George A. Bell Nominee

The George A. Bell Award is established in honor of NASBO’s first Executive Director.Dr. George A. Bell became NASBO's first full-time Executive Director when the post was created in 1974. He was instrumental in the organization's decision to move its offices from Lexington to Washington in order to affiliate with the National Governors Conference. He was the NASBO President in 1964-65 and was awarded life membership in 1973. The George A. Bell Service Award program was established as an entity within NASBO to sponsor the award and administer the George A. Bell memorial fund. The first George A. Bell Service Award was presented in 1978.

The purpose of this award is to recognize state budget personnel for outstanding contributions and service to public budgeting and management in state government.

Nominees not selected as the George A. Bell recipient automatically become eligible for their region's award. These awards are named after the first President from each region: John E. Burton Eastern Region Award, J.H. Rester Southern Region Award, Fred. W. Links Western Region Award and Robert M. Armstrong Midwestern Region Award. 

The nomination deadline is May 24, 2024.

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Eligibility

Any associate member of NASBO who, as an employee of a state budget office, has made an exceptional contribution to state budgeting and management is eligible for the award. Associate Members are all professional personnel in the budget agency who are not Regular Members. Associate Members are budget analysts, unit supervisors, and other staff. A section, team or group from a particular budget department may also be eligible for the award as a group. The award will be presented at the Annual Meeting.

Criteria

The nominee should be an imaginative and creative individual who possesses outstanding administrative or technical ability and exercises leadership and initiative. The involvement of the nominee should have directly resulted in one or more of the following:

  • A significant improvement in program administration and management;
  • A marked improvement in the quality of services provided;
  • A significant savings or cost avoidance;
  • Significant technological progress.

In addition, the following factors should be considered when making a nomination:

  • Benefits realized have applicability and can be transported for use in other states;
  • Accomplishment would have been lessened or not achieved without direct involvement of nominee;
  • Accomplishment was self-generated;
  • Nominee exercised overall direction and control;
  • Accomplishment has long-term or lasting benefit;
  • The impact of the nominee on the budget agency, or government as a whole;
  • General technical, professional, and managerial competence of the nominee; and
  • Performance over a period of time or connected with a singular accomplishment.

The broadest reasonable interpretation will be given to the term "budgeting and management," which includes, but is not limited to, the areas of:

  • Budgeting
  • Accounting
  • Management Analysis
  • Cost Reduction
  • Productivity Measurement and Improvement
  • Financial Systems Development
  • Auditing
  • Program Services Fiscal Management
  • Automated Data Processing
  • Cash Management
  • Planning
  • Legislative Fiscal Policy
  • Reporting--Financial and Performance
  • Control and Allocation of Resources