Nation's Top State Government Relations Officers Named; Two Winners Saluted for Extraordinary Contribution to State Government Relations 12/4/2003
From: Matt Long, 202-478-5582 or Joye Mercer Barksdale, 202-478-5680; both of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- The American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges today named the winners of the Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson Achievement Award and the Edwin Crawford Award for Innovation in State Relations for their dedication to state relations and advancing the cause of colleges and universities. The Johnson and Crawford awards are the only national honors in higher-education state relations, a field that encompasses advocacy and outreach efforts on behalf of colleges and universities to governors, state legislators, and other key policymakers. The late Blake Anderson, director of state relations at Arizona State University, was named the recipient of the Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson Achievement Award. Anderson died in June 2003 of complications related to lupus. His wife, Debbie, is expected to accept the award in his memory. Matthew Hargrove, director of government relations at the University of California, Davis, is the recipient of the Edwin Crawford Award for Innovation. "These winners have profoundly improved the lives of all members of their campus communities through their persistent and all-too-often unacknowledged efforts," said CASE President Vance T. Peterson. "We are pleased to honor these distinguished professionals for the positive impact they have had on American higher education and for the outstanding example they have set for state-relations professionals everywhere." Earlier this year, CASE assembled a panel of judges comprised of state relations professionals who evaluated nominees from around the country in three areas. For the Johnson award the criteria are: 1) Motivation/Coordination/Stewardship; 2) Support from policymakers and colleagues; and 3) Extraordinary contributions over a significant period of time. For the Crawford award the criteria are: 1) Motivation/Coordination/Stewardship; 2) Support from policymakers and colleagues; and 3) Extraordinary innovation by a relative newcomer to the profession. The recipient of the Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson Award receives a $5,000 cash prize, sponsored by ACS, Inc., PeopleSoft, and Unisys. The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges awards a $2,500 cash prize to the Edwin Crawford winner. "Innovation is at the heart of state government relations, as it is only through continual change and adaptation that professionals continue to excel. The Crawford award winner is the epitome of this quality of innovation," said NASULGC President C. Peter Magrath. The American Association of Community Colleges is the primary advocacy organization for the nation's two-year higher education institutions. In addition to its legislative advocacy and monitoring of national issues and trends, AACC collects, analyzes, and disseminates information pertinent to its member colleges. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which represents more than 400 state colleges and universities across the country, monitors higher education policies at the national and state level and serves as a forum for examining and acting on higher education issues. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the largest international association of education institutions, serving more than 3,200 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in 45 countries. CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information, and standards in the fields of education fund raising, communications, and alumni relations. The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges is the nation's oldest higher education association and represents more than 200 public universities. NASULGC works to support the contributions that state and land-grant universities make to learning, discovery, and engagement. ------ Winners' Bios Blake Anderson -- was Director of Government Relations for Arizona State University before his death earlier this year. Mr. Anderson served as the university's chief political advisor and lobbyist since 1994. Prior to joining the staff at ASU, Anderson worked for the Arizona House of Representatives and previously for Senator John McCain. During his tenure at Arizona State University, Anderson assisted in the creation of the ASU legislative network, an advocacy mechanism in conjunction with the Alumni Association and other members of the campus community. He was also in charge of the organization and coordination of the annual Western States Governmental Relations Conference, which has been key in connecting government relations professionals from the region. One of Anderson's greatest accomplishments was the passage of a bill to give $400 million to the three Arizona universities for constructing research facilities. Anderson was instrumental in getting this legislation passed, even as the state faced a $1 billion budget deficit. After Anderson's death, the members of the state legislature named the bill "Blake's Bill" and to a person they spoke of the effectiveness with which he had carried it through from start to finish. Anderson held a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Arizona State University. Matthew Hargrove -- has been Director of Government Relations at the University of California, Davis since 2001. In his short tenure at UC, Davis, Hargrove has developed new and innovative approaches to higher education advocacy, including the "AggieAdvocates" program, which has brought government relations and alumni relations together for grassroots advocacy efforts on behalf of the university. He has led the way in keeping alumni involved in the institution's advocacy efforts through email newsletters, columns in alumni magazines, and legislative conferences. Hargrove has also been involved with a new program, Reservation for College, in which UC Davis partners with area K-12 schools to educate families on how to prepare for college. Hargrove organized a high-profile launch for the program to show California legislators how UC Davis was spending money appropriated by the state for outreach efforts. Legislative response to this event helped the campus and the entire UC system improve relations not only with the legislators, but also the K-12 community. Matthew Hargrove holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Davis. |