Adam Thiel, MPA 2000, was appointed City of Alexandria's fire chief in the summer of 2007. Since November 2004, he had been the deputy chief of emergency services for the City of Goodyear, Arizona. He is a certified fire officer, fire-rescue instructor, rescue diver, hazardous materials technician, and former paramedic.

In 2002, Governor Mark Warner appointed Thiel as executive director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. During his tenure, he served as a member of the Commonwealth Preparedness Working Group, the Virginia Emergency Response Council, the State Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Advisory Committee, and the Critical Infrastructure Working Group.

From 1995 to 2002, he was a member of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. Prior to attending Mason, Thiel earned bachelor's degrees in history at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and fire science at the University of Maryland University College. In 2004, he attended the Harvard University Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

He has served as an adjunct instructor at several colleges and universities. He will teach an emergency management course in the MPA program at Mason in fall 2008. Thiel is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from Arizona State University.

The Wayne F. Anderson Award for Distinguished Public Service is presented to a distinguished graduate of the Master of Public Administration program in the Department of Public and International Affairs. The award honors a person who reflects the dedication to public service demonstrated by Wayne F. Anderson. Anderson was a dedicated public administrator who had a long career in public service. He was a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and was a former distinguished professor of public administration at GMU.

Past award recipients include: Chief Charlie Deane, Kevin Greenlief, Cathy Hudgins, Lucy Cummings, Bill Spencer, and Paul Maltagliati