State Human Services Director Lillian Koller has become the first Hawaii public official to win a national award as “;Public Official of the Year”; from Governing magazine.

She is one of eight officials recognized by the magazine for outstanding state and local government achievements.

She was cited for her efforts to deal with at-risk children, cutting child abuse and reducing the number of children in foster care.

Gov. Linda Lingle, in a news release, said: “;This award brings national attention to the progress we have achieved in transforming DHS. Through the hard work of Lillian Koller, DHS employees and our community partners statewide, the most vulnerable men, women and children of Hawaii are leading safer and happier lives.”;

The award will be presented at a ceremony Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C.

Among DHS improvements noted by the DHS under Koller, the number of children in foster care has fallen 43 percent in five years and is now at a 15-year low - down to 1,700 from 3,000 in 2003.

Hawaii also has one of the lowest rates of child re-abuse, with nearly a threefold drop in the rate, from 6 percent in 2003 to 2.2 percent, according to DHS. The nationally accepted standard is 6.1 percent.

In the past, the department removed children from their families at up to four times the national average with no improvement in their safety, the department said.

Koller and her staff also obtained millions of untapped federal dollars for community-based programs to prevent and reduce poverty.

For example, the money was used to help welfare recipients prepare and get jobs, promote positive youth development, reduce teen pregnancies, and reduce substance abuse and child abuse and neglect.

In an effort to make the department more transparent and accountable, Koller launched a Web site with photos of missing foster-care children to seek community help in finding them.

She also crafted new administrative rules allowing release of otherwise confidential information if it increases protection of at-risk children.

Others being honored by Governing magazine as “;Public Officials of the Year”; are Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels; Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff; St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins; Baltimore Health Director Joshua Sharfstein; Dayton, Ohio, Housing Inspector John Carter; and Michigan Chief Information Security Officer Dan Lohrmann.