by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
Members of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville gathered for a different kind of meeting Monday by recognizing the 14 winners of this year’s Annual Davis Productivity Awards.
The awards were created by the late J.E. Davis and A.D. Davis, co-founders of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and co-founders of Florida TaxWatch. they are sponsored by Prudential Financial and recognize State employees and agencies whose work significantly increases productivity and promotes innovation to improve the delivery of State services while saving money for Florida taxpayers and businesses.
“I think the fact that we’re able to recognize these individuals is outstanding,” said Clarissa Dunlap, executive director of Florida TaxWatch.
“Most of these people just do this on their own without being asked and so it’s nice to be able to reward them for their hard work.”
Among the winners were Don Drury, a traffic studies specialist for the Department of Transportation in Jacksonville, who designed a detailed set of roadway signing plans that saved the State over $80,000.
The Davis Productivity Awards program is part of a major government improvement initiative currently chaired by Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp. Since its inception in 1989, award winners have posted a total of $5.3 billion in added value for Florida taxpayers and businesses.
The 2007 awards competition attracted 503 nominations for innovations and productivity improvements worth $332 million in cost savings, cost avoidances and increased revenue for state government.
Dunlap said the nomination of a particular organization or individual is based on the cost savings they provide to the state as well as the added value that they personally provide to their organization.
The awards program also recognizes achievements that are particularly beneficial to citizens and the private sector and that further the priorities of the Gov. Charlie Crist/Kottkamp administration, which are: safety and security, property tax and insurance reform, education, adoption/abuse prevention, civil rights, health care, open government and plain language.