National Awards Program

To print the 2008 Awards Program Forms and Criteria Click Here

It’s your time to shine! APWA‘s Awards Program was established to recognize outstanding individuals, groups, and chapters representing the best in the public works profession.

The Top 10 Public Works Leaders of the Year Award is presented to individuals by representatives of the Association during National Public Works Week. The Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award is due Feb 1st and presented at the North American Snow Conference. The remaining awards are presented during the Association’s annual meeting. Contact the APWA Chapter Relations Department for any questions you might have regarding the Awards Program. To review the criteria and fill out the nomination forms for the 2008 Awards Program Click Here to print the forms or criteria.

List of Top Ten recipients from 1960 to present

NOTE: The nomination deadlines for awards is March 1 and June 1 for the PACE award.

Awards NOT Requiring APWA Membership
Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year
Public Works Project of the Year
Citation for Exemplary Service to Public Works
Diversity Exemplary Practices
Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award
Exceptional Performance
Technical and Management Innovation
Abel Wolman
Michael Robinson Award

Awards Requiring APWA Membership
Distinguished Service to Public Works
Young Leader
Professional Manager of the Year –
Engineering and Technology
Facilities and Grounds
Public Fleet
Public Right-of-Way
Public Works Emergency Management
Solid Waste
Transportation
Water Resources
Charles Walter Nichols Award for Environmental Excellence
Community Involvement Award
Donald C. Stone Award for Excellence in Education
Harry S. Swearingen for Excellence for Outstanding Chapter Achievement and Excellence in Chapter Service
International Service Award
Presidential Award for Chapter Excellence
Chapter Membership Achievement Award

Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year
The Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year seeks to inspire excellence and dedication in public service by recognizing the outstanding career service achievements of individual public works professionals and officials from both the public and private sectors. The primary focus of the award is on career service to the public works profession rather than on any one event or projects. The individual must be in active service as of National Public Works Week of the year he or she is considered. Any group or individual may nominate candidates. Self nominations are not accepted. APWA membership is not required.

Public Works Project of the Year
This award recognizes the partnership between the managing agency, the consultant/architect/engineer, and the contractor who, working together, complete public works projects. Awards are divided into five categories that include Emergency/Disaster Preparedness, Historical Restoration/Preservation, Structures, Transportation, and Environment. Each category is further divided based on the cost of the project (less than $2 million, $2 million but less than $10 million, $10 million but less than $100 million, $100 million and greater). Nominations of projects can be made by the managing agency or APWA chapters.

Citation for Exemplary Service to Public Works
To recognize a non-member of APWA who is an eminent government or other public service leader for their far-reaching, positive impact on local, state or national public works programs, services, or policies.

Diversity Exemplary Practices Award
To recognize individuals and organizations that has made outstanding contributions to diversity. Up to two awards may be presented annually in the following categories (one possible from each category):
1) individual 2) program/organization.
Officers and members of the APWA Board of Directors are not eligible during their service. A chapter, entity, individual member, or nonmember may nominate.

Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award
Established to promote excellence in the management and administration of Public Works Snow and Ice operations. To promote the best practices in snow and ice removal while minimizing environmental impacts.

Exceptional Performance Awards
Established to recognize individuals, teams or organizations in the areas of Adversity, Journalism and Safety whose outstanding contributions in the course of performance raises the level of public awareness of the profession. A chapter, entity, individual member, or nonmember may nominate.

Technical and Management Innovation Award
Established to provide recognition for an individual, team or organization for the development and implementation of a creative idea, device, process or system that enhances the goals of public works in serving the public and protecting the environment. The award is open to anyone actively involved in the public works profession. Any public agency may nominate.

Abel Wolman Award
Established to recognize the best new book published in the field of public works history and is meant to provide encouragement and recognition to historians whose research and publications have made outstanding contributions to the history of public works. Books must be published during the preceding calendar year and cover one or more of the following topics: Flood Control & Drainage, Irrigation, Waterways, Solid Waste, Planning, Engineering & Administration; Public Buildings; Sewer & Wastewater Treatment; Roads, Streets & Highways; Urban Mass Transportation; Community Water Supply; Military Installations; Airways & Airports; Parks & Recreation; and Energy. Individual authors or their publishers may nominate.

Michael Robinson Award for Excellence in Public Works History
This award recognizes the single best article published in the field of public works history. This award is intended to provide encouragement and recognition to historians and practitioners whose research and publications have made outstanding contributions to the history of public works.

Distinguished Service to Public Works Award
Established in 1935, as the Honorary Membership Award, this honor is regarded as the highest APWA honor. This award may be presented in recognition of acknowledged service and well-established preeminence in the field of public works, and/or contributions of special merit and benefit to APWA. Board members and past presidents of APWA must be out of office at least five years before being eligible for this award. A chapter resolution, petition of any 15 active members of APWA or any one or more of the APWA Board of Directors may nominate. APWA Membership is required.

