Inventive county government program wins Gladfelter Award

An innovative program for collecting and disposing of unused medication was chosen as this year’s winner of the Lloyd D. Gladfelter Award for government efficiency and effectiveness.

The competition, administered by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Political Science, annually recognizes problem-solving and resourceful ideas generated by government employees.

Jeff Gloyd, La Crosse County’s special waste manager, won the $3,000 award for his program for keeping unused medication out of the waste stream.

There has been growing concern throughout the country about the hazardous effects of dumping prescribed and over-the-counter medications on surface and ground waters.

Gloyd developed an operations plan that collects medication and disposes of it in a licensed hazardous waste incinerator. During the first seven months of operation, the unwanted medication collection program safely disposed of more than 8,000 pounds — about 3.1 million pills.

Gloyd presented his program at the 2007 North American Hazardous Materials Management conference and the 2008 conference of the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin. More than 30 counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa are now following the model he developed.

Established with a generous gift from Lloyd D. Gladfelter through the Milwaukee Foundation Corp. and the University of Wisconsin Foundation, the Gladfelter Award is given annually by UW–Madison’s Department of Political Science. Gladfelter spent his career as a government reporter for the Milwaukee Journal. He created this award to honor the public employee or employees (excluding elected officials) whose action to improve federal, state, county or municipal public services in the state of Wisconsin was most meritorious. Nominations are judged on their creativity, feasibility and potential impact.

The Gladfelter Award Committee includes faculty and alumni of the Department of Political Science. This year’s committee members were Dennis Dresang, political science professor and committee chair; Jim Haney, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce; Joel Skornicka, former Madison mayor; and Mike Wittenwyler, a Madison election law attorney.