A Night for Inspiring Stories of Service
Last night, I had the privilege of attending the Partnership for Public Service's Service to America Medals gala dinner. It's as uplifting an event as you'll find on the social calendar in Washington.
What really sets the Sammies apart is not just that the winners of the awards are highly accomplished public servants (there are, fortunately, lots of those), but that their stories are so inspiring. This year's list of winners included people like Paul A. Hsieh, who provided critically important scientific information about the containment cap on a ruptured Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico, and William A. Gahl, whose team of medical sleuths at the National Institutes of Health have dedicated their careers to helping patients whose mysterious ailments have eluded the diagnostic abilities of physicians.
But what really stuck out to me was a story told by Alfonso Batres, chief officer of the Readjustment Counseling Service at the Veterans Health Administration and winner of the Career Achievement Medal. He told of working for the VA in Denver years ago, and being informed by that a veteran he had worked with had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct at a low point in the veteran's personal life. Batres drove 90 miles in a snowstorm to talk to the veteran and secure his release. At one point, the veteran asked Batres for money for a pack of cigarettes. A couple of years later, Batres received a letter from the veteran (who had turned his life around) thanking him for his help. It included $2 to cover the cost of the cigarettes.
That's the kind of story that every bureaucrat-basher should be required to hear.
By the way, speaking of inspiring accomplishments, in the October issue of Government Executive, featuring our brand-new design, we'll be highlighting some very accomplished civil servants. They include not only 20 of the all-time greatest feds, but a set of emerging leaders who are paving the way for the government of the future. The theme of the issue is Excellence in Government. If you're not already a subscriber to the magazine, now might be a good time to sign up.