NCSL Recognizes 2023 Legislative Staff Achievements

INDIANAPOLIS—Eighteen outstanding current and former legislative staff, in addition to the Texas Legislative Budget Board Staff, will be recognized by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) during its 2023 Legislative Summit in Indianapolis.

Each of the nine professional staff associations of NCSL, along with the Legislative Education Staff Network and the staff co-chairs of the overall standing committees, are allowed to present up to two awards each year.

The 2023 Legislative Staff Achievement Award recipients will be recognized by NCSL’s staff chair Anne Sappenfield and the Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee at the “Salute to Legislative Staff” session at the Summit on Aug. 16.

This year’s recipients are:

American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS)

• Ali Sagraves, assistant clerk, Ohio House of Representatives
• Finos B. "Buddy" Johnson, parliamentarian/coordinator of legislative services, Arkansas House of Representatives

Leadership Staff Professional Association (LSPA)

• Liz Connolly, deputy chief of staff, Ohio Senate
• Brian Colleran, Senior Policy Advisor, Speaker's Office, Maine House of Representatives

Legislative Information and Communications Staff (LINCS)

• Aundrea Peterson, deputy chief of staff and communications director, Utah State Senate
• John Sattgast, senior public information officer, radio/broadcast coordinator, Washington State House of Representatives

Legislative Research Librarians Staff (LRL)

• Ingrid Hernquist, manager, Office of Legislative Services, Library Services, New Jersey Legislature

National Association of Legislative Fiscal Offices (NALFO)

• John Guyer and Tom Horan, executive director and assistant executive director of the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee
• The Texas Legislative Budget Board Staff

National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT)

• Soren Jacobsen, IT specialist, Legislative Services Office, Idaho Legislature

National Legislative Program Evaluation Society (NLPES)

• Leslie McGuire, director (retired), Performance Audit Division, Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts
• Excellence in Evaluation Award: Utah Office of the Legislative Auditor General

National Legislative Services and Security Association (NLSSA)

• Bradley Murfitt, sergeant at arms, Montana House of Representatives
• Claude McMillan, assistant director of security for the Gressette Building, South Carolina Senate

Research, Editorial, Legal and Committee Staff (RELACS)

• Sarah Burkman, senior staff attorney, Office of Bill Drafting and Research, Indiana Legislative Services Agency
• J. Mendelsohn, senior counsel, Legislative Reference Bureau, Pennsylvania General Assembly
• Special Commendation: John Snyder, committee staff administrator, Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky General Assembly

Legislative Education Staff Network (LESN)

• Tanya Lieberman, chief consultant, Assembly Education Committee, California Legislature

NCSL Standing Committees

• Steven Hernández, Esq., executive director, The Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, Connecticut General Assembly
• Andrea Wilko, chief economist, Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, Utah Legislature

For more information on the 2023 Legislative Staff Achievement Award Recipients, click here.