The Leadership Trailblazer Award Is Back After a Year Hiatus

by Jessie O'Brien on July 1, 2022

Graphic of the Leadership Trailblazer Award gold medal

The 2022 Leadership Trailblazer Award seeks to honor accomplished women empowering others in local government.

The League of Women in Government (LWG / The League) and Polco are proud to announce nominations for the 2022 Leadership Trailblazer Award are now open. This award recognizes an accomplished woman who is an exceptional leader in local government.

After a year off, the award returns during an important time as women are still widely underrepresented in top government roles. According to National Research Center at Polco research results, 38% of senior managers and less than 20% of executive level local government staff are women.

“While the gap is closing, our research shows women still experience more bias and barriers in the workplace,” said Polco Communications and Marketing Director Angelica Wedell. “Winning this award means you’ve made a big impact on your community, your organization, and other women whom you’ve helped succeed.”

Gold LTA Poster

Nominations are submitted by local government professionals who would like to see a deserving colleague recognized on a national scale. A panel of judges from the LWG and Polco will review each nomination and select the final winner.

This year’s winner will be inducted into the League of Women in Government Hall of Fame alongside 2020 winner Vanessa Donovan Hale, Assistant Town Administrator, Southborough, MA; 2019 winner Lori Sassoon, Assistant City Manager of Rancho Cucamonga, CA; and 2018 winner Opal Mauldin-Jones, City Manager of Lancaster, TX.

“Women who choose to work as a department head or an Assistant Manager do so not because they are afraid of being the leader of the organization, but because they want to focus on being a helper," said 2020 winner Donovan Hale.

The 2022 Leadership Trailblazer Award will be presented during the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Conference in Columbus, OH, September 17-21, 2022.

“Despite the added stress and exhaustion due to the pandemic and ongoing social discord, women continue to rise to the moment to lead in times of uncertainty at extraordinary levels,” said Kimberly Richardson, LWG President. “The League wants to honor those trailblazers.”