Nominations now being accepted for the Bob Graham Center Citizen of the Year
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Nominations are now being accepted for the Bob Graham Center Citizen of the Year.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida has established the award to recognize a Florida resident who has made a substantial contribution to enhancing the quality of life in the Sunshine State.
The Bob Graham Center Citizen of the Year will be selected among individuals who mirror Graham’s commitment to the common good. One of Florida’s most respected politicians of the post-World War II era, Graham served Florida and its people for more than four decades as a state legislator, two-term governor and three-term U.S. senator. During this period, Graham played a leading role in shaping nearly every major public policy issue in the state.
The purpose of the award is to recognize residents who have made an extraordinary contribution to the state and its people, who can serve as inspiring examples to young people, and whose achievements will help encourage young people to embrace the ethic of service as a value in their life.
To be eligible for the award, an individual must be a current Florida resident who has lived in the state for at least five years.
Nominees should have made a substantial contribution to the state. Such a contribution can take many forms, but its impact should be broadly felt.
Nominations are welcomed from any source, although the candidate should not be self-nominated. Nominators should complete the application form, which can be found at http://www.bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu/bob-graham-center-florida-citizen-year.
In addition to the application, nominators are asked to submit a one-page statement explaining why the nominee warrants being recognized as the Bob Graham Center Citizen of the Year. All nominations should be received by May 1 for consideration.
A panel of three leading citizens, drawn from various backgrounds in Florida, will select the Florida Citizen of the Year, based on nominations and the contributions of nominees to public life. The panel will consider the nominations, but it also reserves the right to look beyond them in determining the award recipient.
The winner will be announced at the annual gathering of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service on June 11 at Shula’s Hotel and Golf Club in Miami Lakes.
As part of the selection, the Bob Graham Center Citizen of the Year will be invited to address those attending the annual gathering and to speak to students and the public at the University of Florida. The winner will also receive a framed award, and his or her name will be engraved on a plaque at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service in Pugh Hall.
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Contact
Shelby Taylor, sheladk9@ufl.edu, 352-273-1086
