Public service awards honor three federal programs

Three federal programs took top honors at the 17th annual Public Service Excellence Awards ceremony held Monday on Capitol Hill. Federal programs operated by the Health and Human Services Department, the Border Patrol and the Air Force at the Royal Air Force base in Lakenheath, Great Britain were lauded during the 2001 awards program. Overall, seven government programs out of 213 nominations from the federal, state and local levels earned kudos for their contributions to public service. The awards are sponsored by Public Employees Roundtable, a nonprofit group committed to promoting civil servants and public service careers, and recognize innovation and excellence in federal, state and local governments. The winners were honored at a "Breakfast of Champions" sponsored by GEICO insurance company. Comptroller General David Walker said government employees' commitment to the greater good is unique in a society that often emphasizes the bottom line. "While there are many things you can privatize in government, one thing that can never be privatized is the public servant's loyalty to the greater good," he said. Walker was joined by Stephen Cohen, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, and Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy. The 2001 federal award winners, who picked up the top prizes in the federal, international and community service categories, are:

• Federal: The Health and Human Services Department's Ricky Ray Program won for reducing its start-up administrative costs and for providing an additional $3 million for a compassionate payment fund established by Congress in 1988. The Ricky Ray program helps people with blood-clotting disorders, such as hemophilia, who were treated before 1988 and contracted HIV from their treatments.
• International: The U.S. Border Patrol, part of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, teamed up with Canada Customs Border Services to combat organized crime, catch international criminals and seize drugs smuggled across the Washington state-British Columbia border. The Integrated Border Enforcement Team seized 132 pounds of marijuana in July 2000 alone.
• Community Service: The U.S. Air Force's 48th Medical Operations Squadron at Lakenheath, Great Britain, provides support to American children with disabilities and their families living on military bases overseas through its Educational & Developmental Intervention Services Program. The 48th Squadron, which cooperated with European service organizations, also donates its time to several other community service ventures abroad.