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Selection Process and Committee

Selection Process

There are three phases of the selection process:  

  1. Once the nominations close, the Partnership for Public Service reviews all nominations for eligibility and completeness. Top nominations will be selected to move to the next phase.  
  1. Next, Partnership staff vets top nominations by interviewing the nominee, the nominator, and the three references. The top nominations will be selected as finalists and announced during Public Service Recognition Week. 
  1. Following a careful review and vetting process by the Partnership for Public Service, a Selection Committee selects the winners, who are announced in the early fall.  

Selection Criteria

The selection committee ranks the finalists in each category based on:

  • The significance and impact of their accomplishments on people in America and across the world. 
  • How well they foster innovation. 
  • Demonstrated leadership. 
  • The extent to which they exemplify excellence in public service.
Page header: 2022 Federal Employee of the Year Gregory Robinson with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff

Selection Committee

The selection committee is comprised of national leaders representing government, business, entertainment, media and the nonprofit/foundation community. Past selection committee members include:  

Academia

JR DeShazo
Dean, University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs

Mo Elleithee
Executive Director, Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service

Janet Napolitano
Former President, University of California

Frederick Wayne
President, Howard University

News and Entertainment

Samantha Bee
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”

Kate Bolduan
Anchor, CNN

Adam Conover
“Adam Ruins Everything” and “The G Word”

Michael Lewis
Author

Martha MacCallum
Fox News

Kai Ryssdal
Host, Marketplace

Government

Sen. Joni Ernst
Iowa

Rep. John Katko
New York

Rep. Stephanie Murphy
Florida

Rep. Bennie Thompson
Mississippi

Shirley Jones
National President, Blacks in Government

Tony Reardon
National President, National Treasury Employees Union

Philanthropy

Harvey Fineberg
President, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder and President, Emerson Collective

Sara Mogulescu
President, Volcker Alliance

Craig Newmark
Founder, Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Raj Shah
President, Rockefeller Foundation

Mariko Silver
President and CEO, Henry Luce Foundation

Private Sector

Anne Finucane
Vice Chairman, Bank of America

Amy Hood
Executive Vice President, Microsoft Corporation

Steven Preston
President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International

Christoph Schweizer
CEO, Boston Consulting Group

Geoff Bennett
Co-anchor
PBS NewsHour
Ruchi Bhowmik
Vice President of Public Policy
Netflix
Alyssa Farah Griffin
Co-host of ABC’s “The View” and former White House director of strategic communications
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Former Director
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Dan Helfrich
Chairman and CEO
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Ronnie F. Heyman
Co-Founder and Honorary Board Member
Partnership for Public Service
Nazzic Keene
CEO
SAIC
Congressman Andy Kim
U.S. Representative
U.S. House of Representatives
Dean Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto
Dean
The Clinton School of Public Service
Sara Mogulescu
President
Volker Alliance
Peter Nguyen
Immediate Past President
Federal Asian Pacific American Council
Tony Reardon
President
National Treasury Employees Union
Dr. Said Sewell
Director and Chief Academic, Research, and Student Success Officer
The Atlanta University Center Consortium
Dan Tangherlini
Managing Director
Emerson Collective
Congressman William Timmons
U.S. Representative (SC-04)
U.S. House of Representatives
Damon Wilson
President and CEO
National Endowment for Democracy