MADISON—First Lady Kathy Evers will announce the winner of the 37th annual Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award recognizing the contribution and achievements of women in Wisconsin state government. The video presentation will be available HERE at 10:00 am today and will be viewable for the entire month of November.
Virginia Hart was Wisconsin’s first woman to hold the position of cabinet secretary, serving as Secretary of the Department of Regulation and Licensing, chairperson of the Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations, and chairperson of the Labor and Industry Review Commission. Following her retirement, Ms. Hart’s friends and colleagues established a fund in 1983 to annually recognize the contributions of a woman in state government.
The Virginia Hart Award recognizes “unsung heroines” in state service who share the following qualities: esteem from peers; acceptance of responsibility beyond the limits of the nominee’s job description; sustained, extraordinary achievement of assigned tasks; performance recognition from clients; community service; self-improvement; and overcoming handicaps to performance.
As part of today’s video presentation, the State Council on Affirmative Action (SCAA) will also honor and recognize past Diversity Award recipients. Reimaging their annual awards ceremony in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presentation will celebrate two decades worth of winners and reflect upon the strides State Government has made towards becoming a diverse, equitable workforce. This virtual presentation will also include honoring the legacy of Dr. Roger Pulliam, winner of the 2019 Lifetime of Service Award.
Please join us in celebrating this year’s Virginia Hart winner and honoring Wisconsin’s tradition of strong, female leadership while making great strides towards a diverse, equitable workforce.
