Final: 2018 Chris Traeger Award Nominees

Posted on September 7, 2018


Chris Traeger

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
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