Each year one of our NPLI Executive Education Program (NPLI EEP) alumni is chosen as our Meta-Leader of the Year person. The award goes to an alumni based on the following criteria:
The person chosen has demonstrated extraordinary meta-leadership in the midst of a nationally or internationally significant situation over the previous year. The leadership contribution applies to filed operations such as a crisis response, policy development, or organizational transformation. Specifically this person:
- is a role model with people following him/her;
- is engaging, inspiring, and motivates others;
- has the ability to astutely discern what is happening in a situation and takes action to bring about the best possible resolution for all stakeholders;
- and has the ability to create unity of purpose among stakeholders in order to accomplish something together that none could have achieved alone.

2020 Recipient: Alyssa Carrier
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AC Disaster Consulting

2019 Recipient: Jim Andrews
Vice President, HSSE (Health, Safety, Security & Environment), Schlumberger Limited

2018 Recipient: Kerry Gilpin
Commander, Massachusetts State Police

2017 Recipient: Jono Anzalone
Vice President, International Services at American Red Cross

2016 Recipient: Jane Cage
Chairman, Joplin Citizens Advisory Recovery Team

2015 Recipient: Alice Hill
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy, National Security Council, The White House

2014 Recipient: Martin Cetron, M.D.
Director, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2013 Recipient: William "Billy" Evans
Superintendent, Boston Police Department

2011 Recipient: Richard Serino
Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

2010 Recipient: Rear Admiral Peter V. Neffenger
Deputy National Incident Commander Deepwater Horizon, U.S. Coast Guard

2009 Recipient: Richard E. Besser, M.D.
Acting Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention