Developed cutting-edge satellite technology for detecting and monitoring severe weather, helping protect people and property from approaching disasters

Tim Schmit
2018 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
Department of Commerce



Developed cutting-edge satellite technology for detecting and monitoring severe weather, helping protect people and property from approaching disasters

Defended health care computer systems in the U.S. from a global cyberattack that threatened patients’ health and safety

Stephen C. Curren and the Cyber Incident Response Team
2018 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Defended health care computer systems in the U.S. from a global cyberattack that threatened patients’ health and safety

Led life-changing research on the causes, detection, prevention and potential remedies for peanut and tree nut allergies, which affect up to two million American children

Soheila J. Maleki, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Science and Environment
Agricultural Research Service ARS
Department of Agriculture USDA



Led life-changing research on the causes, detection, prevention and potential remedies for peanut and tree nut allergies, which affect up to two million American children

Designed a first-of-its-kind traffic management system for unmanned aerial vehicles, paving the way for large-scale use of commercial drones

Parimal Kopardekar, Ph.D. and the Team
2018 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Designed a first-of-its-kind traffic management system for unmanned aerial vehicles, paving the way for large-scale use of commercial drones

Distributed $1.4 billion in emergency food assistance to 20 million people in four nations fighting famine and threatened by violent conflicts, saving countless lives under harrowing conditions

Matthew Nims and the Food for Peace Team
2018 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Distributed $1.4 billion in emergency food assistance to 20 million people in four nations fighting famine and threatened by violent conflicts, saving countless lives under harrowing conditions

Pioneered research to understand the prevalence of autism and other developmental disabilities, influencing the expansion of health, social and educational services for children with special needs

Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D.
2018 Finalist
Career Achievement

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Pioneered research to understand the prevalence of autism and other developmental disabilities, influencing the expansion of health, social and educational services for children with special needs

Built the largest civilian aerial drone fleet to help federal agencies fight forest fires, inspect infrastructure, monitor wildlife and natural resources, halt pollution, and conduct search and rescue operations

Mark L. Bathrick and the Team
2018 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of the Interior DOI



Built the largest civilian aerial drone fleet to help federal agencies fight forest fires, inspect infrastructure, monitor wildlife and natural resources, halt pollution, and conduct search and rescue operations

Collected and analyzed critical data to help protect women and babies from the mosquito-borne Zika virus that was spreading rapidly in the U.S. and its territories

Margaret Honein, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Science and Environment

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Collected and analyzed critical data to help protect women and babies from the mosquito-borne Zika virus that was spreading rapidly in the U.S. and its territories

Created online digital tools for veterans to more easily access benefits and services, delivering a high-quality and seamless user experience 

Marcella Jacobs and the VA Digital Service Team
2018 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Created online digital tools for veterans to more easily access benefits and services, delivering a high-quality and seamless user experience 

Directed major flood-protection projects that have saved lives and prevented more than a billion dollars in property damage

Judith Lynn Allaire DesHarnais
2018 Finalist
Career Achievement
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District
Department of the Army



Directed major flood-protection projects that have saved lives and prevented more than a billion dollars in property damage

Improved the system used to assess flood damage from hurricanes and other major storms, helping residents receive aid more quickly and saving the government millions of dollars in appraisal costs

Jordan T. Manos
2018 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
Acquisition Academy
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Improved the system used to assess flood damage from hurricanes and other major storms, helping residents receive aid more quickly and saving the government millions of dollars in appraisal costs

Led game-changing research over three decades that improved lighting in mines, advanced rescue techniques and reduced accidents and injuries

John J. Sammarco, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Led game-changing research over three decades that improved lighting in mines, advanced rescue techniques and reduced accidents and injuries

Led a record takedown of the notorious MS-13 gang, arresting more than 60 leaders and members of this criminal organization in the Boston region

Jeffrey Elliott Wood Jr. and the North Shore Gang Task Force
2018 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI
Department of Justice DOJ



Led a record takedown of the notorious MS-13 gang, arresting more than 60 leaders and members of this criminal organization in the Boston region

