ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 21, 2021—The National Academy of Public Administration has selected Councilmember Nancy Navarro as a member of the 2021 Class of Academy Fellows. Selection for this prestigious fellowship is based on contributions to the field of public administration and policy. Councilmember Navarro joins more than 950 Academy Fellows including former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators as well as prominent education, business, and nonprofit leaders who have participated in this program.   

“It is a distinct honor to have been named one of 39 incredible members of the National Academy of Public Administration Class of 2021 Academy Fellows after a rigorous and comprehensive nomination process that drew on my breadth and depth of experience in public service and volunteerism on behalf of residents in Montgomery County, the Washington region, and the state of Maryland. As an elected official, it has always been my goal to demonstrate good governance and build a foundation for future generations to see success,” said Councilmember Navarro. “The fiscal uncertainty seen by every jurisdiction last year underscores the importance of our work here in Montgomery County. I pledge to use my membership to continue the good work we have been doing locally to make important contributions to the improvement of public service at the state and national level.” 

The National Academy of Public Administration was chartered by Congress to provide non-partisan expert advice to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations. The organization assists government leaders in solving their most critical management challenges.  

Councilmember Navarro was first elected to the Montgomery County Council in a special election in 2009 and was re-elected to a four-year term in 2010. Since 2010, she has chaired the Government and Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and serves on the Education and Culture Committee. In 2019 she was elected Council President for the second time in her Council tenure. In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed her to the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, where she serves on the Early Childhood Education Committee.  

In late 2019, Councilmember Navarro was elected to serve as Co-Vice President of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), where she has been a Board member since 2014. MWCOG is an organization that connects leaders in local jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area and aims to shape strong communities to meet the region’s biggest challenges. 

Councilmember Navarro has received numerous awards and recognition, including: the Maryland State Department of Education’s Women Who Dare Leadership Award; the U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education’s Hispanic Hero Award; the Montgomery County Business and Professional Women Association’s Women of Achievement 2007 Award; the Community Teachers Institute’s Heart of the Community Award; the 2009 and 2013 Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award; the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Elected Local Government Official of the Year Award; and the 2017 Crittenton Leadership Award. In 2019, Councilmember Navarro was named for the second time to Washington Magazine’s List of Most Powerful Woman in the Washington metro area in local politics and government. This year she was inducted into the Montgomery County Women's History Archive.  

Learn more about Councilmember Navarro here. Additional information about the National Academy of Public Administration can be viewed here.   

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