Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Heaney has been awarded the Johnson Distinguished Service Award by the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.

The association presented Heaney with the award Wednesday at its board meeting. Heaney was MCAA President in 2015, past chair of the Civil Law Committee, member of the Child Support Task Force and is an active member of the MCAA Education Committee.

MCAA President Aaron Jordan presented Heaney with the award, praising her ongoing support for her colleagues as a resource and mentor.

“She’s a calm voice in a crisis and an ear when a colleague has a question,” Jordan said.

The award is presented to a County Attorney who has “demonstrated a history of significant leadership, strived to improve the quality of justice, and whose activity has increased and enhanced public awareness of the office of County Attorney at the state and/or national level while adhering to the highest ethical standards of the legal profession.”

Heaney has been the Sherburne County Attorney for 17 years.