Delivered emergency humanitarian relief to nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled violent persecution in Burma to find safe haven in neighboring Bangladesh

Hoa Thi Tran, Ph.D. and the Team
2018 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State DOS



Delivered emergency humanitarian relief to nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled violent persecution in Burma to find safe haven in neighboring Bangladesh

Developed wide-ranging data management systems that enable FBI analysts to investigate criminal activity and identify threats more quickly

Guy Demeter
2018 Finalist
Management Excellence
Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI
Department of Justice DOJ



Developed wide-ranging data management systems that enable FBI analysts to investigate criminal activity and identify threats more quickly

Developed a promising vaccine now in clinical testing to prevent the Zika virus, which has caused serious birth defects in the children of women infected during pregnancy

Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Developed a promising vaccine now in clinical testing to prevent the Zika virus, which has caused serious birth defects in the children of women infected during pregnancy

For three decades, established techniques and standards to identify dangerous chemicals and prevent them from contaminating America’s lakes and waterways 

Gerald Ankley, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Career Achievement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



For three decades, established techniques and standards to identify dangerous chemicals and prevent them from contaminating America’s lakes and waterways 

Brought justice and restored financial losses of nearly $600 million for hundreds of thousands of people who were defrauded by money transfer scams

Karen D. Dodge, Margaret Moeser and the Teams
2018 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Trade Commission FTC

Department of Justice DOJ

Brought justice and restored financial losses of nearly $600 million for hundreds of thousands of people who were defrauded by money transfer scams

Managed numerous high-profile projects with foreign governments to secure large quantities of weapons-useable nuclear materials and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands

Dave Huizenga
2018 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
National Nuclear Security Administration NNSA
Department of Energy DOE



Managed numerous high-profile projects with foreign governments to secure large quantities of weapons-useable nuclear materials and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands

Identified an entire new class of rare genetic diseases and treatments to alleviate suffering for thousands of patients in the U.S. and around the world

Daniel L. Kastner, M.D., Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Identified an entire new class of rare genetic diseases and treatments to alleviate suffering for thousands of patients in the U.S. and around the world

Established sophisticated forensic exploitation laboratories to investigate terrorist activities, contributing to thousands of convictions and thwarting attempts to attack Americans overseas and in the U.S.

Blake Douglas Rowe
2018 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Defense Forensic Science Center
Department of the Army DOA



Established sophisticated forensic exploitation laboratories to investigate terrorist activities, contributing to thousands of convictions and thwarting attempts to attack Americans overseas and in the U.S.

Helped rewrite standards for the use of foamed cement in oil wells, to prevent blowouts and damaging oil spills and to better protect workers and the environment

Barbara G. Kutchko, Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Energy Technology Laboratory
Department of Energy DOE



Helped rewrite standards for the use of foamed cement in oil wells, to prevent blowouts and damaging oil spills and to better protect workers and the environment

Improved data-sharing to accelerate the adoption of new technologies that increase transportation safety and efficiency, including self-driving cars and vehicles that communicate with one another

Ariel Gold
2018 Finalist
Management Excellence
Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office
Department of Transportation DOT



Improved data-sharing to accelerate the adoption of new technologies that increase transportation safety and efficiency, including self-driving cars and vehicles that communicate with one another

Persuaded private reinsurers for the first time to assume some flood damage liability, saving the National Flood Insurance Program $1 billion in claims in 2017

Andy Neal and the NFIP Reinsurance Program Team
2018 Finalist
Management Excellence

Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA



Persuaded private reinsurers for the first time to assume some flood damage liability, saving the National Flood Insurance Program $1 billion in claims in 2017

Provided electricity to some 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, while creating hundreds of millions of dollars in export opportunities for U.S. companies

Andrew M. Herscowitz and the Power Africa Team
2018 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Provided electricity to some 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, while creating hundreds of millions of dollars in export opportunities for U.S. companies

Developed the “Hefner model” for power semiconductor devices that revolutionized manufacturing of power conversion systems that millions of people use today, leading to trillions of dollars in energy savings worldwide

