Selected from thousands of projects across the U.S. and Canada, these award winners represent the very best of community-centered public engagement.
Explore the remarkable contributions that have made a difference in their communities.
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Nicole Hutcheson
Nicole transformed a complex, high-stakes disaster recovery engagement into a streamlined, scalable operation—breaking down barriers to collect trusted community input at unprecedented scale. Her leadership delivered faster insight, lighter staff lift, and clearer guidance for allocating $700M+ in recovery funds.
CHAMPION OF COMMUNITY TRUST
Angelica Tyler
Angelica led an inclusive, transparent recovery effort that centered resident voices across six municipalities following Tropical Storm Helene. By turning community input into shared priorities and coordinated action, she strengthened public trust and helped guide a recovery plan shaped by the people it serves.
CHAMPION OF COMMUNITY TRUST
Dawa Hitch, Christy Edwards and Logan Smith
During post–Hurricane Helene recovery, the team led one of Asheville’s most inclusive engagement efforts—rebuilding public trust through transparent, accessible, and equity-centered participation. By ensuring resident input visibly shaped recovery and policy decisions, they strengthened confidence in both process and outcomes during a critical moment.
CHAMPION OF INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
Beverlee Sanders
Beverlee led a sustained, equity-driven engagement effort across Charlotte’s historically underinvested corridors—creating accessible, multilingual pathways for residents to shape real investment decisions. Her work ensured underrepresented voices directly influenced funding, planning, and visible neighborhood improvements.
EXCELLENCE IN DATA-DRIVEN ENGAGEMENT
George Martinez
George turned PublicInput into a mobile, data-driven command center, enabling full neighborhood coverage for proposed bus route changes in San Antonio. By capturing real-time household feedback and mapping outreach gaps, he ensured equitable participation while creating a repeatable, insight-rich model for transit engagement.
LEADERS OF INNOVATION
Andrew Potter, Elizabeth Miller, Janely Valdivia, Nancy Vizcarra, Ryan Sharp, Sabrina Holden, and Teresa Zurita
The team transformed public meeting engagement for San Diego County by centralizing, automating, and streamlining hybrid workflows. Their approach improved accessibility, ensured compliance with SB 707, and created a repeatable, data-driven model that modernizes how residents participate and staff manage meetings.
RESOURCEFUL INNOVATOR
Lori Maher
Lori maximized limited resources to convene a nine-county Regional Transportation Safety Summit, creating an accessible, collaborative forum for road safety planning. Her approach gathered meaningful feedback, aligned diverse stakeholders, and established a repeatable model for regional engagement that advances life-saving strategies.
RESOURCEFUL INNOVATOR
Niki Grimball
Niki transformed Charleston County’s rezoning engagement by centralizing feedback and meeting residents wherever they are. Her approach expanded participation, streamlined staff workflows, and turned scattered input into actionable, data-driven insights that built trust and created a repeatable, inclusive engagement model.
