Esther George, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank, named 2023 Harry S Truman Public Service Award Recipient

The Independence Harry S. Truman Award Commission has chosen Esther George as the 2023 Harry S. Truman Public Service Award recipient. Molly Clemons has been awarded the Special Recognition Award. The awards presentation ceremony will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. 

The Harry S. Truman Award, established in 1974 by the City of Independence, is presented annually to an outstanding American citizen who best typifies and possesses the qualities of dedication, industry, ability, honesty, and integrity that distinguished President Harry S. Truman.

“Ms. George provided vital leadership in our region during a crucial time,” Mayor Rory Rowland said. “In her role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, she grew the community engagement, leadership development, and the understanding of technology. There is no question that the last few years have been challenging for our financial markets – we’d like to thank Ms. George for all she did and the work she continues to do to make our region great.”

Ms. George’s service with the Fed spans more than four decades, most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a member of the Federal Open Market Committee from 2011 through 2023. 

Ms. George was actively involved in the Federal Reserve’s work to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the nation’s payment system, including leading the effort to establish instant retail payments known as the FedNow Service. She hosted the Kansas City Fed’s annual Jackson Hole International Economic Policy Symposium. 

As president and chief executive officer, she led a workforce of 2,100 Federal Reserve employees serving the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District through the Bank’s headquarters in Kansas City and its branch offices in Denver, Oklahoma City, and Omaha.

She is now serving on the boards of the Hallmark Corporation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and the Kansas City 2026 World Cup.   

This year’s Special Recognition Award will be presented to the family of Molly Clemmons. Ms. Clemons has been selected in recognition of her contribution to journalism and journalism education.

Molly was the youngest national president of the Journalism Education Association, later serving 15 years as editor of Communication: Journalism Education Today, the organization’s national magazine. She also received the prestigious Carl Towley Award from the organization and the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association. She received the Outstanding Principal’s Award from the Missouri Journalism Education Association. She has spoken at more than 100 journalism conferences and has authored many magazine articles throughout the years.

Molly is a past president of the Independence Junior Service League and Jackson County Youth Court. For many years she served on the Truman Awards Commission. Molly and her husband were named Independence Citizens of the Year in 2015 and in 2020 the Independence Examiner named her the Examiner’s “Outstanding Woman of the Year” for Eastern Jackson County.