By Nicole Maharaj
November 22, 2004

On November 10 in Washington, D.C., Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin along with other key public officials was honored during an event hosted by Governing Magazine. The Governing Magazine's Public Official of the Year awards are given in recognition for outstanding achievement at the state and local level. It is bestowed upon leaders who came into situations unbelievable in complexity with endless bureaucratic and political obstacles in the way of accomplishing their jobs.

The only Mayor honored, Franklin was touted for building alliances at the state and federal level that restored her city to a sound financial footing and arrived at creative solutions to the city's huge long term water and sewer costs.

Other award winners of the 2004 Officials of the Year include: Virginia Governor Mark Warner, North Carolina Treasurer Richard Moore, Chief judge in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Kevin Burke, Administrator of the Center for Child and Family Health in the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Tricia Leddy, Chief Facilities Executive of Los Angeles Unified school district, Jim McConnell and Utah's Chief Information Officer, Val Oveson.

This is Governing's eleventh annual awards program. Governing is an independent national magazine devoted to coverage of state and local governments. This prestigious award has been bestowed upon other Atlanta municipal leaders including Police Chief Richard Pennington and former Airport General Manager Angela Gittens.

Franklin also serves as the current Chair of the Women Mayors' Caucus for the United States Conference of Mayors.