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Fifty-five senior federal employees were honored Thursday night beneath chandeliers in the State Department's diplomatic reception rooms for achievements that saved the government more than $50 billion.

The Senior Executives Association and its Professional Development League hosted the annual event, where the executives, surrounded by colleagues from their agencies, received Presidential Rank Awards. Winners, who must be longtime civil servants, are nominated by their agency and evaluated by a panel of private citizens before being approved by the president. The award comes with a cash prize of more than $35,000.

SEA president Carol Bonosaro highlighted some of winners' accomplishments, including those of James Falls, deputy assistant secretary for technical assistance policy at the Treasury Department, who played "a critical role in introducing a new Iraqi currency and in ensuring the successful opening of the Trade Bank of Iraq and the issuance of the first letters of credit there in over 13 years."

Bonosaro also applauded Commerce Department employee William Phillips, a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who coordinated "a major international effort ... exploring the possibility of using neutral atoms to build a quantum computer," and won a Nobel Prize in physics.

Winners also included Deborah Nolan, a commissioner at the Internal Revenue Service, who created an office to curb corporations' abuse of tax shelters, which helped reclaim more than $6 billion of understated tax revenue.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Stephen Johnson delivered the keynote speech, in which he encouraged senior federal employees to serve as mentors.

"As leaders, the best of the best, we need to take advantage of the opportunities that have been given to us and take somebody with you," Johnson said.

The winners were:

Agriculture Department

Barry L. Carpenter
William J. Hudnall Jr.
Gregory L. Parham
Ronald Fayer

Commerce Department

Preston J. Waite
William D. Phillips

Defense Department

Richard P. Burke
Phyllis C. Campbell
Douglas M. Englund
Deidre A. Lee
Anthony S. Montemarano
Mary E. Tompkey
James O. Smyser
Robert J. Conner
William A. Davidson
James G. Clark
Kathryn A. Condon
James R. Houston
Janet C. Menig
Paul C. Hubbell
Bhakta B. Rath

Education Department

Sue E. Betka

Energy Department

James T. Campbell
Mary H. Egger
Richard F. Moorer

Environmental Protection Agency

Susan B. Hazen
E. Timothy Oppelt

General Services Administration

Edward A. Feiner

Health and Human Services Department

William H. Gimson
Michael R. McMullan

Homeland Security Department

Jayson P. Ahern
Connie L. Patrick
Gregory D. Rothwell
Mark J. Sullivan

Justice Department

Robert E. Kopp

Labor Department

Carol A. De Deo
Edward C. Hugler

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

William H. Gerstenmaier
Ralph R. Roe, Jr.
Edward J. Weiler
Heinz Erzberger

National Science Foundation

Jarvis L. Moyers

National Transportation Safety Board

Daniel Doyle Campbell

Office of Management and Budget

Arthur G. Fraas

Small Business Administration

Herbert Mitchell

Social Security Administration

Paul D. Barnes
Beatrice M. Disman

State Department

Charles Thomas Fingar

Transportation Department

James E. Caponiti

Treasury Department

James H. Fall III
Richard L. Gregg
Deborah M. Nolan

U.S. Agency for International Development

James E. Painter

Veterans Affairs Department

William F. Feeley
Michael Walcoff

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COMMENTS

• I have seen the reviews written for people such as the award winners. I guarantee you they did not save the government anywhere near $50 billion dollars. All they are saying is that these executives did not engage in $50 billion of stupid actions. What is missed is that they did engage in stupid actions that cost us taxpayers billions of unnecessary costs - such as holding appropriation authority so we have to contract a single contract in three pieces and bear the increased contracting cost for what they think is control of money flow. They impose quarterly obligation authority that forces piece meal contracting and increased costs but that never appears in their reviews because it is blamed on the poor contracting actions of the lower grades. They come into government without knowing anything about how the government operates and think they can impose any new process they feel like without studying the situation. These are smart people who cannot implement good processes because they do not know how the system works or what makes for savings. Most of the people on the list didn't do anything or cause anything valuable to be done (there are some exceptions but for the most part they are minor). In the DoD list there are managers that are imposing very stupid rules for determination of accrual accounting entries to financial statements that have no idea what they are doing and are listening to people that have no clue either. We are wasting billions to implement data collection and information systems that do not meet the standards of accounting but they have no clue. By the way, this is to comply with a law that was effective in 1990 (that is 16 years ago) and the DoD says we are moving too fast to comply! How did they get these awards? Finally, were did the money come from to pay the $35,000 bonuses? Is it taxpayer money? If it is it should be stopped immediately by the president and returned to the taxpayers! Taxpayer Posted May 3, 2006 8:05 AM
• Dave, Don't feel bad. Many of us feel your pain! As an asset forfeiture specialist, I seize millions in ill-gotten gains from criminals every year. I not only can’t get promoted, I haven't received recognition or even a minor cash award in years! The problem is, I'm not a politician or a toady (those jobs are filled very easily in my agency, and I imagine in the rest of the federal government too). So much for the value of experience and job performance. What keeps me going is the personal satisfaction of taking away the cash, jewelry, luxury cars, homes, and bank accounts of these dirtbags. Hopefully, you will find satisfaction as well, in just doing a good job. GovExec.com reader Posted April 27, 2006 6:01 PM
• Please, as if "deserve" has anything to do with work these days in the federal government! Take it from someone who has worked for the past 15 years way above his pay scale, doing for the most part the job of my supervisor. We lower-grade employees know what to expect and awards and/or even respect is not on the list!!! GovExec.com reader Posted April 26, 2006 7:54 AM

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