John Hutton, ’79 to receive 2014 Alumni Award

John Hutton
MPA 1979

The Department of Public Administration and International Affairs (PAIA) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs  is proud to announce John P. Hutton ’79 MPA as the recipient of the 2014 Maxwell Public Administration Alumni Award. This honor is presented annually to an MPA alumnus who exemplifies the ideals of public service espoused by the school and department as articulated in the Athenian Oath. Hutton will receive the award at the annual Public Administration Convocation on June 27th and will lead the graduating class in the recitation of the Athenian Oath.

Hutton retired in December 2012 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, culminating in his appointment to the Senior Executive Service in 2005 and service as a director in GAO’s Acquisition and Sourcing Management team. Throughout his career Hutton’s work focused on critical issues facing the United States, including foreign relations and trade, taxation, national defense, and homeland security.  His work was instrumental in identifying ways the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security could more effectively and efficiently manage billions of contracting dollars spent each year. Specifically, Hutton’s work helped to identify the contract management challenges faced by the Defense Department, State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hutton has testified before Congress more than a dozen times, helping to improve Congressional oversight. His unwavering adherence to fairness, accuracy, and honesty earned him the respect of members of Congress, as well as staff and agency officials alike. His accomplishments were widely recognized within GAO and he was awarded GAO’s Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Awards.

Through his nearly 35 years of service at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Hutton exemplified the ideals of citizenship and public service that are at the core of Maxwell’s mission. Throughout his more than three decades of public service he has also given his time generously to the Maxwell School, frequently speaking to classes and assisting faculty and students.  Hutton’s life and work have been dedicated to transmitting “this City not only not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.” The Maxwell School and PAIA department are proud to honor John P. Hutton for his lifetime commitment to public service.