Doña Ana County Manager Julia T. Brown has been named the recipient of a 2016 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 in Atlanta.
Brown is one of 65 individuals from all walks of life who will be honored during the ceremony. She has confirmed she will attend.
The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Service Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a citizen for his or her contributions to the nation.
“I was quite taken aback when notified of the nomination, then humbled when I learned that I’d been selected to receive the award,” Brown said.
She said she has been involved in volunteer community service since childhood, inspired by her late grandmother and others in the community in which she grew up. She said she has been involved in volunteer service in every community where she has lived and worked throughout her life.
“It’s part of who I am and what I believe we all should be doing,” she said, “After all, we are our brother’s keeper. If we can bring light, information, knowledge or resources to those who don’t have them or don’t know about them, we should.”
Recipients are evaluated based on standards for service, sustained commitment to civic participation, and their individual ability to inspire others to make service a central part of their lives.
Lifetime achievement is recognized with a special President's Call to Service Award, which honors those who have provided more than 4,000 hours of service during the course of their lifetime.
The awards will be presented by Ambassador Lenora Peterson and a White House cabinet official, followed by a reception and entertainment.