Recipients from across the country will visit the White House to receive Presidential award for exemplary service to their fellow citizens
February 15, 2013, President Obama will welcome to the White House the recipients of the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.
“It is my distinguished honor to award these individuals the 2012 Citizens Medal for their commitment to public service,” said President Obama. “Their selflessness and courage inspire us all to look for opportunities to better serve our communities and our country.”
Nearly 6,000 public nominations were submitted, and the President has selected the following awardees:
Maria Gomez (Washington,DC)
Gomez founded Mary’s Center 25 years ago with the mission to build better futures through the delivery of health care, family literacy and job training. Mary’s Center is part of the working group launching First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Read Let’s Move Campaign.” Prior to establishing Mary’s Center, Maria was a public health nurse with the D.C. Department of Health. She has also worked for the Red Cross, directing community education programming and disaster services, and with the Visiting Nurses Association. She currently serves as Regional Representative for the South East to the National Council of la Raza, and previously served two terms on the board of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton (Boston,Massachusetts)
Adam Burke (Jacksonville,Florida)
Mary Jo Copeland (Minneapolis,Minnesota)
Michael Dorman (Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina)
Pamela GreenJackson(Albany,Georgia)
Janice Jackson (Baltimore,Maryland)
Patience Lehrman (Philadelphia,Pennsylvania)
Jeanne Manford (Queens,NY)
Billy Mills (Fair Oaks,California)
Terry Shima (Gaithersburg,Maryland)
Harris Wofford (WashingtonD.C.)
Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, and Victoria Soto (Newtown,Connecticut)
The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Obama is recognizing Americans whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention. The President called on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals:
Who have a demonstrated commitment to service in their own community or in communities farther from home.Someone who has engaged in activities that have had an impact in their local community, on a community or communities elsewhere in theUnited States, or on fellow citizens living or stationed around the world.
Who have helped their country or their fellow citizens through one or more extraordinary acts. Individuals who have demonstrated notable skill and grace, selflessly placed themselves in harm’s way, taken unusual risks or steps to protect others, made extraordinary efforts to further a national goal, or otherwise conducted themselves admirably when faced with unusually challenging circumstances.
Whose service relates to a long-term or persistent problem.Individuals who have made efforts to combat stubbornly persistent problems that impact entire communities; for example, those who have taken innovative steps to address hunger, homelessness, the dropout crisis, lack of access to health care, and other issues that plague too many Americans.
Whose service has had a sustained impact on others’ lives and provided inspiration for others to serve. The ideal nominee for a Citizens Medal is a person whose work has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others.
For more information on the President’s Citizens Medal and to nominate someone for the 2013 Citizens Medal, visitwww.whitehouse.gov/citizensmedal.
