The awards are designed to honor elected officials, public-service professionals, nonprofit leaders and volunteers who have demonstrated leadership in and commitment to the field of public service.

鈥淭hese awards recognize some incredible people in our community who have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place for all of us,鈥� said Michael Frumkin, dean of the College of Health & Public Affairs. 鈥淭hey truly embody the college鈥檚 mission of Strengthening Communities: Changing Lives,聽inspiring our students as role models for the future careers.鈥�

Many of the honorees attended a ceremony Wednesday evening at the Morgridge International Reading Center on the main 麻豆原创 campus.

The 2016 winners are:

Exemplary Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award: Nelson

Exemplary Public Service Leadership Award, elected official: Gardiner

Exemplary Public Service Leadership Award, nonelected official: Ajit Lalchandani, Orange County administrator

Exemplary Public Service Organization Award: Central Florida Commission on Homelessness

Public Service Career Achievement Award: Pamela Landwirth, president and CEO of Give Kids the World

Young Public Service Professional Award, Jessica Schwendeman, assistant director of Volunteer Resource Center at Heart of Florida United Way

Several 麻豆原创 graduates also were honored with Alumni Achievement Awards during Wednesday鈥檚 ceremony:

Public Administration, John Titkanich, 鈥�01, city manager鈥� of Cocoa

Nonprofit Management,鈥ˋnna Eskamani, 鈥�12 and 鈥�15,鈥╯enior director of public affairs and field operations, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida

Urban & Regional Planning, Erin Sterk, 鈥�08 and 鈥�14,鈥╟ity planner III, Osceola County

Research Administration, Winona Ward, 鈥�15,鈥╠irector of research, Management Services, University of California

Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Michelle Cechowski, 鈥�12,鈥╡mergency preparedness manager,鈥‥ast Central Florida Regional Planning Council

The annual recognition is part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Public Service Recognition Week. 麻豆原创鈥檚 School of Public Administration, the College of Health and Public Affairs alumni chapter, and the Central Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration hosted the celebration.