Contact: DOA Communications, (608) 266-1741
DOACommunications@wisconsin.gov
MADISON – The Department of Administration, Division of Personnel Management, the Virginia Hart Award Committee, and the Wisconsin State Council on Affirmative Action announces the 2019 winners of the Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award and the Diversity Awards. The awards will be presented Oct. 24 at 12:30pm in the State Assembly Chambers.
The Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award Committee is pleased to announce that Sheri Pollock, from the Division of Operations in the Department of Workforce Development, was selected as the winner of the 2019 Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award. The annual award is given in honor of Virginia Hart, Wisconsin’s first female cabinet member, recognizing women in state employment who made outstanding contributions in their state service.
The October 24th awards ceremony also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the State Council on Affirmative Action’s annual Diversity Awards. These awards recognize state agencies, universities, and employees for their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce. To commemorate the 20th Anniversary, two new categories have been added. The Outstanding Leadership Award recognizes an individual who made a significant contribution over the last year promoting diversity and inclusion. The Lifetime Service Award recognizes an employee with at least 15 years of state service who over their career promoted diversity and inclusion in the workforce.
The Department of Workforce Development will receive the 2019 Diversity Award for the Wisconsin Pre-Apprenticeship Readiness Program and its strong commitment to providing apprenticeship opportunities and training support for underrepresented populations throughout the state.
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will receive the 2019 Ann Lydecker Educational Diversity Award where John and Patty Noel have offered the Noel Compass Scholars Program since 1996, providing full scholarships to attend UW-Stevens Point, internships and other opportunities to students of color at Wisconsin high schools, helping close the achievement gap and prepare for successful careers.
The Department of Transportation and the University of Wisconsin Whitewater will receive the Program Awards for Outstanding Achievement for commitments to promoting diversity and demonstrated inclusiveness through their Aviation Career Education Program and the Little Scholars Program respectively.
State Patrol Superintendent Tony Burrell, with the Department of Transportation, is the recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award for the work he has done in encouraging the employment of minorities in law enforcement and fostering a relationship with law enforcement and communities in the Milwaukee area.
Dr. Roger Pulliam, Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, is the recipient of the Lifetime of Service Award, for marking his nearly 60-year career in education with an unrelenting devotion to representing, including, and advocating for minority students and educators, and promoting the success of his students and community.
Award ceremony details:
This year’s winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol Assembly Chambers Thursday, October 24, 2019, beginning at 12:30 pm, followed by a reception in the Assembly Parlor. Remarks will be given by Governor Evers, Lt. Governor Barnes, First Lady Kathy Evers, and Dr. James Parker, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of History and Women’s and Ethnic/Minority studies and former Council Chairman and member from 2005-2015. The public is invited to attend this inspirational event.