Allen R. Hefner Jr., Ph.D.
2018 Finalist
Career Achievement
Physical Measurement Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Developed the “Hefner model” for power semiconductor devices that revolutionized manufacturing of power conversion systems that millions of people use today, leading to trillions of dollars in energy savings worldwide

Pioneered the use of nanoparticles to mark sensitive military equipment with a unique fingerprint to guard against counterfeit products and protect our nation’s warfighters

Alison Smith, Ph.D.
2018 Winner
People's Choice Award
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Naval Sea Systems Command NAVSEA
Department of the Navy DN



Pioneered the use of nanoparticles to mark sensitive military equipment with a unique fingerprint to guard against counterfeit products and protect our nation’s warfighters

Developed an innovative, mobile and low-cost system to detect the smallest traces of radiological and nuclear materials, offering cities worldwide a new tool to identify and stop terror threats

Vincent Tang and the SIGMA Team
2017 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA



Developed an innovative, mobile and low-cost system to detect the smallest traces of radiological and nuclear materials, offering cities worldwide a new tool to identify and stop terror threats

Helped Albania revise its constitution and reform its criminal justice system to rid the country of decades of corruption and organized crime, and set a path for this strategic U.S. ally to gain membership in the European Union

Jon R. Smibert
2017 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Justice, Criminal Division DOJ



Helped Albania revise its constitution and reform its criminal justice system to rid the country of decades of corruption and organized crime, and set a path for this strategic U.S. ally to gain membership in the European Union

Spearheaded the development of a revolutionary flight control system the Air Force uses to prevent ground collisions when pilots become disoriented or lose consciousness, saving lives and the loss of fighter jets

Mark Skoog
2017 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Armstrong Flight Research Center AFRC
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Spearheaded the development of a revolutionary flight control system the Air Force uses to prevent ground collisions when pilots become disoriented or lose consciousness, saving lives and the loss of fighter jets

Led U.S. humanitarian relief efforts in war-torn Syria and parts of Iraq, delivering food, medicine, safe drinking water and other assistance to millions of people in desperate need of help

Alex Mahoney and the Middle East Crisis Humanitarian Response Team
2017 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led U.S. humanitarian relief efforts in war-torn Syria and parts of Iraq, delivering food, medicine, safe drinking water and other assistance to millions of people in desperate need of help

Led the development and implementation of a single, electronic portal for exporters and importers to submit information on shipments that cross U.S. borders, saving government and businesses time and money

Brenda B. Smith and the Single Window Team
2017 Finalist
Management Excellence

U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP



Led the development and implementation of a single, electronic portal for exporters and importers to submit information on shipments that cross U.S. borders, saving government and businesses time and money

Improved patient care and saved $1.3 billion through a new health care delivery system that compensates doctors and hospitals for the quality of medical outcomes as opposed to the quantity of patient services

John Pilotte and Heather Grimsley
2017 Finalist
Management Excellence

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS

Improved patient care and saved $1.3 billion through a new health care delivery system that compensates doctors and hospitals for the quality of medical outcomes as opposed to the quantity of patient services

Paved the way for the first artificial pancreas device to receive FDA approval faster than expected, helping transform the lives of Americans with Type 1 diabetes

Courtney Lias, Stayce Beck and the FDA Artificial Pancreas Team
2017 Winner
Management Excellence

Food and Drug Administration FDA

Food and Drug Administration FDA

Paved the way for the first artificial pancreas device to receive FDA approval faster than expected, helping transform the lives of Americans with Type 1 diabetes

Generated $3.9 billion in private investments that have been used to rebuild or renovate public housing to make it safe and affordable for tens of thousands of low-income individuals and families across the U.S.

Thomas R. Davis and the Rental Assistance Demonstration Team
2017 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Generated $3.9 billion in private investments that have been used to rebuild or renovate public housing to make it safe and affordable for tens of thousands of low-income individuals and families across the U.S.

