The Chris Traeger List recognizes the top 100 influencers in local government. Link: 2016 Traeger Award and 2017 Traeger Award.
Throughout the week, ELGL members were tracking the list of 2018 nominees on the ELGL member dashboard. We’ll update the list for non-members every Friday. Members and non-members can submit nominations until September 24.
- Aaron Foley, Chief Storyteller, City of Detroit, MI
- Adria Fitch, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Syracuse, NY
- AJ Fawver, Planning Director, City of Lubbock, TX
- Amrinder Singh, Director of Code Enforcement & Building Code, Norristown, PA
- Alan Howze, Chief Knowledge Officer, City of Kansas City, KS
- Allison Bussler, Public Works Director, Waukesha County, WI
- Allison Scheck, Public Engagement and Operations Manager City of Lakewood
- Amanda Daflos, Director of Mayor’s Innovation Team City of Los Angeles
- Andrew Hening, City of San Rafael, California, Director of Homeless Planning & Outreach
- Anna Clark, Author: “The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy”
- Ben Walsh, Mayor, City of Syracuse, NY
- Bertha Johnson, Director of Budget & Management Services Department, City of Durham, NC
- Bonnie Svrcek, City Manager, City of Lynchburg, VA
- Brendan Babb, Chief Innovation Officer, Municipality of Anchorage
- Brent Stockwell, Assistant City Manager, City of Scottsdale, AZ
- Brian Ligon, Communications & Marketing Director, City of Mont Belvieu, TX
- Brian Platt, Business Administrator, City of Jersey City, CO
- Brian Valentino, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer, Western Monmouth Utilities Authority
- Buddy Dyer, Mayor, City of Orlando, FL
- Cathy Bailey, Director, Greater Cincinnati Water Works
- Chad Doran, Communications Director, City of Appleton, WI
- Cheriene Floyd, Strategic Planning & Performance Manager, City of Miami, FL
- Chris Abele, County Executive, Milwaukee, WI
- Chris Floore, Assistant to the County Manager for Public Affairs Macon-Bibb County
- Chris Hsiung, City of Mountain View, California, Police Captain
- Chris Morrill, Executive Director, GFOA
- Christie Elliott, Director of Administration City of Syracuse, NY
- Clay Pearson, City Manager, City of Pearland, TX
- Daniel Bourdeau, Chief Information Officer, City of Westland, MI
- Darrin Tangeman, City Manager City of Woodland Park, CO
- David LaFrance, American Water Works Association, CEO
- Deanna Boldrey, Village Clerk, Village of Germantown, WI
- Dongho Chang, Traffic Engineer, City of Seattle, WA
- Ethan Berkowitz, Mayor, Municipality of Anchorage
- Eric Holmes, City Manager, City of Vancouver, WA
- Eric Norenberg, City of Milford, DE, City Manager
- Ginger Spencer, Public Works Director, City of Phoenix, AZ
- Hillary Schieve, Mayor, City of Reno, NV
- Holt Hopkins, Director of Public Works, Anderson County, SC
- James Hardy, Chief of Staff, City of Akron, OH
- Jamie Eustace, Director, Sterling Municipal Library, Baytown, TX
- Jason Jones, Analytics & Innovation Manager Guilford County, NC
- Jennifer Davies, Public Information Officer, City of Las Vegas, NV
- Jenny Durkin, Mayor, City of Seattle, WA
- Jim Healy, Village Administrator, Village of Richfield, WI
- Jimmy Morales, City Manager, City of Miami Beach, FL
- John Hudgison, Director of Building Inspections & Code Enforcement, Columbus Consolidated Government
- John Lisle, Chief Marketing & Communications, DC Water
- John Titkanich, City Manager, City of Cocoa, FL
- Josh Edwards, Director of Strategy & Performance, City of Durham, NC
- Joshua Schoemann, County Administrator, Washington County, WI
- Joshua Smith, City Manager, City of Hamilton, OH
- Jonathan Matte, Director Communications Department City of West Allis, WI
- Julie Rusk, City of Santa Monica, CA, Chief Civic Wellbeing Officer
- Kathryn Johnston, Budget Officer, City of Tacoma, WA
- Katie Nelson, Public Relations & Social Media Coordinator Mountain View Police Department
- Kelly Houghteling, Assistant to the Town Administrator, Town of Windsor, CO
- Kelly McAdoo, City Manager, City of Hayward, CA
- Ken Clark, City of Indianapolis, IN, Chief Information Officer
- Kent Myers, City Manager Fredericksburg, TX
- Kevin Hardman, Mayor, City of Sharonville
