Kentucky Society of Certified Public Managers®

By Tony Smith, CPM, KSCPM Awards Chair and Ande Godsey, KSCPM President

Secretary Hancock Receives Leadership Award

The Gene W. Childress Leadership Award was presented to Secretary Michael W. Hancock at the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Managers®’ Election and Awards Luncheon in Frankfort. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in government, excellence as a role model, exceptional level of service to the public, and performance above and beyond the call of duty.

Secretary Hancock pictured with Tony Smith

The Childress Award is named for Gene W. Childress, the first Executive Director of the Governmental Services Center (GSC). During Mr. Childress’s tenure at GSC, he earned a reputation for being supportive of his staff; he motivated them and gave them opportunities to excel. He was a visionary and exemplified a desire for excellence. In creating this award, it was decided that these are the qualities that should be reflected in the recipients of the Gene W. Childress Award.

These characteristics are evident in Secretary Hancock. In presenting the award, Tony Smith, past-president of the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Managers®, introduced the Secretary as a “life-long public servant, educator, visionary, and most of all a leader.”  While his engineering knowledge, leadership and communication skills have certainly contributed to his personal success, it is his high standard of values that have made him a truly exceptional leader.

The Secretary’s support of the CPM program and his employees is exemplified by the fact that he never swayed in his belief in continuous learning and development for all employees. It is because of this commitment that the Transportation Cabinet continues to encourage employees to seek personal career growth and development.

While it is easy to become overwhelmed with the obstacles of today, true visionaries such as Secretary Hancock, seem to remain steadfast in their devotion and focus on the future.

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