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Introducing the 2014 Public Officials of the Year

We’re honoring these nine outstanding individuals for their continued commitment to public service, their remarkable leadership and their innovation­­­.

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Photos by David Kidd, Emile Wamsteker, Philip Andrews and Sebron Snyder
"Innovation" is a word that gets tossed around a lot in public-sector circles these days. Government leaders at all levels right now are under constant pressure to innovate, innovate, innovate. 
 
But what exactly is innovation? Certainly it’s about more than just saving money or developing the latest, most clever citizen app. True government innovation is about finding new solutions to our most persistent collective challenges. It’s about taking risks and discovering new ways to make government more effective. Innovation is about leadership -- and it’s the driving force for each of these nine Public Officials of the Year.
 
These men and women implement innovative new approaches every day. They’re making the tough decisions necessary to put government on sounder fiscal footing. They’re creating resilient communities that are ready for the future. They’re breaking down political barriers to work with opponents across the aisle. They’re redefining the very nature of their jobs, reaching beyond the traditional scope of their positions to make streets safer for people to walk on, to cut crime by empowering former offenders, to fight for legal justice, to encourage different communities to share their best ideas.
 
They are innovative in every sense of the word. For their continued commitment to public service, their remarkable leadership -- and yes, for their innovation­­­ -- we’re honored to recognize these nine outstanding public officials.
 
Read their profiles here.
 
Stacey Abrams, House Minority Leader, Georgia
 
Mike Hein, County Executive, Ulster County, N.Y.
 
Rick Snyder, Governor, Michigan
 
Wendy Still, Chief Adult Probation Officer, San Francisco County, Calif.
 
Michael Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia
 
Billy Hattaway, District 1 Secretary, Department of Transportation, Florida
 
Carrie Banahan, Executive Director, Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange
 
Chris Connealy, State Fire Marshal, Texas
 
George Hawkins, General Manager, D.C. Water

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