ICMA awards Denhardt prestigious Honorary Membership

Robert B. Denhardt, director of ASU's School of Public Affairs, recently was presented with an Honorary Membership award by ICMA, the international organization that advances professional local government management worldwide.

The recognition took place in conjunction with ICMA's 95th Annual Conference in Montréal, Québec.

ICMA's awards its prestigious Honorary Membership to an individual outside the local government management profession in recognition of his or her distinguished public service and contributions to the improvement and strengthening of local government. ICMA Honorary Members must have made a considerable contribution either to the improvement of local government and local government management or to the public's understanding and appreciation of responsive and well-managed local government.

Denhardt has directed two of the country's leading programs in urban management. He directs the School of Public Affairs in ASU's College of Public Programs, and previously served as director of the graduate program in urban management at the University of Kansas.

He is an ASU Regents' Professor, Coor Presidential chair, Lincoln Professor of Leadership and Ethics, distinguished visiting scholar at the University of Delaware, a member of the board of the Alliance for Innovation and a fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration. At ASU, he was the driving force behind the establishment of the Marvin Andrews Graduate Program in urban management and the Melikian Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Urban Management endowment.

Denhardt's research has focused on leadership in local government. He has published a number of books and articles in the areas of public administration theory and organizational behavior, particularly leadership and organizational change.

He is past president of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and founder and first chair of ASPA's National Campaign for Public Service. He was the 2004 recipient of ASPA's Dwight Waldo Award, celebrating lifetime achievement in scholarship in public administration.

Denhardt has been a consultant to public and private organizations, primarily in the areas of strategic planning, leadership, organizational development, productivity improvement and quality service. He was appointed by Governor Kit Bond to chair the Missouri Governor's Advisory Council on Productivity and reappointed by Governor John Ashcroft. He received ICMA's Stephen Sweeney Award in 1983 in recognition of his contributions as an academic to advancing public management, and in 2008, he received the Arizona City/County Management Association Associate Award for Excellence in Leadership.

Denhardt also was highlighted in a special commemorative booklet that appeared in the October 2009 issue of ICMA's Public Management (PM) magazine.