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Bestowing honor on Idahoans |
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November 7, 2017 |
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter unveiled a new
public service advertising campaign today
seeking nominations for the highest civilian
honor the State of Idaho bestows on its
citizens.
“Celebrating the most noteworthy achievements
and contributions of our citizens is important,
and something this office is uniquely situated
to do,” Governor Otter said. “We are looking for
individuals who have distinguished themselves
through their civic virtue and brought great
credit to Idaho.”
The Idaho Medal of Achievement was created by
Executive Order in November 2015 to recognize
individual Idahoans for their “exceptional,
meritorious, and inspirational” service to the
people of Idaho.
NASA teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan became the
first Idahoan to receive the prestigious honor
in January 2017 at the conclusion of Governor
Otter’s State of the State address before a
joint session of the Idaho Legislature.
Morgan spent 24 years as an elementary school
teacher and was the back-up to Christa
McAuliffe, who was to be America’s first teacher
in space. Following McAuliffe’s death in the
1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, Morgan
became the first teacher-astronaut to travel to
space aboard the shuttle Endeavor in 2007.
The Idaho Medal of Achievement is awarded
annually to individuals – living or dead – who
are nominated by the public. The four-member,
nonpartisan Idaho Medal of Achievement
Commission advances the names of no more than
five finalists for the Governor’s consideration.
The public is encouraged to go to the Governor’s
website and submit a nomination form for
deserving individuals for the 2019 award. All
nominations must be postmarked if by U.S. mail
and received in the Governor’s Office if by
electronic mail no later than March 31, 2018.
The Medal of Achievement Commission includes
former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda
Copple Trout, businessman and philanthropist
Skip Oppenheimer, Public Employee Retirement
System of Idaho (PERSI) board member Kirk
Sullivan, and last year’s recipient Barbara
Morgan, who assumed her new role as a
commissioner shortly after last year’s award
presentation.
The recipient of the Idaho Medal of Achievement
for the current year will be named in January
2018. |
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