DAVIDSON – The N.C. City and County Management Association has named Davidson Assistant Town Manager Dawn Blobaum its 2011 Assistant Town Manager of the Year.

Members of the Davidson town board and those attending Tuesday night’s board meeting gave Blobaum a standing ovation after Town Manager Leamon Brice presented the award.

Brice called Blobaum “a manager’s dream” and a person “with no desire for accolades” who works “extremely hard” and is exceptionally ethical.

An award-winning architect for 20 years, Blobaum came to Davidson in 1996 from St. Louis, Mo., and was one of the people who opened The Lawrence Group office in the town, Brice told the audience. Three years later, the town “lured her away,” and since then, Blobaum has served as interim planning director twice and helped the town work through a painful reorganization last year. Brice credited her with running the day-to-day operation of the town, freeing him to work on “big picture” issues.

Her voice catching more than once, Blobaum accepted the award on behalf of the entire town staff, calling the town operation “very collaborative.”