Phoenix. HSC is a public-private partnership to enhance collaboration among governments, faith-based and nonprofit organizations, and the business sector. The more integrated services are dealing with the chronic causes of homelessness in a compassionate manner, and the effort benefits economic development in Phoenix's urban core.

In 2001, Smith was Governing Magazine's Public Official of the Year. Other awards include the Center City Starr Award from the Phoenix Community Alliance. In his free time, he serves on the Valley of the Sun United Way Board of Directors and other civic organizations.

Smith has also served in county and city manager positions in Yonkers, NY and Erie County in Buffalo. He is a member of ASPA and the National Association of County Administrators. Robert B. Denhardt of Arizona State University nominated David Smith.

A History of Awarding Outstanding Pubic Servants

Since 1983, 121 federal, state, and local officials have received this prestigious award. Past winners include Sy Murray (in 1983, as city manager of Cincinnati), Donna Shalala (in 1992, in recognition of her work at the Department of Housing and Urban Development), Gene Dodaro (in 2003, now the acting comptroller general of the U.S.), and Maria Gomez (in 2005, as she was about to retire as the Minnesota assistant commission for the Department of Human Services).