John A. Pieno, Jr. Leadership Award
John A. Pieno, Jr. Leadership Award
In January 2025, the Sterling Council Board of Directors approved the John A. Pieno, Jr. Leadership Award. Sponsored by the Sterling Foundation, this annual award will recognize one recipient in its inaugural year at the Governor’s Sterling Awards Banquet during the 33rd Sterling Leadership Conference.
The criteria for the award is based on benchmarking other award programs, including the Baldrige organization. The criteria are based on seven of the 11 Sterling Core Values:
- Systems Perspective
- Visionary Leadership
- Customer-Focused Excellence
- Valuing People
- Ethics and Transparency
- Delivering Value and Results
John A. Pieno, Jr. had an illustrious career as a Navy captain for 28 years. He was also a pilot who flew over 200 Vietnam missions, earning him three Silver Stars. John ended his Navy career as the commander of an aircraft carrier.
John subsequently established the Sterling Council, which seeks to enhance performance excellence and cultivate the highest level of leadership development. He will be remembered for his over 60 years of strong, steadfast leadership and lifelong commitment to excellence.
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Karen Moore Named Inaugural Recipient of the John A. Pieno, Jr. Sterling Leadership Award by The Sterling Council
The Sterling Council is pleased to announce Karen Moore is the first recipient of the John A. Pieno, Jr. Sterling Leadership Award. The award will be presented at the Governor’s Sterling Award Banquet during the 33rd Sterling Leadership Conference.
The Sterling Leadership Award was established in January 2025 by The Sterling Council Board of Directors and is sponsored by The Sterling Foundation. The award recognizes exceptional leaders who exemplify the Sterling Core Values and will be awarded annually at the Governor’s Sterling Award Banquet at the Sterling Leadership Conference. The award is named in honor of the late John A. Pieno, Jr., Founder and Chair Emeritus of The Sterling Council, who served 28 years as a Navy captain, completing over 200 Vietnam missions and earning three Silver Stars. John also led as a commander of an aircraft carrier before founding The Sterling Council, dedicating more than 60 years to leadership and performance excellence.
The inaugural award recipient, Karen Moore, is the Founder & CEO of the Moore Agency, a strategic communications and public relations leader. Karen is recognized for her decades of visionary leadership, commitment to excellence, and extensive positive impact on her organization, community, and throughout Florida. Karen Moore embodies the Sterling Core Values through her professional achievements and dedication to ethical, people-focused leadership.
The Sterling Foundation’s President, Randy Ledbetter, CEO of R Ledbetter & Associates, said, “The Sterling Foundation is pleased to name Karen Moore as the first recipient of the John A. Pieno, Jr. Sterling Leadership Award, as her decades of continuous leadership have had a positive impact in her profession, community, and the state of Florida. We look forward to recognizing Karen’s extensive dedication to leadership at the Sterling Leadership Conference.“
About The Sterling Foundation:
The Sterling Foundation was established to further the mission of The Sterling Council, which is to “elevate organizational performance excellence.“ The Foundation provides The Sterling Council with the means to accomplish the following objectives: raise sufficient funds to support a foundation to supplement the assessment processes; oversee the investment and management of Foundation funds; identify fundraising goals and approve associated funding requirements for subsequent years to contribute to the long-term sustainability of the assessment processes; and review Foundation accomplishments.
For more information, visit https://thesterlingcouncil.org/who-we-are/foundation
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Judging
Judging will occur with five judges: the Foundation Chair, Sterling Council Chair, Sterling Council President, Examination Committee Chair, and the Assessment Judging Panel Chair. The scoring rubric emphasizes approach and results, with a provision that prohibits nominations for current cycle Competitive Assessment Applicants or Executive Committee members.
Nominations
Nominations require a written online application (below) with a word count limit of 1,500 words. The nomination will be based on the Sterling Core Values and compliance with all stated nomination requirements for consideration. Online nominations must be received by the Sterling Council no later than midnight on April 11, 2025.