Excellence in Virginia Government Awards
2025 EVGA Nominations are open!
Cast your nominations ASAP for the following seven awards.
EVGA Award Nominations Submission Form (Google Form)
For questions regarding EVGA, please contact:
Pam Cox
Executive Assistant to Distinguished Faculty
L. Douglas Wilder, 66th Governor of Virginia
Senior Special Projects & Communications Manager
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
evga@vcu.edu
(804) 937-7936
The 17th Excellence in Virginia Government Awards will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Omni Richmond Hotel.
The ceremony will celebrate Virginians who have made extraordinary contributions to the practice of government and the welfare of our communities and citizens.
Community Enhancement Award
This award recognizes outstanding commitment to improving the quality of community life in Virginia. An individual, group or government entity may be nominated for this award.
Grace E. Harris Leadership Award
Named after the late Dr. Grace E. Harris, a trailblazer who broke down many barriers as an African-American woman and whose vision and leadership had tremendous impact at VCU, in the community and beyond. This award recognizes an individual who has made a discernible, sustainable positive impact on the quality of life in Virginia through public service.
Hill-Robinson Expansion of Freedom Award
Named for two champions of civil rights, attorney Oliver Hill and Judge Spottswood Robinson, this award recognizes a sustained commitment to securing equal rights and justice for all people by empowering citizens. An individual may be nominated for this award.
Innovation in Government Award
This award recognizes the recipient’s innovative work has resulted in increased efficiency, effectiveness, or other improvements that affect how a government entity performs, in supporting and delivering services to its constituents. An individual, organization or government entity may be nominated for this award.
Public-Private Partnership Award
This award recognizes the recipient’s inventive creation or maintenance of a successful public-private partnership which has delivered a measurable improvement in public service resulting in lower cost, improved quality, or greater efficiency for citizens. An individual, business, local or state government agency or other entity may be nominated.
Unsung Heroes Award
The Unsung Heroes Award recognizes an individual Virginian who has provided distinguished and exceptional service as a career government employee in the commonwealth, with local or state government. The recipient must have significant longevity of public service to the commonwealth and be a resident of Virginia.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes an individual Virginian whose career represents the highest values of public service and citizenship and who has made a substantial contrition to the good of the commonwealth. The recipient must be an individual whose personal or professional contributions span a minimum of 20 years and be a resident of Virginia.
View all 2023 award recipient profile videos on YouTube
Support Our Scholarships
This program supports Excellence in Virginia Government Awards program scholarships. Please follow this link if you would like to make a gift to support this effort