- Kim Nakahodo, Assistant City Manager, City of North Kansas City
- Kim Pendergraft, Partnership Manager Texas Municipal League
- Kurt Wilson, City Manager, City of Stockton, CA
- Kyle Kingma the founder of Planning Peeps and the Planning Manager, City of Tyler, Texas
- Laura O’Sullivan, Chief of Staff, City of South Bend, IN
- Laura Savage, Assistant to the District Manager Pueblo West Metro District
- Lee Feldman, City Manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Leigha Boling, Performance Analyst, City of Topeka, KS
- Leigh Tami, Chief Performance Officer, City of Cincinnati, OH
- Lia Katz, Applied Research Analyst, Office of Budget and Performance Management, District of Columbia
- Lori Sassoon, Deputy City Manager – Admin Services City of Rancho Cucamonga
- Luke Fretwell, CEO, ProudCity
- Mai-Ling Garcia, Online Engagement Manager, City of Oakland, CA
- Margaret Hamers, Finance Director, Washington County, WI
- Marian Orr, Mayor, City of Cheyenne, WY
- Mariel Reed, Founder, CoProcure
- Matthew Brolley, Mayor, Montgomery, IL
- Melvin Carter, Mayor, City of St. Paul, MN
- Michael Brown, City Manager, City of Hillsboro, OR
- Michael Karlik, Host, City Council Chronicles
- Midori Clark, Director of Community Relations at Pueblo City-County Library District
- Mike Sarasti, Chief Innovation Officer, Miami, FL
- Mitch Foster, Village Administrator, Winneconne, WI
- Mo Cheeks, Alderman, City of Madison, WI
- Monica Chaparro, Strategic Planning and Performance Manager City of Raleigh, NC
- Nick Smith, New Media Specialist, City of Gaithersburg, MD
- Nick Woolery, Director of Stretegy & Innovation City of Baytown, TX
- Nicole Lance, Assistant City Manager, City of Surprise, Arizona, AZ
- Oliver Chi, City Manager City of Monrovia, CA
- Pete Haga, Community/Government Relations Officer, City of Grand Forks, ND
- Peter Kageyama, Author, For the Love of Cities
- Phil Kiraly, Village Manager, Village of Glencoe, IL
- Phil Smith-Hanes, County Manager, Ellis County, KS
- Randy Recklaus, Village Manager, Village of Arlington Heights, IL
- Rebecca Grill, City Administrator, City of West Allis, WI
- Rebecca Jackson, Strategic Performance Analytics Director, City of Fayetteville, NC
- Rick Cole, City Manager, City of Santa Monica, CA
- Rick Usher, Assistant City Manager, City of Kansas City, MO
- Robert Blaine, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Jackson, MS
- Ryan VanLanduyt, Executive Director Rice Lake Community Media
- Sam Edelstein, Chief Data Officer, City of Syracuse, NY
- Samantha Harkins, Chief of Staff, City of Lansing, MI
- Sarah Marie Martin, Deputy Director, Kansas City Missouri Health Department
- Sarah Medary, Public Works Director, City of Eugene, OR
- Scot Simpson, City Administrator, City of River Falls, WI
- Scott Somers, City Manager, City of College Park, MD
- Shannah Hayley, Director Communications & Community Outreach City of Plano
- Sharon Taylor, Assistant Village Manager, Village of Glencoe
- Sly James, City of Kansas City, MO, Mayor
- Steph Scafa, 2021 Project Lead, City of Eugene, OR
- Steve Callaway, Mayor, City of Hillsboro, OR
- Spencer Smith, Director of Libraries, City of McKinney, Texas
- Susan Brown, Library Director, Town of Chapel Hill, NC
- Terry Tieman, Town of Fenwick Island, DE
- Thomas Homan, City Manager, City of Delaware, OH
- Tim Gross, Public Works Director, City of Newport, OR
- Tina Walha, Director of Innovation & Performance, City of Seattle, WA
- Tom Fountaine, Borough Manager, Borough of State College, PA
- Tom Lisi, Sr. Manager Continuous Improvement & Financial Analysis, Denver Airport
- Tom Sloan, Special Operations Sergeant Round Rock Police Department
- Victor Cardenas, Assistant City Manager City of Novi, MI
- Wade Walcutt, City of Cincinnati, OH, Parks Director
- Wally Bobkiewicz, City Manager, Evanston, Illinois
- Will Hampton, Communications and Marketing Director, City of Round Rock, TX
- William Ottens, Cataloging & Collection Development, Lawrence Public Library
- Yuliya Harris, Performance Measurement & Crime Analyst City of Novi, MI
- Zach Navin, Public Works Management Analyst, City of Wauwatosa, WI
- Zach Ratkai, Director of Administrative and Community Services City of Pasco, WA