Rutgers SPAA Student and Alumnus Recognized with 2026 NJ ASPA Awards

Rutgers SPAA graduating MPA student George Zapata and MPA alumnus Stephen Marks received awards from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (NJ ASPA) at their annual awards ceremony held on May 13, 2026.

Zapata received a 2026 Public Administration Student Achievement Award which recognizes students who have excelled in public administration studies at universities in New Jersey and have emerged as effective leaders among their contemporaries. He was elected to the Kearny Board of Education at just 19, and later became one of the youngest ever elected as a First Ward Councilman in the Town of Kearny at age 25.

Marks received the 2026 Public Service Award in a Government Organization for his outstanding work as the township administrator of Montclair. He previously served as Kearny's town administrator and has been a long-time mentor to Zapata.

NJ ASPA is devoted to advancing excellence in public service, providing networking opportunities to public and nonprofit professionals, and developing innovative solutions to the challenges of governance.