Created standards and methods for federal agencies to consolidate common administrative functions more easily, allowing government leaders to focus more of their time and resources on mission-related responsibilities

Elizabeth Angerman and the Unified Shared Services Team
2017 Finalist
Management Excellence

General Services Administration GSA



Created standards and methods for federal agencies to consolidate common administrative functions more easily, allowing government leaders to focus more of their time and resources on mission-related responsibilities

Created an easy-to-use online resource to help victims of identity theft quickly report the crime, stop additional fraudulent activity and begin the recovery process

Nat Wood and the IdentityTheft.gov Development Team
2017 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Trade Commission FTC



Created an easy-to-use online resource to help victims of identity theft quickly report the crime, stop additional fraudulent activity and begin the recovery process

Investigated and prosecuted a doctor who is now serving a 45-year prison sentence for giving false diagnoses and unnecessary cancer treatments to hundreds of patients in order to steal millions from Medicare

Bryan Drake and the Fata Investigation Team
2017 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Bureau of Investigations FBI



Investigated and prosecuted a doctor who is now serving a 45-year prison sentence for giving false diagnoses and unnecessary cancer treatments to hundreds of patients in order to steal millions from Medicare

Led a multiagency investigation and public awareness campaign to stop a massive fraud that conned thousands of Americans into paying millions of dollars in bogus tax bills

Timothy P. Camus and the IRS Impersonation Scam Team
2017 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration TIGTA



Led a multiagency investigation and public awareness campaign to stop a massive fraud that conned thousands of Americans into paying millions of dollars in bogus tax bills

Halted a scheme by Volkswagen to evade emission standards, and helped secure a record $17.4 billion in legal settlements to reduce harmful pollution and compensate deceived car owners

Phillip A. Brooks, Byron Bunker and Joshua H. Van Eaton
2017 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

Department of Justice

Halted a scheme by Volkswagen to evade emission standards, and helped secure a record $17.4 billion in legal settlements to reduce harmful pollution and compensate deceived car owners

Pioneered research for more than 30 years that revealed harmful pollutants in the atmosphere, how long they last, how far they travel and their impact on the climate and human health

Hanwant B. Singh
2017 Finalist
Career Achievement
Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Pioneered research for more than 30 years that revealed harmful pollutants in the atmosphere, how long they last, how far they travel and their impact on the climate and human health

Oversaw the $2.1 billion deepening of navigation channels for the Port of New York and New Jersey, as well as restoration and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy and the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Joseph J. Seebode
2017 Finalist
Career Achievement

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE



Oversaw the $2.1 billion deepening of navigation channels for the Port of New York and New Jersey, as well as restoration and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy and the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Played a vital role in building, expanding and improving the U.S.-led program that provides medicine and assistance to 11 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS

Tedd V. Ellerbrock
2017 Winner
Career Achievement

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Played a vital role in building, expanding and improving the U.S.-led program that provides medicine and assistance to 11 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS

For more than three decades, has led life-saving research on parasitic diseases that devastate livestock and sicken millions of people around the world

Jitender P. Dubey
2017 Finalist
Career Achievement

Agricultural Research Service ARS



For more than three decades, has led life-saving research on parasitic diseases that devastate livestock and sicken millions of people around the world

Created public-private partnerships to clean up and revitalize urban waterways and surrounding lands, spurring economic development and reversing decades of neglect

Surabhi Shah and the Urban Waters Team
2017 Winner
People's Choice Award

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Created public-private partnerships to clean up and revitalize urban waterways and surrounding lands, spurring economic development and reversing decades of neglect

Oversaw research to develop life-like prosthetic arms with near-natural dexterity that enables amputees to pick up small or fragile objects, and is managing efforts to restore the ability for brain-injured soldiers to form new memories

Justin C. Sanchez
2017 Finalist
Science and Environment

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency



Oversaw research to develop life-like prosthetic arms with near-natural dexterity that enables amputees to pick up small or fragile objects, and is managing efforts to restore the ability for brain-injured soldiers to form new memories

Built and heads the world’s largest and most influential repository of genetic sequence data now being used by biomedical researchers around the world, including those studying infectious, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases

