Awards - 2024 Annual Conference - Council on Governmental Ethics Laws

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The Awards Ceremony Luncheon will take place Monday, December 9th.

At each COGEL Conference, we recognize individuals or organizations who have made profound contributions to the COGEL organization or one of its disciplines.

Nominations closed on 9/30/24.

If you have any questions regarding either award or the nomination process, please contact the Co-Chairs of the Awards Committee:

Dorothy Rice, Dorothy.Rice@novascotia.ca or,

Susan Willeke, susan.willeke@ethics.ohio.gov.

COGEL Outstanding Service Award

The COGEL Outstanding Service Award is conferred upon a COGEL member, or an employee of a member agency, who has provided exceptional service to COGEL. Outstanding Service Award recipients are those rare colleagues whose participation in COGEL activities has made our membership more valuable and our conferences more meaningful.

COGEL Award

The COGEL Award is our organization’s highest form of recognition. It is conferred upon an individual or organization that has made a significant, demonstrable, and positive contribution to a COGEL discipline (ethics, campaign finance, elections, lobbying or freedom of information). The recipient need not be a COGEL member but should be recognized as a leader, influencing important discussions or policies, perhaps even on a national or international level.

Emerging Leaders Award

The Emerging Leader Award celebrates the next generation of COGEL leaders who have significantly contributed to the COGEL community and demonstrate a commitment to strengthening and improving open, fair, democratic, ethical, and accountable elections and governments. This award highlights those who, while in the early stages of their careers, embody the promise and potential of COGEL. The recipient should be a COGEL member with five or fewer years of involvement in the organization and/or conferences.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

COGEL AWARD

2023	Steve Berlin, Executive Director, City of Chicago Board of Ethics
2022	Amy Loprest, Executive Director, New York City Campaign Finance Board
2021	Michael McEvoy, British Columbia's Information and Privacy Commissioner
2020	Richard Briffault, Columbia Law School
2019	Carol Carson, Executive Director, Connecticut Office of State Ethics
2018	Wesley Bizzell, Sr. Asst. General Counsel and Managing Director of Political Law and Ethics Programs, Altria Client Services LLC
2017	The Campaign Legal Center
2016	Ann M. Ravel, Chair, Federal Election Commission
2015	Mark Davies, Executive Director, New York City Conflicts of Interest Board
2014	Lynn Morrison, Integrity Commissioner, Office of the Integrity Commissioner, Ontario
2013	James L. Sumner, Jr., Executive Director, Alabama Ethics Commission
2012	Judge Anthony M. Wilhoit, Executive Director, Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission
2011	Paula Franzese, Professor, Seton Hall University
2010	John J. Contino, Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
2009	Ruth Jones, Professor, Arizona State University
2008	Lois G. Lerner, Director, U.S. Intern al Revenue Service
2007	David E. Freel, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission
2006	Kenneth A. Gross, Esq., Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
2005	Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
2004	Dr. Herbert E. Alexander, Director, Citizens' Research Foundation
2003	James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr., 39th U.S. President
2002	Senator John McCain (AZ) U.S . Senate
	Senator Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold (WI) U.S. Senate
2001	Senator Carl Levin (MI), U.S. Senate
2000	Lawrence M. Noble, General Counsel, U.S. Federal Elections Commission
1999	Representative Christopher Hunter Shays, U.S. House of Representatives
1998	Michelle Malkin, Columnist, Seattle Times
1997	Judge Richard Goldstone, Chair, South Africa Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence & Intimidation
1996	Kent C. Cooper, Assistant Staff Director for Disclosure, U.S. Federal Elections Commission
1995	Fred Wertheimer, Past President, Common Cause
1994	Father Joseph O'Hare, Chair, New York City Campaign Finance Board
1993	Frederick M. Herrmann, Executive Director, New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission
1992	Jeffrey B. Garfield, Executive Director & General Counsel, Connecticut Elections Enforcement Commission
1991	Stephen W. Stover, Administrative Director, The Supreme Court of Ohio
1990	Geoffrey Cowan, Chairman, Commission to Draft an Ethics Code for Los Angeles City Government
1989	Pierre-Ferdinand Côté, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Québec
1988	Robert M. Stern, Co-Director & General Counsel, California Commission on Campaign Financing
1987	Melvin Cooper, Director, Alabama Ethics Commission
1986	S. Stanley Kreutzer, New York Temporary Lobbying Commission
1985	Jean-Marc Hamel, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada

COGEL OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

2023	Shipra Verma, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Manitoba
2022	Paul Nick, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission
2021	Darrin Lim, Co-Founder & Partner at Politicom Law LLP
2020	State and Federal Communications, Inc
2019	Thomas Hennick, Public Education Officer, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
2018	Colleen Murphy, Executive Director, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
2017	Amy Loprest, Executive Director, New York City Campaign Finance Board
2016	Nedda Massar, Deputy Executive Director, Philadelphia Board of Ethics
2014	Sarah M. Jackson, Executive Director, Kentucky Registry of Election Finance
2013	M. Nola Western, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Elections British Columbia
2012	Pamela B. Gavin, Superintendent, U.S. Senate Division of Public Records
2011	Michael J. Sullivan, Director, Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance
2010	Carol Carson, Executive Director, Connecticut Office of State Ethics
2009	Patricia A. Young, Assistant Staff Director, U.S. Federal Election Commission
2008	Kevin J. Kennedy, Director & General Counsel, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
2007	Frank Daley, Executive Director, Nebraska Accountability & Disclosure Commission
2006	Terry Draver, Senior Analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office
2005	Richard D. Balasko, Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Manitoba
2004	Mitchell Pearlman, Executive Director & General Counsel, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
2003	Nicole Gordon, Executive Director, New York City Campaign Finance Board
2002	David E. Freel, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission
2001	John J. Contino, Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
2000	David Maidenberg, Indiana State Ethics Commission
1999	Bonnie Williams, Executive Director, Florida Commission on Ethics
1998	Ron Michaelson, Executive Director, Illinois State Board of Elections
1997	Carol Kirk, Indiana State Ethics Commission
1995	Ron Gould, Assistant Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
1994	Edward Feigenbaum, Director of Legal Affairs, Council of State Governments

Questions?

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Sacramento, CA 95825

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Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be submitted in writing to director@cogel.org no later than November 15, 2024. All refunds will be processed after the close of the conference and will be charged a $100.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be made for "no shows”.