Christine Murdock, Deputy Director of the Georgia House Budget and Research Office, recently received the Carter/Hellard Legislative Staff Award at the Legislative Service Agency Directors’ Luncheon at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.  Each year the LSA Directors presents the Carter/Hellard Staff Excellence Award to a legislative staff member in the South who has demonstrated distinguished service to their state’s legislature.

“I have chaired the House Appropriations Committee during Christine’s tenure as Deputy Director of our House Budget and Research Office, so I have seen first-hand her hard work, dedication, tireless effort and ability to laugh even during the most trying times,” said State Representative Terry England (R-Auburn). “I have seldom met a brighter more capable person in my entire life from business to politics.”

“It is rare to find someone so talented who consistently dedicates all of that expertise to promoting the achievements of the legislative institution and its members, but Christine Murdock is an exceptional example and mentor for our staff and me,” said Martha Wigton, Director, House Budget and Research Office. “It is an on-going dedication to formulating good public policy and her leadership that make her the “go-to” staff person in the Georgia House of Representatives for answers and solutions. Christine is smart, dedicated to good government and produces results.”

Named in honor of the late Sam Carter, Director of Research of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and the late Vic Hellard, Jr., Director of the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, the award is presented to the individual who, in the judgment of the members of LSA Directors Group, has demonstrated excellence and dedication in staffing service to state legislators in the South. Specifically, the individual must have: current employment within a state legislature or legislative service agency at the time the award is given; a longstanding commitment to the legislative institution; an understanding of the role of legislative staffing in representative government; participation in the provision of staff work resulting in systemic public policy reform or institutional improvement; and consistently approached his or her legislative work with grace and good humor under pressure.

Murdock has worked for the Georgia General Assembly since 2007, first as a budget and policy analyst. Since 2011, she has served as Deputy Director of the House Budget and Research Office where she provides policy and fiscal analysis to 180 members as well as furnishes the professional staff for all 38 legislative standing committees.