Honorees

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Melissa Emrey-Arras

Led investigations and proposed recommendations that have helped millions access federal student aid and have their student loans forgiven, while rooting out fraudulent student loan schemes.

Fletcher Schoen and Jennifer Harkins

Played integral roles in the release of 11 American prisoners wrongfully detained in Russia and Venezuela, contributing to creative diplomatic strategies and delicate negotiations while showing compassion to the families and keeping them informed.

Spirit of Service Award

Judy Woodruff

An iconic journalist who champions public service, public servants and a more effective government.

Anne Lord Bailey, Caitlin Rawlins and the VA Immersive Team

Built a cutting-edge nationwide immersive technology network to empower front-line staff and enable the treatment of veterans for a wide range of medical issues such as anxiety, depression, pain management, spinal cord injuries and more.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Carolyn Hightower

Empowered victims of crime, mass violence and terrorism by developing, implementing and overseeing landmark victim support programs and professionalizing the field of victim assistance.

Michael E. Camal 

Leads and has expanded a government campaign to help aviation personnel identify potential victims of human trafficking and report their suspicions to law enforcement.

Adam M. Phillippy, Sergey Koren, Arang Rhie and The Telomere-to-Telomere Team

Conducted the first complete assembly of the human genome, sequencing the most difficult, final part of our genetic makeup, advancing our understanding of our biological blueprint and opening up scientific frontiers that could revolutionize the treatment of a multitude of diseases.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Lisa Hsiao

Secured huge penalties against major corporations engaged in detrimental, unfair and deceptive trade practices.

Shadrach Ludeman, Terah Yaroch, Brooke Harding and the Office of Transition Initiatives Ukraine Team

Provided ​critical ​assistance to the Ukrainian people following ​the​ 2022​ Russian invasion​, partnering with local organizations to help Ukrainians evacuate to safety and deliver food, clothing, ​power ​generators and other supplies to those in need.

Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris

Engaged in pioneering work that deploys insects as natural predators against other bugs that damage crops such as apples and pears, limiting the use of harmful pesticides, saving farmers money and protecting the environment.

Sarah L. Nelson, Samantha L. Calkins and the National Ignition Team

Managed a complex scientific enterprise that for the first time produced a fusion reaction that created a net energy gain, a breakthrough in the decades-long, multibillion-dollar quest that could lead to advancements in national defense and clean energy.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Michael Reardon

Successfully promoted a wide range of policies and practices to the states and businesses that have provided greater access to employment, transportation and technology for millions of people with disabilities.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Zachary Johnson

Played pivotal role in responding to radiological threats caused by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as securing the relocation of Department of Energy partners in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

Dr. John Palmieri, Richard McKeon, James Wright, and the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office

Established a new 988 national three-digit suicide prevention and drug crisis telephone, text and chat lifeline service, helping greater numbers of people receive assistance than an older 10-digit phone line, while providing quicker, more professional support.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Dave Clark

Managed 94 Navy aviation crash investigations worldwide over two decades that uncovered safety problems and led to important aircraft modifications that have saved countless lives.

Blane Workie, Robert Gorman, Jessica Ilich and the Aviation Consumer Protection Team

Led an aggressive campaign to ensure airlines refund travelers for canceled or significantly delayed flights and require coverage of other related costs when circumstances are within the airline’s control, and held airlines accountable with a record $8.35 million in fines and more than $1 billion in passenger refunds.

Mark V. Ingram

Developed and launched the main innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, improving pilot safety, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and strengthening our national defense.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Ralph Roe Jr.

Played an instrumental role during a four-decade NASA career in dramatically reshaping the agency’s safety culture to help ensure the successful exploration of the universe.

Science, Technology and Environment

J. Vincent Edwards 

Developed innovative and highly effective new cotton-based medical gauze and dressings for trauma and chronic wound patients that are now in use by hospitals and first responders.

Rear Adm. Nancy Hann

Instituted policies to dramatically curb sexual harassment, assault and bullying among employees aboard NOAA’s marine fleet and aircraft, creating a safer workplace and changing the organization’s culture.

Science, Technology and Environment

Cheryl T. Seager

Initiated creative and extraordinarily successful techniques to identify and clamp down on violators of air, hazardous waste and water pollution laws, particularly in communities at risk.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Eric J. “Rocky” Feuer

Built a sophisticated system using statistical analysis to better understand and interpret national cancer trends, leading to significant prevention, screening and treatment options that have saved countless lives.

Federal Employee of the Year

Gregory Robinson

Oversaw the successful launch of NASA’s revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, setting the stage for spectacular discoveries about the origins of the universe.

