Civil Servants Honored with the “Nobel Prize of City Government”

by | Jun 22, 2018 | Downtown News, News

Downtown Manhattan is the seat of New York City Government. City Hall and a number of city agencies are located south of Chambers Street. There are now nearly 294,000 full-time city employees—more civil servants than at any point in the city’s history.

Recently, six of these outstanding civil servants – who have contributed nearly 170 years of service to the City – were presented with the Fund for the City of New York’s 45th annual Sloan Public Service Awards. The six honorees (shown above from left to right) are: Jane Bedell, Sandy Bryant Townsend, Annette Whyte, Jocelyn C. Perez, Edward Toth, and David Piersante.

“The Fund for the City of New York is honored to recognize these outstanding civil servants. They have helped make New York the greatest city in the world. This year’s honorees are distinguished by their outstanding performance, and their commitment and responsiveness to public needs. They have shown fearlessness in the face of adversity, and dedication to putting the public interest first. Because of these qualities, we recognize them with an award that is the Nobel Prize of city government,” said Mary McCormick, President of the Fund for the City of New York. “To serve the public is the highest honor and recognizing the unsung heroes who make this city a better place is of the utmost importance.”

The honorees’  work has helped improve health outcomes in the Bronx; ensured individuals can access needed government benefits; given psychiatric patients the opportunity to lead more productive lives; supported New Yorkers with limited resources living with HIV/AIDS; grown millions of native plants for restoration and conservation in our parks; and ensured our city’s contracting process is fair, efficient and responsive.

The Sloan Public Service award is the “Nobel Prize of city government,” and is presented to civil servants from all levels of city government. The winners are selected for their exemplary job performance and tireless dedication to the public. Each will receive a $10,000 cash prize. The recipients were honored on June 7 at their individual workplaces, and at aceremony held at The Great Hall at Cooper Union.

The 2018 Sloan Award winners are: Jane Bedell, MD, Assistant Commissioner & Medical Director, Bronx Neighborhood Health Action Center, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene; Sandy Bryant-Townsend, Executive Director, Office of Legal Affairs-Fair Hearing Administration, NYC Human Resources Administration; Jocelyn C. Perez, RN, Director of Nursing for Behavioral Health, Metropolitan Hospital, NYC Health and Hospitals; David Piersante, Director of Eligibility, HIV/AIDS Services Administration, DSS/HRA Special Services, NYC Human Resources Administration; Edward Toth, Director, Greenbelt Native Plant Center and Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank, NYC Department of Parks; and Annette Whyte, Associate Director, Vendor Management, Mayor’s Office of Contract Services.

The honorees were nominated by their colleagues, peers and friends and selected from more than 250,000 eligible workers. The candidates were from the mayoral agencies, the Transit and Housing Authorities, the Health and Hospitals Corporation, The City University of New York, the district attorneys’ offices and the public libraries.

More information about past winners, including detailed information on winners from the past nine years, is available on FCNY’s website.

A New York Story

A New York Story

Larry Silverstein has spent a lifetime shaping the New York City skyline. He isn’t done yet. Photography by Andrew...

Sky Light

Sky Light

Twenty years later, Tribute in Light helps New York City heal. Photo by Joe Woolhead. IN NEW YORK, art isn’t limited...

Downtown Magazine