September 22, 2016

Thomson Reuters Names 2016 Public Sector Champions

Governments and public officials honored for excellence in planning, leadership, and service

NEW YORK – The Tax and Accounting business of Thomson Reuters announced today the winners of the 2016 Public Sector Champion Awards.

The awards, which recognize regional government authorities and officials that have achieved excellence in planning, leadership and service were selected from nomination entries received from more than 1,000 Thomson Reuters government customers worldwide. 

The Public Sector Champion Awards were presented to government programs and officials in the following categories: Excellence in Business Process Transformation, Excellence in Office Leadership, and Excellence in Constituent Service. Additionally, an Office Holder of the Year and a Jurisdiction of the Year are selected.

This year’s winners include:

  • Office Holder of the Year: Michelle McBride, collector of revenue, St. Charles County, Miss.
    While leading the revenue collection for 60 jurisdictions among 374,000 citizens, McBride spearheaded a county ordinance that allowed taxpayers to make either partial payments or advanced payments on future bills, effectively providing a county-run escrow account service that made staying current on tax bills more manageable for its citizens.
  • Jurisdiction of the Year: Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica
    Despite the island behind devastated by Tropical Storm Erika in the summer of 2015, the government transferred five departments within the island nation of Dominica from an outdated, paper system to their new, innovative Unified Land Information System (ULIS), ensuring a safer, more efficient and secure assessment experience.
  • Excellence in Business Transformation: Bob Henriquez, property appraiser, Hillsborough County, Fla.
    Henriquez led an 18-month implementation of a cutting-edge desktop appraisal software system that has already saved taxpayers of the 520,000 properties in the county thousands of dollars in assessment and property review costs, while potentially adding millions of dollars in revenue for the county in the coming years.
  • Excellence in Office Leadership: Barbara Ford-Coates, tax collector, Sarasota County, Fla.
    Ford-Coates has served for 40 years in county government, 30 of them as the Sarasota County tax collector, and is leading the implementation of the county’s Aumentum project to eliminate duplications, ultimately making the taxpaying process more efficient.
  • Excellence in Constituent Service: Mike Kovack, auditor, Medina County Ohio
    With an an 81 percent approval rating on a recent survey of governmental operations, Kovack makes consistent communication with his 14,000 constituents a priority with weekly email updates and management of the county’s website that sees more than 1,000,000 hits annually.

“The winners of the Public Sector Champion Awards have  used technology and effective strategies to provide the most comprehensive, and citizen-friendly service,” said Joe Jackson, managing director for the Tax and Accounting business of Thomson Reuters. “We are proud to honor these leaders as they continue to achieve the gold standard of public service.”

To learn more information about Public Sector Champion Awards, visit tax.thomsonreuters.com/publicsectorchamps  

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.

 

CONTACT

Brian Erni
For Thomson Reuters
Tel: +1 631 584 2200
Email: brian@jroderick.com