COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

County Manager’s Office

 
 

DATE:

March 29, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 26, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

John L. Maltbie, County Manager

SUBJECT:

2005 Jefferson Award Nominations

   
 

RECOMMENDATION:

Honor the five County of San Mateo nominees for 2005 Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Leaders work together across boundaries to preserve and enhance our quality of life.

Goal(s): Residents accept individual responsibility for contributing to the quality of life in the County as a whole.

 

2005 Jefferson Awards Nominees:

The County of San Mateo 2005 Jefferson Award Nominees are:

 
 

Julia Bott, Executive Director of the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation

 

Sister Christina Heltsley, Executive Director St. Francis Center

 

John Kelly, Samaritan House/San Quentin State Prison Volunteer

 

Albert Teglia, San Mateo County Adopt-a-Family Program

 

Larry Whitney, Volunteer Fire Chief La Honda Fire Brigade

 

The nominees exemplify a selfless commitment to public service. Each one is indeed an unsung hero in San Mateo County -- whether it’s defining environmental stewardship by action, educating families, supporting those striving to achieve self-sufficiency, building community or bravely volunteering on public safety’s front-lines. Collectively, these nominees are courageous members of our community. Ordinary people, each of whom approach their work with extraordinary passion and commitment that results in the good works to greatly benefit and enhance the quality of life found in San Mateo County.

 

The Jefferson Award for Public Service nomination forms for each one is attached for your review.

 

BACKGROUND:

The purpose the Jefferson Awards for Public Service is a national program to enhance civic engagement by recognizing extraordinary work done by ordinary people. Established 30 years ago the Jefferson Awards for Public Service is the “noble peace prize” for public service. Simply put it recognizes unsung community heroes. Jefferson Award winners are ordinary people who do extraordinary works without expectation of recognition or reward.

 

The Jefferson Awards program selection criteria and background information materials are attached for your review.

 

Locally, the 2005 Jefferson Awards sponsors include the First National Bank, KPIX Channel 5 and the San Francisco Chronicle. Throughout the year the media are featuring the San Francisco Bay Area Jefferson Award winners with special segments to highlight nominee and their good works.

 

DISCUSSION:

Participation in the Jefferson Awards provides an important opportunity for the County of San Mateo to publicly recognize those that share a commitment to excellence in public service. Jefferson Awards are for the ordinary people found in our community who accomplish extraordinary results. In January 2005, I requested your Board and County Department heads to recommend individuals for a Jefferson Award asking that consider the numerous outstanding County employees and volunteers, many of our most successful programs and services in the County are provided in partnership with community-based organizations, non-profit groups and community volunteers who possess an extraordinary commitment to public service. There are many “unsung heroes’ in San Mateo County deserving of this distinguished recognition.

 

Supervisors Mark Church and Jerry Hill, District Attorney Jim Fox and Sheriff Don Horsley served with me as the 2005 Jefferson Awards Nominating Committee. The Committee selected the above five nominees for recognition by the County and for nomination of a national Jefferson Award for Public Service.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.