State Open Government Hall of Fame

Update: Brian Sonntag, who retired earlier this year after serving five terms as the elected State Auditor in Washington state, has been selected for induction into the State Open Government Hall of Fame.

There are heroes among us. Heroes who may be well known within their respective states and communities, but whose labors have gone unrecognized elsewhere. Heroes whose efforts have kept state and local government records and meetings open and accessible to their fellow citizens. It is time to recognize these heroes in the same way we recognize the heroes of the federal Freedom of Information Act. It is time for a new Open Government Hall of Fame, to honor those whose lifetime commitment to citizen access, open government and freedom of information has left a legacy at the state and local level.

Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open Government Hall of Fame is a joint venture by SPJ and the National Freedom of Information Coalition. It was developed by leaders in both organizations as a way to recognize long-term contributions of individuals to open government in their respective states.

Specifically, induction into the Hall recognizes “long and steady effort to preserve and protect the free flow of information about state and local government that is vital to the public in a democracy.”

The formal induction will occur at the 2013 FOI Summit.

Eligibility

The State Open Government Hall of Fame is open to anyone who has made a substantial, sustained and lasting contribution to open government or freedom of information within one particular state. Even if the nominee has been active in national efforts or national organizations, the judges will only consider accomplishments at the state level.

Nominees may come from government, the media, the non-profit sector, the legal profession, or any other area of endeavor that involves citizen access to government records, meetings and procedures.

Nominees may be living or dead, active or retired.

Nominations

Deadline for nominations is Friday, March 15, 2013.

All nominations should include the following:

• Cover letter identifying the nominee and the person or group making the nomination.
• Adequate support material to demonstrate the worthiness of the nominee.

Please send all nominations material to:

• Ken Bunting
• Executive Director, NFOIC
• Missouri School of Journalism
• 101E Reynolds Journalism Institute
• Columbia, MO 65211
• Phone (573) 882-3075; Email buntingk@missouri.edu

Judging

Judging takes place each year following Sunshine Week. All nominations are evaluated by a Screening/Selector Committee that includes a representative of SPJ, a representative of NFOIC and at least one additional at-large Selector. To ensure the integrity of the process, Screeners/Selectors only become known to each other in the latter stages of judging in any given year.

For more information contact SPJ Headquarters at 317.927.8000, or email us at awards@spj.org, or contact Ken Bunting at buntingk@missouri.edu.

Previous inductees

2012   Toby Nixon  —  Washington
2011   John R. Finnegan Sr.  —  Minnesota
2010   Robert J. Freeman  —  New York
2009   Mitchell W. Pearlman  —  Connecticut
2008   Bill F. Chamberlin  —  Florida
2007   Frosty Landon  —  Virginia
2006   Byron M. Baer  —  New Jersey
2005   John Kuglin  —  Montana (1MB PDF)
2004   Herb Strentz  —  Iowa
2003   Michael Donoghue  —  Vermont
2003   Sue Hale  —  Oklahoma
2003   Robert Johnson  —  New Mexico