Welcome to Around Town, a periodic report on bits and pieces, odds and ends, and opinions, anecdotes and inquiries in, around and about Gwinnett County. The column is compiled by GDP newsroom staff, but if you have an idea for an Around Town item, send to news@gwinnettdailypost.com
Today’s installment covers an award for Rep. Lucy McBath and a group of elite Peachtree Road Race runners from Gwinnett.
This edition was compiled by Todd Cline and Curt Yeomans.
AN ‘OSCAR’ FOR McBATH: The Congressional Management Foundation’s calls them “Oscars for Congress” which means Rep. Lucy McBath is one of Congress’ leading ladies.
On Tuesday, McBath was named the top Democratic congressional office in the nation for constituent service by the CMF.
According to a press release, “McBath’s office provides Georgians with assistance with federal agencies and has yielded positive outcomes that have been shared by neighbors, garnered more than 6 million views on social media, and been documented in the New York Times.”
McBath is the first winner from the state of Georgia.
Each year, the CMF selects Members of Congress as winners for its Democracy Awards, CMF’s annual program to recognize the non-legislative achievements of Members of Congress. The categories include Constituent Service, “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment, Constituent Accountability and Accessibility, Innovation and Modernization, and Lifetime Achievement.
As part of the function of a congressional office, constituents often request assistance with issues involving federal agencies. The work congressional offices do in response to these requests is generally referred to as “casework”. Members of Congress determine the structure and scope of their constituent service activities, including casework.
“Prioritizing constituent services is a key part of the mission of my office. Too often, we hear people say that they don’t know how to ask for help from their elected officials,” McBath said. “It is extremely important to me that our constituents get the casework assistance they deserve. I am honored to be recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation for the work my team and I have been doing in our communities on behalf of Georgians.”
Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation added, “As a Democracy Award winner, the Rep. McBath office is clearly one of the best in Congress. This designation demonstrates that Rep. McBath and her staff are working hard to provide the best public service possible for her constituents. Rep. McBath and her staff stand out for their exemplary service and dedication to her constituents.”
CMF cited the following as reasons for selecting Rep. McBath as winner for an award in the category of Constituent Service: “From the beginning of her time in office, Representative Lucy McBath has inculcated in her staff a sense of shared responsibility for constituent service. Every member of the district staff handles casework, which the office feels affirms both internally and externally that serving constituents is the office’s number one goal. The office has a ‘living casework intake guide’ that’s altered at least every quarter as agency processes change and constituent needs fluctuate.
“The guide includes every step of creating a new case and all questions that need to be asked at intake for each agency with which the office interacts. For every new staffer or intern, the office has a three-day training regimen led by the District Director and Constituent Services Director that includes casework, phone communication, field representation, event management, and office operations.”