The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (FOG) is now accepting nominations for the 2023 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award – given to those who believe in government transparency at the state or local level – and who have made significant contributions to sunshine in our state.
The honor recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of citizens and organizations in New Mexico who champion transparency and defend the people’s right to know the affairs of government. Award recipients will be selected by a panel of FOG directors and will be honored at the annual “Your Right to Know” Dixon Lunch in October in Albuquerque.
“For more than 20 years, FOG has celebrated elected officials, educators, attorneys, journalists and educators who have advanced transparency and accountability in our state,” Kathi Bearden, NMFOG board president chair, said. “At FOG we feel honoring these people who follow the law and do the right thing is so important. In many cases they sacrificed many hours of their time doing crucial legislative, legal, educational and investigative work and their hard work ensures that the rest of us enjoy our right to know if and when we choose to exercise it.”
Bearden said the award honors the late William S. Dixon, a First Amendment advocate and FOG co-founder. She said Dixon was a “brilliant attorney” and a leading defender of free speech and public-access rights.
The nomination process is easy. Anyone wishing to nominate an individual or organization are urged to visit the NMFOG website and click on the Nominations button below.
The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2023. Award categories include but are not limited to: business, law, education, government, media and citizen advocacy. Dixon Award winners will be announced at the end of August and recognized at FOG’s annual Dixon Award lunch set for Oct. 17, 2023.