Awards

Recognition is one of the primary activities of the Washington Coalition for Open Government. The Coalition regularly presents awards for outstanding contributions to open government.

Toby Nixon Award (formerly the Madison Award)

WashCOG recently renamed the James Madison Award after longtime board president Toby Nixon. The award is presented annually to an individual or organization whose long-term commitment to the cause of open government is demonstrated through exemplary words or deeds.

Andersen Award

The James Andersen Award is given annually to an individual or organization that has done something extraordinary to advance the efforts of the Washington Coalition for Open Government. It is named for the former Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, who served from 1992 until his retirement in 1995. Andersen was a founding member of the WashCOG board of directors and the first recipient of its James Madison Award.

Bunting Award

The Kenneth F. Bunting Award recognizes journalists and media outlets for work that uses or advances Washington state’s open government laws, or educates citizens about them. The award honors the memory of the late Ken Bunting, an executive editor and associate publisher with The Seattle Post-Intelligencer who helped found WashCOG in 2002.

Ballard-Thompson Award

This is presented to a member or members of the state legislature who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the cause of open government during the previous legislative session.The Ballard/Thompson Award is named in honor of former Speaker of the House Clyde Ballard (R) and former Chief Clerk of the House, Representative, and Senator Alan Thompson (D); both were founding members of WashCOG. The award was launched in 2011 and is presented on an annual basis, provided there is a recipient who meets the criteria set by WashCOG.

Key Awards

The Coalition presents Key Awards as warranted to any person or organization who has done something notable for the cause of open government within the past 12 months is eligible; this includes board members, WashCOG members, the general public, or public officials. Individual self-nominations will not be accepted, although individuals may nominate their organizations.

Scott Johnson High School Open Government Contest

This annual contest is offered to help to educate young people about the importance of open government principles; and to honor the memory of the late Scott Johnson, a former Washington Coalition for Open Government board member and attorney with Stokes Lawrence. Students write a short essay on a topic related to open government issues.