February 23, 2018, 11:30 AM MST

Contact: Ashley Sylvester | Ashley.Sylvester@mail.house.gov | 202-225-2190

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 23, 2018-The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) today announced that Rep. David Schweikert is a finalist for the first-ever Democracy Awards, CMF’s new award recognizing non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices. Rep. Schweikert has been selected for outstanding accomplishments for the category of “Life in Congress”-Workplace Environment. The “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment category highlights offices that have established both formal policies and informal cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs.

In announcing Rep. Schweikert as a finalist for the Democracy Awards, CMF explained why the office was selected:

“The office of Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ-06) begins each week with a memo outlining what votes, meetings, and constituent requests for assistance are coming up in the Washington and Arizona offices; they end the week with an after-action review to discuss their successes and failures.  This process allows the office to set overall goals for service to the district, inform each other’s work, and ensure a balanced workload.  The office policy manual was written by the entire staff ensuring all viewpoints were taken into consideration, thereby fostering a strong, positive working relationship.  Quarterly reviews with the management team make sure everyone is working to his or her potential.”

“As a finalist in ‘Life in Congress’-Workplace Environment for a Democracy Award, Rep. Schweikert’s office is clearly one of the best in Congress,” said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. “This designation demonstrates that Rep. Schweikert has made a significant commitment to being the best public servant for his constituents in Arizona. Rep. Schweikert and his staff are to be congratulated for not only being a model for colleagues in Congress, but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work,” he said.

Twenty House and Senate offices were honored as finalists in four categories: Constituent Service, Innovation, Transparency and Accountability, and “Life in Congress”-Workplace Environment. House and Senate personal offices nominated themselves using an online questionnaire for the four office categories. CMF followed up with offices to gather documentation and assess the office’s adherence to the established criteria. CMF staff selected the finalists based on the information provided by nominees.

A committee comprised primarily of former Members of Congress and former congressional staffers will select the two winners (one Democrat and one Republican) for each of the categories. Winners will be announced in mid-May. An awards ceremony to honor finalists and winners will be held on July 12, 2018.

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CMF Finalist Press Release 02.23.18.pdf