AMES, Iowa – Louise Lex of Ames, a longtime Iowa public health administrator, has been named the 2013 Dwight Ink Public Service Award recipient by the Department of Political Science at Iowa State University.
Lex, who has a Ph.D. in professional studies from ISU, has served as a state health planner, coordinating community health assessment and health improvement activities and developing state health plans. She has coordinated several high-profile programs at the Iowa Department of Public Health, including "Healthy Iowans 2000" and "Healthy Iowans 2010." She currently is the state coordinator for the federal government’s "Healthy People 2020" program.
"Louise Lex is a outstanding choice for the Ink Public Service Award," James McCormick, professor and chair of political science, said. "Her career of distinguished service with the Department of Public Health for the state of Iowa is wholly consistent with the intent of the award by our alumnus, Dwight Ink. I can’t think of a better recipient for this award, and I know that Dwight is pleased with her selection."
Dwight Ink is a 1947 Iowa State alumnus who served every U.S. president from Eisenhower through Reagan in a high-level policymaking and advising capacity. Throughout his public service, Ink had responsibilities for organizing past federal departments and agencies. The publication Government Executive, in consultation with the National Academy for Public Administration and others, in 2011 named Ink one of the 20 all-time federal civil service leaders.
Established in 1997, the award is given to public managers in Iowa who exemplify the highest standards of dedication to public service and are characterized by their leadership abilities, their passion for their work, their high professional standards and the respect they are given by their peers.
Political science is an department unit in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ISU. -30-
NEWS RELEASE College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University
Contacts: Louise Lex, (515) 281-4535, Louise.Lex@idph.Iowa.gov James McCormick, Political Science, (515) 294-8682, jmmcc@iastate.edu Steve Jones, Liberal Arts & Sciences Communication, (515) 294-0461, jones@iastate.edu