2017 Nelson A. Rockefeller Award 
Honoring Congressman Paul Tonko's 
Distinguished Public Service

The State Academy for Public Administration’s 2017 Nelson A. Rockefeller awardee is Congressman Paul Tonko. A fifth term member of the United States House of Representatives, he currently represents New York’s 20th Congressional District in the Capital Region, including the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs and his hometown of Amsterdam, in the Mohawk and Hudson River Valleys. 

The State Academy’s Nelson A. Rockefeller award is intended to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public service in New York State and beyond. Inaugurated in 1980 by the Empire State Capital Area Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and now offered by the State Academy for Public Administration (SAPA), the Rockefeller Award is the leading award  to notable public leaders in our state. Recipients of the Rockefeller Award have had a distinguished career in public service in federal, state, or local government, or they have made significant academic contributions to fields of public service, such as public administration, public policy, public health, political science, education or economics.  A full list of Rockefeller Award recipients can be found on the State Academy’s website.

The SAPA Board decided to make this award to Paul Tonko for several reasons. First, public service is a calling; some hear it; some don’t. Paul not only hears it loud and clear, he lives it and feels it. Second, Paul has achieved an unusual balance in his commitment to his constituents, his state, and his nation, perhaps because he has experienced public service as a local, state, and federal official. Third, Paul has a sense of compassion for the immediate needs of people and the long term needs of the planet. His love of people is matched by his love of science as an engineer and an advocate for clean energy and a healthy environment. 

Paul Tonko’s career has covered a wide breadth of public service with county, state and federal governments. An engineer by trade, Congressman Tonko spent many years in the NYS Assembly before being appointed as the CEO of the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).  From there he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he now serves. 

At the age of 26, Paul was the youngest person in the history of Montgomery County to be elected to the County’s Board of Supervisors, which he chaired until 1981. He graduated from Clarkson University with a degree in mechanical and industrial engineering and is a former engineer for the NY State Public Service Commission. He is a lifelong resident of the city of Amsterdam, New York.

This award ceremony is an opportunity for you, as a member of the public service community to recognize and honor Paul Tonko for the exemplary work he has done and continues to do as one of New York's most distinguished public servants. Individuals who became SAPA Fellows during 2017 will be introduced and recognized during the Rockefeller Award ceremony.

Space is limited at the Rockefeller Institute where the award ceremony will be held, so we are asking prospective attendees to RSVP.  There will be light refreshments and hors d'oeuvres served at a brief reception prior to the ceremony.  

RSVP Now!