From Kathmandu and Mexico City to Philadelphia, people are hungry for examples of leaders who listen, serve, and reflect the best of who we are. They are tired of the daily examples of government or institutional corruption. In response, Accountability Lab—a translocal organization that partners with citizens across the globe to reimagine governance—has been using a global campaign to shine a light on and celebrate professionals who personify integrity.

In classrooms, community centers, and streets across Philadelphia, five dedicated people are redefining what public service looks like. Quietly, persistently, and with remarkable integrity, they show what it means to serve. Yu-Shan Chou, Omar Crowder, Nathan Sallard, Charlene Samuels, and Sarorng Sorn (shown wearing stoles in the photo above) are part of a citizen-driven campaign that “names and fames” the most honest public servants around the world.

Principal Omar Crowder leads his school community with compassion and clarity, setting high standards for both learning and leadership. Charlene Samuels is a longtime city social worker known for her unwavering commitment to families and children who are navigating complex systems. Nathan Sallard, a violence interrupter, transforms personal pain into community peace. Sarorng Sorn is a fierce advocate for immigrant communities, building bridges through culturally rooted programming. And Yu-Shan Chou, working within the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, designs services prioritizing dignity and belonging. These officials are the epitome of civic responsibility, ensuring equitable treatment for citizens in difficult contexts.

What they share is not just a job title or résumé. It’s a daily choice to uphold integrity, even when it’s inconvenient, underresourced, or invisible. Their recognition is part of Integrity Icon, a campaign by Accountability Lab that builds accountable, inclusive governance from the ground up.

The Integrity Icon campaign has been featured in countries across the Accountability Lab network, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Zimbabwe. In each context, the campaign has been adapted to local realities, celebrating honest public servants, building trust between communities and institutions, and inspiring broader conversations about leadership and accountability.

Integrity Icon began in Nepal in 2014, sparked by a simple but radical idea: let’s name and fame honest public servants, not just expose the corrupt ones. Since then, the campaign has grown into a people-powered movement that challenges dominant narratives about public service, makes integrity visible, and highlights role models. In Nepal’s 2024 edition, one of the icons honored was Sarmila Subedi, a public health inspector who played a vital role in improving maternal care and sanitation in hard-to-reach communities, earning the trust of citizens in places where government services had long been viewed with skepticism.

In Mexico, the 2024 campaign celebrated a new generation of public servants committed to transparency, justice, and inclusion. Among them was a public defender who set a legal precedent through gender-based litigation and an open government official who advanced digital tools for citizen engagement. Their work reflects a broader shift in how governance can be more open, responsive, and community centered. These stories from Nepal and Mexico aren’t exceptions; rather, they are reminders of what’s possible when integrity is recognized and supported.

In Philadelphia, this global movement has found a powerful local expression. The 2025 Integrity Icon Philly campaign, which is run in partnership with The Philadelphia Citizen, shines a spotlight on those working inside systems that are often characterized by bureaucracy, burnout, or public distrust. Through storytelling, video profiles, and civic engagement, the campaign humanizes government and reminds us that change often starts from within.

Importantly, these icons aren’t positioned as heroes. They are neighbors, colleagues, mentors, and bridge-builders. Their stories aren’t meant to suggest perfection but persistence—the kind that builds public confidence and makes institutions feel more humane.

At a time when cynicism about public service is high, especially in urban centers grappling with overlapping crises, the icons represent something refreshingly hopeful. They show that integrity isn’t rare, it’s just rarely rewarded. That’s what makes this campaign so powerful. It flips the narrative. It tells young people that government work can be noble. It tells civil servants that their quiet honesty matters. And it tells the public that real, values-driven leadership exists and deserves attention.

In every country where Integrity Icon is active, the campaign has had ripple effects. It has brought reforms to hiring practices, recognition ceremonies that elevate morale, stronger community–civil servant relationships, and renewed public interest in civic engagement. The impact doesn’t end with the award; it often begins there. As the campaign enters its second decade, the need for these stories has never been greater.

These civic service role models are proof that integrity is not an abstract principle but a lived practice that shapes how we treat one another, how we design systems, and how we build the future.

Naseera Noor-Mahomed is the Global Communications and Marketing Manager at Accountability Lab. She’s a learning and development specialist with 10 years of experience in education, business analysis, and curriculum development.

Resilience & Resistance is a Charles F. Kettering Foundation blog series that features the insights of thought leaders and practitioners who are working to expand and support inclusive democracies around the globe. Direct any queries to globalteam@kettering.org.