Oregon's Debbie Dennis and Shannon Ryan Receive NASCA's National Distinguished Deputy Award

    LEXINGTON, KY, October 28, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Debbie Dennis, Enterprise Goods and Services Administrator, and Shannon Ryan, Enterprise Asset Management Administrator , from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, were jointly awarded the Distinguished Deputy Award from the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA).

NASCA, an association devoted to state Chief Administrative Officers and their senior leadership teams, presents the annual award to honor administrators for a career of accomplishments in state government operations.

Dennis and Ryan received the honor October 27th during NASCA's annual award ceremony at the 2021 Institute on Management and Leadership in Rochester, New York.

"Debbie and Shannon are the epitome of outstanding public servants," said Katy Coba, state Chief Operating Officer and DAS Director for the State of Oregon. "They are innovative, creative, tireless and committed to serving Oregonians. I could not ask for any better state employees," noted Coba. "Oregon is proud to call them their own and I am doubly proud to have them as DAS employees."

Dennis, Enterprise Goods and Services Administrator, is responsible for all major procurements and contracts for the state. Dennis' leadership has increased the quality and quantity of procurements and contracts while also taking reductions due to budgetary constraints. During 2020, Dennis and her team also implemented a new enterprise-wide procurement system called OregonBuys. Debbie is recognized nationally as a leader and expert in state procurement. She is also a past president and board member of the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO).

Ryan, as the Administrator for Enterprise Asset Management, manages fleet, facilities, construction, maintenance and operations. Ryan's staff manages over six million square feet of owned and leased properties. The vast majority of owned properties are 60-150 years old. New construction is rare and is much smaller in scale. Not a single building is fully earthquake resilient even though Oregon sits in the heart of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Ryan made it her mission to change that statistic and begin constructing or retrofitting existing structures for immediate occupancy following a 9.0 earthquake event.

"Debbie and Shannon exemplify exceptional performance in their roles with substantial accomplishments that have made positive impacts on the state of Oregon," said Pam Goins, NASCA's Executive Director. "This award recognizes the most talented professionals in the state government operations industry who have demonstrated success in their careers and made significant contributions to the communities they serve. NASCA is thrilled to bestow this prestigious honor for their combined service."

The National Distinguished Deputy Award was established to recognize deputies of state Chief Administrators for outstanding contributions to the work of state government operations.

ABOUT NASCA

The National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) is the leading organization advancing professional development and best management solutions for the administrative functions of state government. The association provides state Chief Administrators with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of state government administration through education, networking and information exchange on state government trends, leading edge innovations, standards and best practices.

NASCA's mission is to help state Chief Administrators and their teams strategically transform state government operations through the power of shared knowledge and thought leadership.

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