City of Carrollton Records Analyst Alexandra Cardaropoli received the 2026 Emerging Leader Award from the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) at the organization’s 2026 national conference in Philadelphia last month.

Cardaropoli has worked for the City of Carrollton for 11 years, becoming Records Coordinator in 2019 and Records Analyst in 2025. She played a key role in establishing the City’s Records Division, which won a state compliance award in 2021 for the program’s progress just two years after development. She now works alongside two Records Coordinators while managing a wide range of responsibilities, including helping departments locate records, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and providing records management training to City employees. Cardaropoli is also assisting in the launch of a new records management software system to streamline and modernize the City’s records administration.

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes early-career government archivists or records managers who demonstrate significant leadership skills, complete archival and records management work of merit, and provide commendable service to the profession and their community. Cardaropoli was nominated by her mentor, Deborah Robbins, who led a Certified Records Analyst/Certified Records Management study group that she participated in as she works toward her own certification.

NAGARA honored Cardaropoli not only for her exemplary work, but also for the way she engages with fellow Carrollton employees and records management professionals. She develops training for employees across multiple generations and skill levels and even led a NAGARA conference session, “Using Bitmoji to Create Knowledgeable, Engaging, and Unforgettable Trainings,” to share her unique and creative strategies. Beyond her work with the City, she has served as Co-Vice President of Membership for her local chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators and was recently sworn in as President-Elect for the upcoming year.

“Receiving the Emerging Leader Award and speaking at this year’s conference have been the greatest honors of my career,” Cardaropoli said. “I would not be where I am today without first being able to build my community, and it was truly an honor to be able to give back and help others. Records analysts and coordinators are the stewards of information that ultimately belongs to the citizens of Carrollton. Looking ahead, the City will continue advancing its records management practices to best serve residents.”

NAGARA is a professional non-profit association located in Washington, D.C. dedicated to improving federal, state, and local government archives, records, and information management. The organization also provides opportunities for the professional development of government records administrators and archivists. Members come from counties, municipalities, federal agencies, public universities, and various institutional programs.

For a full list of City awards and accolades, visit cityofcarrollton.com/awards.