Former Senator Given Prestigious Award

PROVO, Utah – May 02, 2013 – The Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University presented former senator Robert F. Bennett with its 2013 Administrator of the Year award for his work in Congress.

Since 1972 institute faculty have nominated outstanding men and women who have achieved distinction in public sector management. Bennett is the 42nd recipient.

“Senator Bennett is recognized as an outstanding statesman,” says Rex Facer, a public finance and management professor and award committee lead. “He’s a careful thinker who always looked to both sides of the political aisle for help. Adding Senator Bennett to the list of recipients was an easy decision.”

The awards ceremony took place at a private banquet on campus. Prior to the occasion, Bennett spoke to Romney Institute students about entering the workforce with a creative outlook.

“You will be making careers in a world where productivity is always increasing,” Bennett said. “But you have an advantage because you grew up in this world. You can be powerful agents for the right kind of change.”

Bennett was elected for his first congressional term in 1992 and served until 2011. He was involved in national economic policies as the senior member of the Committee on Banking and the Joint Economic Committee. He has been praised for his intellect and integrity by political figures from both parties.

Before his time in the Senate, Bennett graduated from the University of Utah, served in the Utah National Guard and worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation. In the private sector, he worked as the chief executive officer with Franklin Quest and as chairman with the Utah Education Strategic Planning Commission.

Bennett will join the ranks of other distinguished individuals who have been named Administrator of the Year. Past recipients include William H. Hansell, former executive director of International City/County Management Association; Charlie E. Johnson, former CFO of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Olene S. Walker, former Utah Governor.

The Romney Institute of Public Management was named in 1998 for three-term Michigan governor George W. Romney. Part of Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management, the Romney Institute offers a master's degree in public administration through both pre-service and executive programs. The Romney Institute has a long tradition of preparing young people for careers in public service and is dedicated to educating men and women of faith, character and professional ability who will become outstanding managers and leaders in public and nonprofit institutions worldwide.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.