Gibbens Receives National Award

Oct 15, 2024

Brad Gibbens, acting director for the Center of Rural Health (CRH), has been awarded the 2024 Advocate Award from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).

The award recognizes a State Office of Rural Health (SORH) or an individual who has demonstrated exemplary collaboration with stakeholders or partners to raise awareness of SORHs, NOSORH, and/or rural communities. Gibbens has done just that for nearly 40 years.

The award presentation, read by Michelle Mills, director of the Colorado SORH and chair of the NOSORH awards committee, highlighted Gibbens' decades of service to rural communities.

"Brad has provided steadfast leadership in health policy, community development and engagement, program and grant development, program evaluation, and qualitative research. He has shared his expertise on a multitude of rural health-focused topics. Over his 39-year career, Brad has worked with over 130 rural communities across eight states. He has secured, either on his own or with others, about 80 federal and private foundation grants worth well over $30 million, which have helped develop stronger, more viable rural health systems...."

Gibbens was nominated for the award by staff at CRH. Though he was not at the ceremony, held during the NOSORH Annual Meeting in Niagara Falls, New York, he was able to watch the ceremony virtually alongside many CRH employees.

"It is a privilege to receive this award from NOSORH," said Gibbens. "You don't advocate for things for any type of glory. You do it because it is the right thing to do. For me, it has been an effortless process, applying rural health ideas and issues within a policy arena."

"It's been an honor to advocate for people in rural America and rural North Dakota, both within the context of NOSORH, the National Rural Health Association, and CRH," he said.