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.
