The Career Recognition Award was established in 2000 and is intended to recognize those professional local government managers and administrators who are retiring from the profession. This was formerly the Career Achievement Award.
| Year | Name | Local Government |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ron Fehr | City of Manhattan |
| 2023 | Mike Scanlon | City of Osawatomie |
| 2023 | Mike Webb | City of Edwardsville |
| 2022 | Richard Nienstedt | City of Ottawa |
| 2021 | Jay Dill | City of Kinsley |
| 2021 | Bill Ebel | City of Overland Park |
| 2021 | Greg DuMars | City of Lindsborg |
| 2021 | Mark McAnarney | City of Emporia |
| 2021 | Kathy Sexton | City of Derby |
| 2021 | John Torline | City of North Newton |
| 2020 | Courtney Christensen | City of Mission Hills |
| 2020 | Robert Conger | City of Kechi |
| 2020 | Larry Paine | City of Hillsboro |
| 2019 | John Deardoff | City of Hutchinson |
| 2019 | Gary Meagher | Reno County |
| 2019 | Bob Myers | City of Newton |
| 2019 | Merl Page | City of Wamego |
| 2019 | Cherise Tieben | City of Dodge City |
| 2019 | Eric Wade | City of Lenexa |
| 2019 | Jay Wieland | City of Paola |
| 2018 | Tom Markus | City of Lawrence |
| 2018 | Ray Hummert | KU |
| 2018 | Craig Weinaug | Douglas County |
| 2018 | Meryl Dye | City of Hutchinson |
| 2018 | Randall Oliver | City of Cheney |
| 2018 | John Sweet | City of Lyons |
| 2017 | Cathy Holdeman | City of Wichita |
| 2017 | Howard Partington | City of Great Bend |
| 2017 | Jaclyn Reimer | City of Sedgwick |
| 2016 | Herb Llewellyn | City of El Dorado |
| 2016 | Warren Porter | City of Winfield |
| 2016 | Randy Riggs | City of Newton |
| 2015 | Phil Lammers | City of Merriam |
| 2014 | Bill Buchanan | Sedgwick County |
| 2013 | Bob Evans | Unified Government of Wyandotte County/KCK |
| 2012 | Mac Manning | City of Peabody |
| 2012 | Carolyn Armstrong | City of Colby |
| 2011 | No nominations | |
| 2010 | No nominations | |
| 2009 | Paul Sasse | City of Independence |
| 2008 | Mike Press | Johnson County |
| 2008 | Bob Halloran | City of Garden City |
| 2007 | Barbara Vernon | City of Prairie Village |
| 2007 | Jim Heinicke | City of Newton |
| 2006 | Curtis Freeland | City of Arkansas City |
| 2005 | Richard Garofano | City of Olathe |
| 2005 | Carol Bloodworth | City of Maize |
| 2004 | Joe Palacioz | City of Hutchinson |
| 2004 | Alan Morris | Miami County |
