Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy Honors Distinguished Alumni

Awards Ceremony will be held  Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, 411 State St., Albany

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (November 12, 2009) -- The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy will honor five individuals for their outstanding contributions to public service, including a homeland security communications administrator, an executive from state government, two accomplished professors, and the director of a Capital Region organization committed to improving the quality of life for seniors.

 The College's 26th Annual Alumni Reception and Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 19 at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, 411 State St., Albany.  The event, which is open to the public, begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

"At Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy we are proud of our many alumni who make significant and lasting contributions through their public service at all levels of government and the non-profit sector in the United States and abroad," said Jeffrey D. Straussman, dean of the College.  "This is certainly reflected in our 2009 Alumni Award recipients."
 
The 2009 Alumni Award Recipients are:

Jennifer Manner, B.A. '86, will be recognized with the Distinguished Alumna Award in Political Science. Manner is the deputy chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission, with a focus on broadband issues.  Prior to joining the FCC, Manner was a principal at ZComm Strategies, LLC, and vice president for regulatory affairs at SkyTerra Communications, LLC, a North American satellite operator. Manner joined SkyTerra from the Office of FCC Commissioner Abernathy where she served as the Commissioner's Senior Counsel with a focus on wireless, new technologies and international issues. She has published two books, Spectrum Wars (Artech House, 2003) and Global Telecommunications Market Access (Artech House, 2002) and numerous scholarly articles.

Craig Johnson, M.P.A. '87, Ph.D. '93, is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Public Administration & Policy. An associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University at Bloomington, he researches and teaches capital markets and financial intermediation, financial management, public budgeting and finance, economic development, e-government finance and fiscal institutions. Professor Johnson's current research focuses on the municipal securities market, especially innovative financing structures, financial intermediaries, fiscal institutions and government financial condition. He has written and presented widely on managing the finances of government and co-edited the book Tax Increment Finance and Economic Development: Uses, Structure and Impact. He is a recipient of the Dr. Seth Spellman Academic Achievement Award from UAlbany.

Joseph N. Garba, B.A. '02, M.P.A. '05, is the deputy director of the Governor's Office of Taxpayer Accountability, serving in that capacity since the office was created by Governor David A. Paterson to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in State Government.  He served the Governor in other senior staff capacities including assistant secretary to the Governor for state operations, and staff secretary to the Governor.  He first joined the Governor's Office as the deputy director of legislative affairs in then Governor Eliot Spitzer's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.  Before joining the Spitzer administration, he worked as a legislative representative at New York State United Teachers. Garba will receive the Rockefeller College Young Alumnus Award.

Kevin M. Bronner, B.A. '70, M.P.A. '84, Ph.D. '92, is the Rockefeller College Distinguished Service Award recipient. Bronner's long and distinguished career in public service includes serving as the principal utility financial analyst with the New York State Public Service Commission from 1970 to 2003, where he was involved with auditing large electric and gas companies, including audits of issues associated with Enron-type problems.  He's worked with the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission on compliance audits, and analyzed complex mergers and financings and derivatives transactions for utilities. A professor at the University of Albany since 1997, he is a member of the American Society of Public Administration and the New York State Government Finance Officers' Association. Bronner served as a member of the University of Albany Council from 2002 to 2009, and is a member of Phi Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.
 
Richard Iannello, executive director of the Albany Guardian Society, has had a distinguished career in health care administration since becoming a licensed nursing home administrator in 1975. Iannello has served as administrator at Genesee County Nursing Home; vice president, Programs and Administration at St. Anne's Home, a 591-bed nursing facility campus in Rochester, New York; and health care consultant for Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young). In 1987, Rick Iannello was appointed executive director at Eddy Cohoes Rehabilitation Center and went on to serve as director of all Eddy health care and housing sites.  Since July 2000, Rick Iannello has served as executive director of Albany Guardian Society, an operating foundation that undertakes projects to improve the quality of life for seniors.  He is the recipient of the Distinguished Continuing Professional Education Leadership Award of Excellence.

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