Best Government Employee

Lynn defines the phrase "public servant." As campaign finance officer and technical guru of the San Francisco Ethics Commission, Lynn is charged with the care and feeding of a database that tells the public who gave how much to which candidate, when. In a city where politics is the sport of choice, where more people regularly run for office than in any other city in the state (if not the nation), campaign money is serious business. That such vital information is available so handily is a testament to the entire Ethics Commission staff, and certainly to Lynn. And here's a secret: He's really patient with novices. Don't know how to find out if your favorite candidate took money from your least favorite corporation? He'll show you where to look. Don't understand why this committee name shows up in that column? He'll explain. Need information fast? Got it. Here's to keeping public information accessible and user-friendly so that we can keep our eye on the politicians.