Young Leader
Established to recognize and encourage young APWA members who have demonstrated an initial commitment to the profession and the Association and show potential for future growth within the Association. The award promotes the concept that length of career does not necessarily indicate leadership abilities or potential for service. Candidates must be active members of APWA for five consecutive years and not exceed 35 years of age as of the award deadline.

Professional Manager of the Year – Engineering and Technology
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of engineering and technology professionals. Individual candidates must be APWA members with a minimum of 10 years experience whose primary responsibility is management of public works engineering and technology management.

Professional Manager of the Year – Facilities and Grounds
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of facilities and/or grounds management professionals. Individual candidates must be APWA members primary responsibility in the management of public facilities and grounds and minimum of 10 years qualifying experience.

Professional Manager of the Year - Public Fleet
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of public fleet management professionals with the award’s primary focus on exceptional leadership and management of public sector fleets. Individual candidates must be APWA members whose primary responsibility is in the management of a public works fleet and minimum of 10 years qualifying experience.

Professional Manager of the Year - Public Right-Of-Way
The Public Right-of-Way Manager of the Year award seeks to inspire excellence and dedication the public sector by recognizing the outstanding career service achievements of public right-of-way professionals. The primary focus of this award is the management of the public rights-of-way, which demonstrates that all stakeholders share the public rights-of-way in harmony and preserve them in the best interest of the public. Individual candidates must be APWA members with a minimum of 10 years public right-of-way management experience.

Professional Manager of the Year – Public Works Emergency Management
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of public works emergency management professionals. Individual candidates must be APWA members with a minimum of 10 years experience in a public works supervisory or management role.

Professional Manager of the Year - Solid Waste
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of solid waste management professionals. The primary focus of this award is recognition of exceptional management, operation, and maintenance of public sector solid waste operations. Individual candidates must be members of APWA with a minimum of 10 years qualifying experience.

Professional Manager of the Year – Transportation
Recognizes the outstanding career service achievements of public transportation professionals. The primary focus of this award is recognition of exceptional leadership and management by an individual through a significant transportation related project or program. Individual candidates must be members of APWA with a minimum of 10 years qualifying experience.

Professional Manager of the Year – Water Resources
To recognize outstanding accomplishments or achievements by individuals providing management in the field of water resources and whose contributions have had a positive impact on the profession of Public Works. Individual candidates must be members of APWA with a minimum of 10 years qualifying experience.

Charles Walter Nichols Award for Environmental Excellence
Established to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement in the environmental fields it its broadest sense. This may include, but is not limited to, street sanitation; refuse collection, disposal and recycling; sewers and sewage treatment; and water supply and water treatment. Individual candidates must be employed full-time by a public agency. APWA members or chapters may nominate.

Community Involvement Award
To recognize public works leaders who are also leaders in their community. To enure public trust in public works professionals through recognition of outstanding community leadership.

Donald C. Stone Award for Excellence in Education
This award has a category for individuals and chapters. It was established to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement of individuals assisting in the areas of continuing and graduate professional education for public works professionals, as well as, chapters in their work in delivering educational opportunities for all levels of persons engaged in the delivery of public works services. Chapter candidates must be members with active educational programs. Any active APWA member may nominate.

Harry S. Swearingen Award for Outstanding Chapter Achievement and Excellence in Chapter Service
Established to recognize outstanding service to APWA as an individual member or corporate company member at the chapter level. The candidate(s) must be active member(s) of the Association and active at the chapter level for an extended period. Nominations must be made by chapters.

International Service Award
Established by the APWA International Affairs Committee, the APWA International Service Award recognizes an APWA member who has furthered the cause of international understanding and cooperation by becoming actively involved in exchanges, establishing a relationship with a public works entity from another country or providing outstanding public works service on an international basis.

Presidential Award for Chapter Excellence (PACE)
Established to recognize chapters for contributions made to positively impact their membership, profession, and community. Chapters are judged on membership, service to chapter members, advancement of public works, and service to the community. Please note that in order to be eligible, chapters with mroe than 500 members as of Dec 31 must also nominate at least one individual to the Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year and nominate at least one individual/group for any 3 other National APWA Awards to be eligible. Any chapter with 500 members or less submitting for the PACE requires only one other National nomination for any category.

Chapter Membership Achievement Award
The Chapter Membership Achievement Award was established in 2005 to encourage membership growth by honoring chapters showing the largest net increase in membership, compared to other chapters in their division. Divisions are: Chapters with 100 members or less, Chapters with 101-200 members, Chapters with 201-300 members, Chapters with 301-500 members, Chapters with 501-850 members and Chapters with more than 850 members. No specific nomination documentation is required. Selection is based on membership reports utilized by APWA National staff.