JOAN WALTERS AWARDED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

Joan Walters of Springfield was awarded the 2014 Rail-Splitter Public Servant Award by the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) at a May 8 ceremony.

Walters served 16 years in Illinois state government. She was on Gov. James Thompson’s staff, when she was first involved in government reorganization, and then she later was his legislation liaison in the House.

Walters was the assistant secretary of state when Jim Edgar was appointed secretary of state in 1981, and then was appointed his budget director when Edgar became governor in 1991. She later was named the director of the Department of Public Aid.

Walters went on to work in Seattle, where she held positions including the city budget director, the assistant to the superintendent and head of customer service for Seattle City Light.

Phil Gonet, Central Illinois ASPA Chapter president, said: “What impresses me personally about Joan … she has been very active in public service endeavors since retirement,” he said.

She presently serves on the board of the Citizens Club of Springfield and the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition. She’s a docent at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and volunteers transcribing letters for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project. She also served on the Citizens’ Efficiency Commission.