County Administrator Vincent S. Long Honored with FSU’s 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award

Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award by Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. This is the highest honor given to alumni, which recognizes Long for his exceptional professional achievements, significant contributions to society, and unwavering support of both the college and university.

 “The recognition of our County Administrator as a Distinguished Alumnus of FSU, is a reflection of his remarkable dedication to public service and his leadership in our community,” said Leon County Board of County Commission Chair, Carolyn D. Cummings. “We are incredibly proud and fortunate to have Vince as our County Administrator. This honor is a testament to the profound impact he has made on Leon County and beyond.”

 Each year, the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy presents the Distinguished Alumni Award to alumni who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their professional careers and have made a lasting impact on their communities. This year, the College will celebrate Long alongside three other distinguished graduates at the College’s Distinguished Alumni Gala in Spring 2025.

 “Each of these individuals are true leaders, bringing the skills and knowledge they learned as students to the work they do to make Tallahassee, Leon County, the State of Florida, and Florida State University the best they can be,” said Tim Chapin, dean of FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP).

County Administrator Vincent S. Long is a two-time graduate of Florida State University, having earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from COSSPP. With nearly 30 years of service to Leon County, he has managed historic crises, implemented generational projects, and has consistently set the standard in public service. Long is recognized statewide, nationally, and internationally for his strategic, operational and policy expertise. Most recently, in 2022, he was awarded the International City/County Manager’s Association (ICMA) Award for Career Excellence, the highest recognition in the profession for a local government CEO internationally.

“I am deeply grateful, not only to receive this award, but for the tremendous influence of FSU and COSSPP in shaping my career and enriching my life,” said County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “You have given me professors who became trusted mentors, classmates who became lifelong colleagues, students who became brilliant collaborators, and a campus that became a laboratory for public policy and an incubator for the next generation of professionals. On top of all that, you gave me my incredible wife, whom I met in my undergraduate studies, and subsequently three amazing children who all became Noles! Indeed, I attribute my career success, and so much more, to the FSU and COSSPP community – to which I am eternally indebted.”