Awards

The John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence Award, was created in 1997 to recognize City/County Managers who demonstrate the highest level of professional excellence in local government and who have made life contributions in serving the profession. This award is the highest honor that ACMA may bestow upon a member. The namesake of the award, Jack DeBolske, was the Executive Director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for 40 years. The award winner is recognized at the Winter Conference.

Previous John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence Award Recipients

2024 Bryant Powell, City Manager, Apache Junction

2023 Susan Thorpe – ACMA Senior Advisor

2022 Chuck Potucek, City Manager, Sierra Vista

2021 Larry Rains, City Manager, Casa Grande

2020 Michael Ortega, City Manager, City of Tucson

2019 Patrick Banger, Town Manager, Town of Gilbert

2018 John Kross, Town Manager, Town of Queen Creek

2017 Bob Flatley, Former City Manager, City of Coolidge

2016 Gayle Mabery, Town Manager, Town of Clarkdale

2015 Gilbert Davidson, Town Manager, Town of Marana

2014 Chris Brady, City Manager, City of Mesa

2013 Ken Buchanan, Town Manager, Town of Fountain Hills

2012 Cynthia Seelhammer, Retired Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix

2011 Jimmy Jayne, County Manager, Navajo County

2010 W. Mark Pentz, City Manager, City of Chandler

2009 Terry Ellis, Retired City Manager, City of Peoria

2008 Jim Thompson, City Manager, City of Casa Grande

2007 George Flores, Retired Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix

2006 Mike Hutchinson, Retired City Manager, Mesa

2005 Lloyd Harrell, Retired City Manager, Chandler

2004 Frank Fairbanks, City Manager, Phoenix

2003 Stephen Cleveland, City Manager, Goodyear

2002 Paul Nordin, Town Manager, Fountain Hills

2001 Dick Bowers, City Manager, Scottsdale

2000 Ed Beasley, Asst. City Manager, Glendale

1999 Louis Sorenson, City Manager, Kingman

1998 Marty Vanacour, City Manager, Glendale

The Catherine F. Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award was created in 2007. The award recognizes an outstanding assistant city or county manager who has demonstrated exemplary service to their organization, the community, local government and ACMA. The namesake of the award, Catherine F. Connolly, was the executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for eight years and served more than 20 years as the deputy director. This award is conveyed annually at ACMA’s annual Winter Conference.

Catherine F. Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award Recipients:

2024 Victoria Yarbrough, Assistant City Manager, Sierra Vista

2023 Natalie Lewis – Deputy City Manager, Mesa

2022 Gina Montes, Deputy City Manager, Phoenix

2021 – Not Awarded

2020 – Not Awarded

2019 Milton Dohoney Jr., Assistant City Manager, City of Phoenix

2018 – Not Awarded

2017 Karen Osburn, Assistant City Manager, City of Sedona

2016 Rick Naimark, Former Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix

2015 Bryant Powell, City Manager, City of Apache Junction

2014 Mike Townsend, Deputy County Manager, Coconino County

2013 Pat McDermott, Assistant City Manager, City of Chandler

2012 Karolyn Kent, Deputy City Manager, City of Mesa

2011 Susan Thorpe, Deputy City Manager, City of Peoria

2010 Cynthia Seelhammer, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix

2009 Tami Ryall, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Gilbert

2008 Mary Jacobs, Assistant City Manager, City of Sierra Vista

2007 Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager, City of Glendale

In 2008 the Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA) created an award to recognize professional achievement for its associate members. In July 2015 the ACMA Board of Directors changed the name of the Associate’s Award for Excellence in Leadership to the Rachel Hut Bremen Associate’s Award for Excellence in Leadership. The award is in memory of Rachel Hut Bremen who was an active ACMA member, serving on the Board of Directors for two terms and volunteering on several committees. This award is specifically designed to recognize associate members who contribute to the profession through their organization at an associate member level rather than a CEO level. This award will be conveyed annually to the successful recipient at ACMA’s annual Winter Conference.

Rachel Hut Bremen Associate’s Award for Excellence in Leadership Recipients:

2024 Stacy Hettmansperger, Solid Waste Administrator, Phoenix

2023 Cutter Chamberlain – Assistant to the Town Manager, Prescott Valley

2022 – Not Awarded

2021 Stephen Erno, Neighborhood Services Manager, Chandler

2020 Edith Baltierrez, Neighborhood and Family Services Assistant Director, City of Avondale

2019 Steven Turner, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Casa Grande

2018 Pamela Weir, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Goodyear

2017 Mary Vinzant, Assistant to the Town Manager, Town of Gilbert

2016 Stephanie Smith, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Flagstaff

2015 Dawn Buckland, Director of Administration and Government Affairs, Town of Paradise Valley

2014 Gina Montes, Neighborhood and Family Services Director, City of Avondale

2013 Nicole Dailey, Assistant to the Town Manager, Town of Gilbert

2012 Kristen Krey, Council Services Administrator, City of Glendale

2011 Andy Bertelsen, Public Works Director, Coconino County

2010 Joshua Wright, Assistant to the Manager, Town of Marana

2009 Dr. Robert Denhardt, Director, ASU School of Public Affairs

2008 Andrea Costello, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Sedona

 

ACMA Life Membership is conferred on retired members who have provided distinguished service to local government and who have made lasting and meaningful contributions to ACMA and the profession of local government management. This honor is conferred on retired members at the Winter Conference.

Cynthia Seelhammer
Frank Abeyta
Ed Beasley
Raymond Bladine
Richard Bowers
Ken Buchanan
Fred Carpenter
Stephen Cleveland
Catherine Connolly
Kent Cooper
Terry Doolittle
Terry Ellis
Frank Fairbanks
George Flores
Lloyd Harrell
George Hoffman
Mike Hutchinson
Jimmy Jayne
Pamela Kavanaugh
Karolyn Kent
Michael Letcher
Gayle Mabery
Patrick McDermott
Roy Pederson
Steven Peru
George Pettit
Curtis Shook
Louis Sorensen
Niki Tope
Joel Valdez
Jerene Watson
Terry Zerkle
Ed Zuercher

In 2022 ACMA created an award to recognize an individual who is dedicated to cultivating talent, mentoring, and helping guide NextGen public service leaders to become our future community leaders at the local or county level in Arizona. This award is conveyed at the Next Generation Leadership Conference each year and also recognized at the Winter Conference.

Next Generation Mentorship Award Recipients:

2024: Ginger Spencer & Mike Letcher
2023: George Pettit & Cynthia Seelhammer
2022: Brent Stockwell