David J. Lipman and the GenBank Team
2017 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Institutes of Health NIH



Built and heads the world’s largest and most influential repository of genetic sequence data now being used by biomedical researchers around the world, including those studying infectious, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases

Designed innovative wheelchairs and other assistive technology equipment that has greatly improved the mobility and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans and other Americans

Rory A. Cooper
2017 Winner
Science and Environment

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Designed innovative wheelchairs and other assistive technology equipment that has greatly improved the mobility and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans and other Americans

Discovered a safe, environmentally friendly way to recycle aging, demilitarized munitions by converting a nitrogen-rich propellant into biofuel, which will reduce air pollution and save millions of dollars in disposal costs

Pamela L. Sheehan
2017 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
U.S. Army Armament Research
Development and Engineering Center ARDEC



Discovered a safe, environmentally friendly way to recycle aging, demilitarized munitions by converting a nitrogen-rich propellant into biofuel, which will reduce air pollution and save millions of dollars in disposal costs

Created advanced sensor technology to monitor the nation’s energy generation, transmission and distribution systems, improving their reliability, efficiency and safety

Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr.
2017 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
National Energy Technology Laboratory
Department of Energy DOE



Created advanced sensor technology to monitor the nation’s energy generation, transmission and distribution systems, improving their reliability, efficiency and safety

Developed a new generation of aircraft distress beacons that are more likely to survive a plane crash and aid rescuers in finding victims faster

Lisa Mazzuca
2017 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Developed a new generation of aircraft distress beacons that are more likely to survive a plane crash and aid rescuers in finding victims faster

Led the first-ever study using tree moss to detect air pollution in a major city, including cancer-causing heavy metals, prompting enforcement actions and offering a new, cost-effective way to identify threats to public health

Sarah Jovan and Geoffrey H. Donovan
2017 Finalist
Promising Innovations Medal

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. Forest Service

Led the first-ever study using tree moss to detect air pollution in a major city, including cancer-causing heavy metals, prompting enforcement actions and offering a new, cost-effective way to identify threats to public health

Designed new, lighter body armor that is just as protective as existing equipment and can be adjusted for smaller physiques, giving warfighters greater mobility and reducing long-term health effects

Flora M. Jordan
2017 Winner
Promising Innovations Medal

Marine Corps Systems Command USMC



Designed new, lighter body armor that is just as protective as existing equipment and can be adjusted for smaller physiques, giving warfighters greater mobility and reducing long-term health effects

Developed a way for prospective college students and their parents to import tax data onto their online federal loan applications, streamlining a time-consuming and error-prone process.

Julie Rushin
2011 Finalist
Citizen Services
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Treasury USDT



Developed a way for prospective college students and their parents to import tax data onto their online federal loan applications, streamlining a time-consuming and error-prone process.

Established a simple process that allows veterans and beneficiaries in the VA, Medicare and DOD health systems to download their personal health information, empowering them to take charge of managing their own care.

Kim Nazi and the Blue Button Initiative Team
2011 Finalist
Citizen Services
Veterans Health Administration
VHA



Established a simple process that allows veterans and beneficiaries in the VA, Medicare and DOD health systems to download their personal health information, empowering them to take charge of managing their own care.

Created two nationwide programs to help high-risk, high-need homeless veterans receive the comprehensive medical care, housing assistance and social services they need to get off the street and reclaim their lives.

Thomas O'Toole
2016 Finalist
Citizen Services

Veterans Health Administration VHA



Created two nationwide programs to help high-risk, high-need homeless veterans receive the comprehensive medical care, housing assistance and social services they need to get off the street and reclaim their lives.

Overhauled an SBA program that now generates $6 billion in private investments annually to build businesses, create jobs and stimulate the economy at no cost to the federal government.

Thomas Gordon Morris
2016 Finalist
Career Achievement

Small Business Administration SBA



Overhauled an SBA program that now generates $6 billion in private investments annually to build businesses, create jobs and stimulate the economy at no cost to the federal government.

