Peak performers honored with Service to America medals
Nine top-performing federal employees were honored Wednesday night with the first-ever Service to America Medals. The medals recognize commitment to public service and career achievements in various areas. Individual career civilian employees and teams throughout the federal government are eligible for the awards. Medalists were chosen from among 26 finalists out of a field of 350 nominees. The three magazines of Atlantic Media Co.-Government Executive, National Journal and The Atlantic Monthly-were joined in creating the Service to America medals program by the Partnership for Public Service. For more information about this year's awards and nominations for next year's awards, visit the Service to America Medals site.
This year's medalists were honored at a gala ceremony held at Washington's Union Station. Guests included White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card; his counterpart on TV's "The West Wing," John Spencer; Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta; Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio; Rep. Connie Morella, R-Md.; NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe; Comptroller General David Walker; and Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James. CNN anchor Judy Woodruff served as master of ceremonies.
"People who serve America are our true heroes, and people who do it out of the goodness of their hearts are saints," said Spencer at the ceremony.
This year's winners (click on names for full profiles):
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR
William L. Fleming and Ben H. Herren
Special Agent Investigative Research Specialist
Birmingham, Ala., Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
Katharine B. Gebbie
Chief, Physics Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
CALL TO SERVICE
Rachel Billingslea
Foreign Affairs Specialist, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Defense Department
HERO OF SEPTEMBER 11th
Kenneth Concepcion
Coast Guard (now at Transportation Security Administration)
SOCIAL SERVICES
Daniel Weinberg
Chief, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
Census Bureau
JUSTICE
Robert Rutherford
Criminal Investigator/Group Supervisor
Customs Service
NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Alfred League
Chief, Imagery and Geospatial Sciences Division
National Imagery and Mapping Agency
ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Donald Sweeney
Senior Regional Economist
Army Corps of Engineers