Release

Sharon Dawes Receives Giuliani Leadership Award

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 24, 2005) -- Sharon Dawes, director of the University at Albany's Center for Technology in Government (CTG) has been awarded the fifth annual Rudolph W. Giuliani Leadership Award. The award was presented by New York State chief information officer Jim Dillon at the Executive Leadership Institute at the 17th annual Government Technology Conference (GTC) East held in Albany, New York in September.

The Rudolph W. Giuliani Leadership Award was established by GTC in 2001 to recognize outstanding public sector executives in the state of New York who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in building strong alliances, fostering the development of new leaders within government and effectively managing crises. The first award was presented to then mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, following his outstanding leadership during and after the September 11 attacks.

Dawes is recognized in New York, nationally, and internationally for her leadership in the emerging field of digital government and her ability to deliver practical and useful results. In 1993, she was part of the group who saw their vision of a government technology research center become a reality. What started as a volunteer project designed to help state government agencies use technology to improve operations and services, became a full-fledged research center in the form of CTG. The core objectives at CTG have remained the same over its twelve year history: to build partnerships that create innovative solutions to the problems facing government, and then to share those solutions with a broad audience of government professionals, researchers, and the public.

Under Dawes' leadership, CTG has consistently focused on projects that explore critical issues in award winning ways. CTG's innovative projects, partnerships and prototypes have been recognized with awards from a number of state and national organizations including the Ford Foundation, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, the New York State Forum for Information Resources Management, and the New York State Archives.

Dawes has been honored with numerous awards including: Distinguished Alumna Award from the Graduate School of Public Affairs, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany; Public Official of the Year from Governing Magazine; Award for Excellence in Government Information Services from the New York State Forum for Outstanding Contribution to Information Management; the American Systems Management Award for Outstanding Contribution to Information Management in New York State for which she was nominated by Governor Mario Cuomo; and the Murray Nathan Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Service, from the Capital District Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.

The Center for Technology in Government is an applied research center devoted to improving government and public services through policy, management, and technology innovation. The Center, located at the University at Albany, works with government to develop well-informed information strategies that foster innovation and enhances the quality and coordination of public services. For more information visit www.ctg.albany.edu.