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Governor announces new Idaho Medal of
Achievement |
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November 14, 2015 |
Idaho Governor Butch Otter recently announced
the creation of a new award whose intent is to
honor those who have rendered notable service to
Idaho and its people.
Named the Idaho Medal of Achievement, the award
is the highest civilian honor conferred by the
State of Idaho, recognizing individual Idahoans
for their “exceptional, meritorious, and
inspirational” service to the people of Idaho.
 “This
award is aimed at singling out for recognition
those citizens among us whose life or deeds
embody the best of what it means to be an
Idahoan,” Governor Otter said.
“I have spoken often about the great individuals
who make our state a shining example for the
rest of the nation. This year I decided we
should do more to recognize and salute the
accomplishments of these truly great Idahoans.”
Governor Otter created the award by executive
order. It will be given annually to individuals
– living or dead – who are nominated by the
public. “I'm asking for your help in identifying
those individuals worthy of consideration,” said
the Governor. A five-member Idaho Medal of
Achievement Commission, appointed by the
governor, will review the submitted nominations
and advance the names of no more than five
finalists for the Governor’s consideration.
Nominations for the award may be submitted at
this website:
http://gov.idaho.gov/achievement.html. The
deadline for nominations is March 31 of each
year; the Commission will submit finalists to
the Governor by May 1. Members of the first
Commission have been named by Governor Otter,
and include Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa,
Idaho Business for Education Chairman Skip
Oppenheimer, Public Employee Retirement System
of Idaho board member Kirk Sullivan, and former
Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Copple
Trout. A fifth commissioner remains to be named.
Hecla Mining Company, based in Coeur d’Alene,
provided the silver for the Idaho Medal of
Achievement and is sponsoring the award. Each
medallion is made of 99.9-percent fine silver
and weighs 19.7 troy ounces. It features a
relief carving of the Idaho State Capitol on the
front and the Idaho State Seal on the back.
“It's a prestigious medal befitting an award
designed to be the highest civilian honor our
state can bestow,” said the Governor. “The idea
is to highlight the contributions of those
Idahoans whose life's work or acts go to the
heart of what it means to be an Idahoan. We
should celebrate these individual's lives, revel
in their accomplishments, and hold them up as
models to emulate.”
The award will be presented in the Capitol at a
time and date to be determined by the Idaho
Medal of Achievement Commission.
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