Krista Kinnard

Ignited a technology transformation at the Department of Labor by automating repetitive administrative processes, saving time and money, and creating greater efficiencies.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Dr. H. Clifford Lane, M.D.

Conducted pioneering work to combat HIV/AIDS that has saved countless lives, organized breakthrough clinical trials for Ebola in Africa and helped establish medical guidelines to treat COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Science, Technology and Environment

Cynthia A. Newberg

Played an instrumental role internationally and in the U.S. to curb the use of hydrofluorocarbons, incredibly potent greenhouse gases that are major contributors to climate change.

Barbara C. Morton

Built trust and a customer-oriented culture among veterans and their families seeking services and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs by listening and responding to their needs.

Michelle Daniels, Charles D. Eldridge, Ryan E. Jones and the Office of Public and Indian Housing Foster Youth to Independence team

Created an innovative program offering housing assistance and social services to young people aging out of foster care to prevent them from becoming homeless and to provide an opportunity for self-sufficiency.

People's Choice Award

Josh Josa

Leveraged U.S. resources and influence to promote educational opportunities in developing nations for children and youth with disabilities.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Evan R. Kwerel, Ph.D.

Pioneered the use of competitive spectrum auctions to allocate the public airwaves for sound, data and video transmissions, helping fuel the digital revolution while adding more than $200 billion to the government’s coffers.

Spirit of Service Award

Darren Walker

A philanthropic leader and innovator working to build a more equitable and just world.

Science, Technology and Environment

Reem M. Ghandour, DrPH

Transformed and revitalized a national survey on children’s physical, emotional and developmental health, providing timely and insightful data to state and federal policymakers.

Suma Nair, Ph.D., M.S.

Coordinated the federal initiative to supply community health centers nationwide that assist underserved populations with life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, antiviral medications, testing kits and protective face masks.

Callie I. Higgins, Ph.D.

Invented a groundbreaking technology to detect and remedy microscopic flaws that threaten the safety and reliability of 3D–printed products, potentially revolutionizing the medical, plastics, coatings, optics and additive manufacturing fields.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Rupa Bhattacharyya

Managed three separate victim’s compensation funds during a lengthy federal career, most recently revitalizing the fund that provides payments to those harmed by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Science, Technology and Environment

Steven Musser, Ph.D.

Championed the use of whole genome sequencing and a public database to identify foodborne diseases that sicken millions of people every year, enabling authorities to remove dangerous products more quickly from the marketplace and protect public health.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Anne Schuchat, M.D.

As one of the nation’s leading infectious disease experts, has led numerous high-profile and consequential disease outbreak investigations to protect public health and save countless lives.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.

Led the development of a satellite-based monitoring system that provides accurate forecasts and early warnings to environmental officials worldwide at a time when rising ocean temperatures threaten the health of coral reefs.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Scott Busby

Designed and oversaw landmark efforts to advance human rights overseas and hold violators accountable.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Jonathan Dworken

Coordinated the delivery of critical U.S. assistance to the people of Ethiopia amid a violent conflict.

Mary Frances Matthews

Reduced the lengthy backlog of disability appeals for veterans by 87% in two years, providing long-awaited decisions on benefits to thousands of individuals.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Roy Dotson and the CARES Act Team

Conducted a nationwide criminal investigation that recovered $1.2 billion in stolen federal pandemic relief payments meant for small businesses and the unemployed, and halted the dispersal of $2.2 billion more in fraudulently requested funds.

Management Excellence

Antonio Rios

Instituted an innovative system that has reduced opioid addiction among federal employees receiving workers’ compensation benefits, while also streamlining and speeding up the process for filing claims.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Mitchell Zeller, J.D.

Directed federal efforts to regulate the marketing and accessibility of tobacco products that can cause death and disease, instituting policies that cut back on cigarette usage and saved lives.

Science, Technology and Environment

Brigitte C. Widemann, M.D. and team

Developed a breakthrough medical treatment for children with inoperable tumors that cause disabling pain, disfigurement, blindness and motor dysfunction.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Paul Friday

During six decades of federal service, invented, engineered and implemented systems that enabled the Census Bureau to more accurately tabulate and analyze data on paper census forms, speeding the process and saving millions of dollars.

David Rader

Led a critical initiative to monitor and prevent foreign investments in American technology companies that can be used by adversaries to gain an economic and military advantage over the United States.

Adam Jacoff and the Emergency Response Robotics team

Developed sophisticated testing standards to ensure ground, underwater and aerial robots have the capability to help emergency responders and the military handle disasters and other dangerous situations.