The NAPA Panel on Social Equity in Governance established the Phillip J. Rutledge Social Equity Leadership Award in 2021 in recognition of the contributions of the late Fellow Philip J. Rutledge. The NAPA Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance focuses on issues of fairness, justice, and equity in a variety of public contexts, including, but not limited to: education, policing, welfare, housing, and transportation.
With this award, the Panel recognizes and honors the contributions of Philip J. Rutledge to NAPA and the entire social justice community. His work with NASPAA was also instrumental in helping to infuse social equity into the curriculum of NASPAA accredited programs, and his visionary leadership and unceasing efforts were a catalyst for making social equity one of the pillars of Public Administration.
Academy Fellow Philip J. Rutledge (1925-2007) was a Professor at O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University and at Howard University. Among his many professional accomplishments, he was President of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) as well as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The Award winner will be selected based on his/her exceptional contribution to the NAPA Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance and social equity in public administration. An award nominee must be an elected NAPA Fellow in good standing and must have served on the Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance for at least five years. Nominees must also have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and as well as demonstrated evidence of achieving social change with an emphasis on developing and promoting concrete actions with lasting impact.
To date, we have selected three winners. In 2021, our inaugural award winner was Dr. Blue Wooldridge, Professor Emeritus at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Immediate Past Chair of the NAPA Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance. In 2022, the second winner was Dr. Gail Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and an Academy Fellow. In 2023, the third winner was Dr. Susan Gooden, Dean and Professor at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
How to Nominate
Download the nomination form and submit it to Dr. RaJade M. Berry-James via email at berryjamesr@vcu.edu by May 15, 2024.
2024 Social Equity Leadership Conference
Join us on June 20-22, 2024 at the University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT. This year's theme is "Achieving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access in an Increasingly Divided World.