Played a critical role in two huge cybercrime investigations, helping bring to justice individuals involved in computer hacking, stock manipulation, credit card fraud, money laundering and other illicit activities.

Tate Jarrow
2016 Winner
Call to Service

U.S. Secret Service



Played a critical role in two huge cybercrime investigations, helping bring to justice individuals involved in computer hacking, stock manipulation, credit card fraud, money laundering and other illicit activities.

Employed underutilized authorities to expose drug cartels, transnational criminal organizations and others who launder money in the U.S. through high-end real estate, fashion and electronics transactions.

Richard May
2016 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FinCen
Department of the Treasury USDT



Employed underutilized authorities to expose drug cartels, transnational criminal organizations and others who launder money in the U.S. through high-end real estate, fashion and electronics transactions.

Transformed and expanded the Energy Department’s state-of-the-art research laboratories to meet our nation’s long-term energy needs, leading to breakthroughs in superconductivity, nanotechnology, X-ray imaging and more.

Patricia Dehmer
2016 Finalist
Management Excellence
Office of Science
Department of Energy DOE



Transformed and expanded the Energy Department’s state-of-the-art research laboratories to meet our nation’s long-term energy needs, leading to breakthroughs in superconductivity, nanotechnology, X-ray imaging and more.

Reduced preventable patient harm in U.S. hospitals, which resulted in an estimated 2.1 million fewer medical errors and saved nearly 87,000 lives and $20 billion.

Paul McGann, Jean D. Moody-Williams and Dennis Wagner
2016 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Reduced preventable patient harm in U.S. hospitals, which resulted in an estimated 2.1 million fewer medical errors and saved nearly 87,000 lives and $20 billion.

Made immigration resources more accessible and user-friendly, including a cutting-edge online tool that can answer 90 percent of questions posed by those seeking U.S. citizenship or residency.

Mariela Melero and the Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate
2016 Finalist
Citizen Services

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ICE



Made immigration resources more accessible and user-friendly, including a cutting-edge online tool that can answer 90 percent of questions posed by those seeking U.S. citizenship or residency.

Secured a record $20.8 billion legal settlement against BP for the devastating 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, providing funds to help a five-state region recover from massive environmental disaster.

Thomas A. Mariani, Steven O’Rourke and Sarah D. Himmelhoch
2016 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Department of Justice DOJ
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Department of Justice DOJ
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Department of Justice

Secured a record $20.8 billion legal settlement against BP for the devastating 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, providing funds to help a five-state region recover from massive environmental disaster.

Helped low-income communities gain access to investment capital to fund health-care centers, charter schools, day-care centers, housing, small business development and commercial real estate projects.

Lisa M. Jones
2016 Winner
Citizen Services
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Department of the Treasury USDT



Helped low-income communities gain access to investment capital to fund health-care centers, charter schools, day-care centers, housing, small business development and commercial real estate projects.

Led an interagency initiative to help build the next generation of farmers and ranchers, creating a strategy for easing access to critical federal resources and improving customer service.

Lilia McFarland
2016 Finalist
Call to Service
Farm Service Agency FSA
Department of Agriculture USDA



Led an interagency initiative to help build the next generation of farmers and ranchers, creating a strategy for easing access to critical federal resources and improving customer service.

As the FBI’s premier bomb expert, leads U.S. and foreign law enforcement to determine how terrorist-made explosives work, and finds new ways to detect and stop them.

Kirk Yeager
2016 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



As the FBI’s premier bomb expert, leads U.S. and foreign law enforcement to determine how terrorist-made explosives work, and finds new ways to detect and stop them.

Turned a government-wide survey into an effective tool for managers to better understand employee views of the workplace, providing critical data for leaders to improve employee engagement, satisfaction and performance.

Kimya Lee and the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Team
2016 Finalist
Management Excellence

Office of Personnel Management OPM



Turned a government-wide survey into an effective tool for managers to better understand employee views of the workplace, providing critical data for leaders to improve employee engagement, satisfaction and performance.

