Milford’s Town Administrator, Mark A. Bender, Recognized for Outstanding Legislative Advocacy

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Each year, the Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award is given by NHMA staff based on their interactions with municipal officials during the legislative session.  NHMA established this award in 2011 to recognize an elected or appointed local official for his or her non-partisan contributions toward the advancement of NHMA’s legislative policy goals and for the advocacy of municipal interests generally. 

In 2011, NHMA staff selected Russ Marcoux, Town Manager in Bedford, as the first-ever recipient of the Municipal Advocate of the Year award because Russ did all the things NHMA wants members to do in support of its legislative policy and to enhance the success of its legislative agenda.   Russ passed away just days before the 2011 Annual Conference and he never knew NHMA had created such an award or that he had been selected the first recipient.  In his honor, the award was renamed the Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award.

At its recent annual conference in November, NHMA recognized Mark A. Bender, Town Administrator in Milford, with its 2018 Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award.

In his presentation remarks, NHMA Government Affairs Counsel Cordell Johnston recognized Mark for his consistent work in advancing NHMA’s legislative agenda.  He noted that Mark regularly lobbied his legislative delegation on matters of concern to local governments, and that he came to Concord to testify on several occasions.  Mark was especially helpful in opposing legislation that would have prevented towns from restricting the firing of guns on town-owned property.  He also made important contributions on legislation affecting utility valuation, net metering and the Right-to-Know Law.

Past recipients of this recognition are:

2011     Russell R. Marcoux, Town Manager, Town of Bedford

2012     James Michaud, Assessor, Town of Hudson

2013     Don MacIsaac, Selectman, Town of Jaffrey

2014     Julia N. Griffin, Town Manager, Town of Hanover

2015     Shaun Mulholland, Town Administrator, Town of Allenstown

2016     Portsmouth City Council, City of Portsmouth

2017     Bill Herman, Town Administrator, Town of Auburn