CPA Honors 1997-98 Flemming Fellows, Award Recipients

Over 250 people from every state in the U.S. came to Washington, DC on June 25 to join CPA in saluting an emerging generation of legislators and three proven leaders who have made careers of practical, community-building public service.

CPA’s 1998 Annual Awards Celebration at the National Press Club brought together 30 of this year’s class of state legislators from the Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute. Washington Post columnist David Broder, who interviewed five Flemming Fellows before the event, wrote in his nationally syndicated July 1 column that the Fellows are "miraculously uncynical about politics and remarkably committed to advancing their communities."

CPA also honored San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Fannie Mae Chairman and CEO Jim Johnson and Illinois State Representative Rosemary Mulligan, all noteworthy for their tireless dedication to public service for the public good, exemplified throughout their careers. From Mayor Brown’s work to make San Francisco’s city government reflect the diversity of the city, to Johnson’s commitment to making home ownership affordable to low-income families, to Mulligan’s efforts to incorporate health care across the lifecycle into existing public policy, these individuals serve as examples of the effectiveness of values-driven policymaking.

Flemming Fellows also visited the White House, where they were updated on the administration’s planned education initiatives by Peggy Kerns, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Education, and Terry Peterson, Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the Department of Education. Legislators shared with administration officials their concerns for the upcoming U.S. census, in previous years plagued by undercounting. As legislators noted, states with smaller populations receive less federal money — funds often used to provide community services. This makes it critical to obtain an accurate population count. While at the White House, Fellows also visited the Oval Office.