Awards and Recognition
Public Service Award
An individual who holds a past or present public office and has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the public
Homecoming 2008 Award Winners
Jennifer Burns
Jennifer J. Burns, a four-time graduate of The University of Arizona, is serving her third term as an Arizona State Representative. She is a native of Arizona and represents a mostly rural district, including serving as chair of the House Committee on Higher Education and as a member of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee and the Health Committee.
Since her days at the UA, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and political science, an M.P.A. in health policy, and a juris doctorate, to her time as a freshman legislator, she has become a skilled negotiator and public policy expert. At every stage of that progression she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the needs of others, realized in her ability to forge positive relationships and immerse herself wholeheartedly in the pursuit of public good.
In her legislative tenure, she is known as a bridge builder, and — even at her young age — has established herself as a person whose ultimate goal is not power or personal gain, but instead the promulgation of effective and inclusive public policies. Her work in chairing the House Committee on Higher Education has proven highly beneficial to the UA and all universities in Arizona.
Jennifer is straightforward in her approach to resolving complex and difficult issues, and always open to ideas and potential resolutions. Her demonstrated service to our state, coupled with her longstanding contributions in the public policy arena, make Jennifer J. Burns an outstanding recipient of the Public Service Award.
Governor Janet Napolitano
In January 2003, Governor Janet A. Napolitano delivered her first State of the State address to the people of Arizona, in which she stated, without equivocation, her support for our university system. She opened her administration noting, “It is time to stop viewing our universities and community colleges as easy marks to balance the budget. Instead, we must recognize them as epicenters of economic development. They educate the workforces of tomorrow, and their research expands our horizons.” She has never wavered from her commitment.
Throughout the years, whether there was a budget surplus or cuts needed to be made, the Governor has remained a steadfast proponent. There is no better example of her support than the recent economic stimulus package, which she created and shepherded through the legislature. When faced with a $2-billion deficit, other elected leaders looked to cut the state universities’ budgets. It was the Governor’s vision that resulted in the allocation of $1 billion in necessary infrastructure funds.
The Governor fights for quality schools, voluntary full-day kindergarten for all Arizona children, affordable health care, sensible and forward-thinking economic development, and has taken extensive measures to create fiscal responsibility and to end bureaucratic waste. She also pushed for an historical teacher pay raise — an acknowledgement to those who have chosen the most valuable of professions — and fought to preserve health insurance for our state’s entrepreneurs, while putting into place steps to ensure all Arizona children have healthcare.
The Governor’s leadership expands beyond Arizona. She recently concluded a term as the first woman and first Arizonan chosen to chair the National Governors Association, where her groundbreaking Innovation America platform continues to move forward.
We are honored to present the Public Service Award to Governor Janet A. Napolitano — one of Arizona’s brightest stars.
Jo Elizabeth “Joey” Ridenour
With a strong foundation in nursing and nursing administration, Jo Elizabeth “Joey” Ridenour has given more than three decades of service to Arizona and the nation. During her distinguished career in public service, she has demonstrated a dedication to upholding high standards for quality nursing and healthcare, and her service as executive director of the Arizona State Board of Nursing and as a national leader in nursing is exemplary.
Joey’s nursing career began in the Maricopa Health System and expanded to her current position as executive director of the Arizona State Board of Nursing. Her appointment as president of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing reflects the high regard in which she is held throughout the United States.
Throughout her distinguished career, Joey has provided leadership in healthcare. Among the most important of her work in Arizona are her memberships on Governor Napolitano’s Task Force on the Nursing Shortage, the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association’s Healthcare Institute, and the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center Greater Phoenix Leadership Board.
Joey’s outstanding achievements in nursing and her unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of nursing and healthcare engender enduring respect for her accomplishments in Arizona and throughout the nation. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, was inducted into the Maricopa Health Foundation, and won the National Council of State Boards of Nursing R. Louise McManus Award and the Arizona State University College of Nursing Distinguished Achievement Award.
The University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Nursing are proud to present the Public Service Award to Jo Elizabeth “Joey” Ridenour.