In December 2021, School of Government faculty member Dale J. Roenigk was honored with the A. John “Jack” Vogt Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Advancement of Local Government Budgeting and Evaluation. 

Roenigk was presented with the award at the 2021 Winter Conference of the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association (NCLGBA) in Pinehurst. With this recognition, he received the highest annual award presented by the Association—given to recognize those “who have served as innovators and leaders advancing budget and/or evaluation practices in North Carolina local government during their careers.”

The award celebrates the legacy of its namesake, who built a 34-year career as an innovator, teacher, mentor, and student of local government budgeting and evaluation. Like Roenigk, Vogt was a tireless public servant for the people of North Carolina— spending more than three decades on the School faculty teaching and advising. Upon his retirement in 2006, NCGLBA created the award in Vogt's name to be given annually for excellence in local budgeting in the state.

In public administration, the field of budgeting and evaluation does not demand much attention or praise. Not particularly front-facing, it is still an essential process to ensure communities receive the appropriate funding for services that keep them functioning.

“Budget is one of those activities that is behind the scenes,” Roenigk said. “It’s not on the front lines of service delivery like trash collection or police.  But it is through the process that we set those priorities for what we will fund and do to provide better services and meet what citizens want.”

In accepting the award, Roenigk expressed admiration for his former colleague’s dedication to strengthening the field. Continuing to build upon Vogt’s rich legacy of budgeting excellence, particularly among the School’s faculty, has been his privilege.

“It is an honor because of who the award is named for and what he did to advance good government through the budget process in his many years of work through the School,” Roenigk said. “Jack was knowledgeable and helpful, but he also sought to encourage others to lift their own practice to higher levels.”

Roenigk also expressed gratitude to NCLGBA for selecting him to receive the award. For a public servant professional so devoted to improving the budgeting and evaluation field, there could no higher honor.

 “Getting this award from [the Association] is doubly meaningful for what they have done to promote and elevate professional budgeting as part of good government.”

Roenigk joined the School of Government in 2005. Prior to that, he worked for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) doing program evaluation and quality monitoring. He currently serves as the director of the School’s North Carolina Benchmarking Project, a resource which allows local governments to comparatively assess service delivery and costs and determine their relative fiscal condition. Roenigk earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.