Awards

Sterling Sustained Excellence Award

For past Governor's Sterling / Georgia Oglethorpe Award recipients who maintain and strengthen their management systems over time.

Start the Application of Intent

Application of Intent due August 2026

Retain role-model status

The Sterling Sustained Excellence Award is designed to enable Sterling Award recipients to retain their role-model status. This high-level assessment process examines how well you have strengthened, improved, and innovated winning systems to ensure long-term success and sustainability in a competitive environment.

Highly trained examiners review and evaluate the application, then clarify and verify responses through interviews with your leaders and performance excellence professionals. The team completes a feedback report that goes to the applicant and the Panel of Judges for final determination of continued organizational performance excellence role-model status for the State of Florida.

The Sterling Council is the sole provider of Florida’s Sterling Sustained Excellence Award, endorsed by the Governor.

The details

About This Award

The Sterling and Georgia Oglethorpe Sustained Excellence Award is designed to enable Governor’s Sterling and Georgia Oglethorpe Award recipients (within four years) to retain their role-model status.

2026 Recipient

Alachua County Tax Collector’s Office

2026 Sterling Sustained Excellence Award Recipient

Recipients are honored at the Annual Sterling Leadership Conference.

The Alachua County Tax Collector's Office accepting the 2026 Sterling Sustained Excellence Award

Past recipients include

USF Credit Union

City of Tallahassee, Underground Utilities

Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County

Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County

Orange County Public Schools — Operations Division

“The Sterling process challenged us in all the right ways, pushing everyone to take a deep, honest look at how we operate — and that’s been a game-changer. It helped us sharpen our member-first focus, align our strategy, and engage every employee in driving meaningful results.”
Richard J. “Rick” Skaggs, Chief Executive Officer, USF Credit Union — 2025 Sterling Sustained Excellence Award Recipient

In their words

Testimonials

Get started

Application of Intent

Application of Intent due August 2026. The $1,000 non-refundable fee is arranged by the Sterling office after you submit — no payment is taken here.

Fields marked * are required. Have your organizational chart ready to upload.

1. Applicant Organization

Including division name, as you want it listed on the Feedback Report and award, as appropriate.

Organization Name*

Full legal name of the applicant organization (including division name, if applicable), exactly as you want it listed on the Feedback Report and award.

Address*

City*

State*

ZIP*

2. Highest Ranking Official

First Name*

Last Name*

Title*

Address *

City *

State *

ZIP *

Official Representative for Correspondence

First Name*

Last Name*

Title*

Telephone*

Fax

Email Address*

Organization Profile

Sector Category*

In what year did you receive the Governor's Sterling Award?*

Number of sites included in the application*

Total full-time employees for the application*

Reason for Applying

Briefly describe the reason(s) why the Applicant is taking the challenge to apply for the Award*

Supporting Documents

Attach the charts and letter the checklist on the paper application asks for.

Line-and-box organizational chart*

Showing all components of the Applicant organization. PDF, Word, or image, 10 MB maximum.

Parent organization chart

If the Applicant is a sub-unit of a larger organization: charts showing the relationship to the highest management level of the parent organization, including all intervening levels.

Cover letter

A letter on the organization's stationery signed by the authorizing official or designee.

Processing Fee

The Application of Intent carries a $1,000 non-refundable processing fee payable to The Sterling Council. Submitting this form does not charge you — the Sterling office will contact your representative to arrange payment.

I understand the Application of Intent carries a $1,000 non-refundable processing fee payable to The Sterling Council, and that the Sterling office will contact us to arrange payment.*

Statement of Authorization

We understand that members of the Board of Examiners will review this Application of Intent Form and subsequent Governor's Sterling Sustained Excellence Award Application. We agree to participate in conference calls and to host the Site Visit to verify and clarify information provided in the Application.

Authorized signature — type your full name*

Title*

Telephone Number*

Questions before you start? Contact the Sterling Office

Sterling Sustained Excellence Award

About This Award

What the assessment involves

What you need to do to move forward

The value for your organization

What it costs

Testimonials

Jack KardysDirector, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department

Brandy MacchiaPrincipal, Tropic Isles Elementary School

Dawn C. Allicock, M.D., M.P.H.Director / Health Officer, Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County

Application of Intent