BLUE SPRINGS, MO. – Blue Springs City Administrator, Eric Johnson has been presented the Jay T. Bell Professional Management Award by the Missouri City/County Management Association (MCMA) at the annual conference on Thursday, May 2 in Lake Ozark, Mo. The award recognizes a member’s outstanding commitment to the profession of local government management. The award is the Association’s highest honor for its members.
“I am thrilled for Eric to receive this honor,” said Mayor Carson Ross. “He has proven time, and time again, to be worthy of this award. I am proud to have worked with Eric for the last eleven years and I believe the future continues to be bright for this City with his leadership.”
Johnson began his career in public service more than 30 years ago as a deputy sheriff with the Ray County Sheriff’s Office. Since then, he has continued to pursue his passion with local government and has also worked for Boone County and the City of Kansas City before being starting his 20-year tenure in the City of Blue Springs in 1999 as Assistant City Administrator and serving in his current role as City Administrator since 2006.
Under Johnson’s leadership, Blue Springs has transformed from a bedroom community to one that residents can live, work and play with successful projects like Adams Dairy Landing retail center and the Blue Springs Fieldhouse.
MCMA established the Jay T. Bell Professional Management Award in honor of Jay T. Bell, who served as executive director of the Missouri Municipal League from 1965 until 1981. The award recognizes public service that displays the same high standards of accomplishment, professionalism and ethical conduct. Bell felt strongly that the professionalism exemplified by city managers and administrators was an essential part of good governance.