LeadersLink Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award
LeadersLink's annual leadership award recognizes a current or former elected official at the city or county level whose efforts have enabled his or her community to recover successfully from a disaster. It is named in honor of LeadersLink's first disaster mentor, former Waveland, Mississippi Mayor Tommy Longo, who passed away in 2019 and spent years coaching communities around the country through the disaster recovery process.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
Any individual elected to office at the city or county level of a community that suffered physical damage following a disaster sometime in the past 10 years.
Who may submit nominations for this award?
Any individual or organization interested or involved in city/county governance, community emergency preparedness or disaster recovery. Individuals may self-nominate for this award.
Where are the nominations to be sent?
Complete and submit the nomination information below or if you’ve received a form via email, send the completed form to info@leaderslink.org. Nominations are due by August 1, 2024.
What are the evaluation/selection criteria for this award?
- Recent Disaster – Disaster must have occurred after January 1, 2013.
- Resilience – The city or county is thriving and has successfully recovered.
- Extent of damage – The community suffered at least 25 percent physical damage.
- Staying Power – The community was able to maintain at least 90 percent of its pre-disaster population.
- Speed of recovery.
- Initiative and innovation displayed during recovery.
- Efforts made by the official to protect the community from future disaster losses.
When will the winner be announced?
The winner will be announced in 2024 and the award will be presented in a ceremony in the winner’s community.