Developed and expanded a series of pivotal national energy efficiency initiatives that have greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and saved American consumers and businesses billions of dollars.

Kathleen Hogan
2016 Winner
Career Achievement
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Department of Energy DOE



Developed and expanded a series of pivotal national energy efficiency initiatives that have greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and saved American consumers and businesses billions of dollars.

Prevented the collapse of a major dam that threatened the lives and property of thousands of residents and business owners downstream, and could have disrupted New York City’s water supply.

Joseph J. Mueller
2016 Finalist
Citizen Services

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC



Prevented the collapse of a major dam that threatened the lives and property of thousands of residents and business owners downstream, and could have disrupted New York City’s water supply.

Strengthened volcano readiness and warning systems worldwide, helping countries forecast eruptions, save lives and reduce economic losses while enhancing America’s ability to respond to domestic volcanoes.

John Pallister and the Volcano Disaster Assistance Team
2016 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Geological Survey USGS



Strengthened volcano readiness and warning systems worldwide, helping countries forecast eruptions, save lives and reduce economic losses while enhancing America’s ability to respond to domestic volcanoes.

Helped craft and served as chief legal advisor on a major power plant regulation that will eliminate one-third of toxic heavy metals now dumped into the nation’s rivers, lakes and streams by regulated industries.

Jessica Hall Zomer
2016 Finalist
Call to Service

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Helped craft and served as chief legal advisor on a major power plant regulation that will eliminate one-third of toxic heavy metals now dumped into the nation’s rivers, lakes and streams by regulated industries.

Tapped into citizen knowledge and expertise to solve pressing national problems by promoting the use of crowdsourcing, challenges and prizes across government.

Jenn Gustetic
2016 Finalist
Call to Service

Former Assistant Director for Open Innovation, White House Office of Science and Technology



Tapped into citizen knowledge and expertise to solve pressing national problems by promoting the use of crowdsourcing, challenges and prizes across government.

Developed an artificial intelligence system for medics to quickly detect if severely injured patients in transit are hemorrhaging, improving survival rates by preparing trauma centers to act immediately upon the patient’s arrival.

Jaques Reifman and the APPRAISE Team
2016 Winner
Science and Environment

U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command AFMC



Developed an artificial intelligence system for medics to quickly detect if severely injured patients in transit are hemorrhaging, improving survival rates by preparing trauma centers to act immediately upon the patient’s arrival.

For nearly 50 years, has been the bedrock of the nation’s hurricane hunter program, flying airplanes into hundreds of violent tropical storms to gather information for more accurate weather forecasts.

James McFadden
2016 Finalist
Career Achievement
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



For nearly 50 years, has been the bedrock of the nation’s hurricane hunter program, flying airplanes into hundreds of violent tropical storms to gather information for more accurate weather forecasts.

Improved the safety of construction workers, truck drivers, firefighters, police and others in high-risk professions by researching and designing a new generation of personal protective equipment and industrial apparatus.

Hongwei Hsiao
2016 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health OSHA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Improved the safety of construction workers, truck drivers, firefighters, police and others in high-risk professions by researching and designing a new generation of personal protective equipment and industrial apparatus.

Expertly manages the $7 billion national stockpile of emergency medicines and medical supplies, and has spearheaded 10 major and 30 other responses, from an influenza pandemic to the Ebola crisis.

William Gregory Burel
2016 Winner
Management Excellence

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Expertly manages the $7 billion national stockpile of emergency medicines and medical supplies, and has spearheaded 10 major and 30 other responses, from an influenza pandemic to the Ebola crisis.

Led a national investigation to arrest and prosecute numerous individuals who profited from smuggling and illegally selling rhino horns and elephant tusks.

Edward Grace and the Operation Crash Team
2016 Winner
People's Choice Award

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWC



Led a national investigation to arrest and prosecute numerous individuals who profited from smuggling and illegally selling rhino horns and elephant tusks.

Developed a sophisticated instrument for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft that revealed startling new information about Pluto’s terrain and composition, altering our perceptions of the solar system.

Dennis C. Reuter and the LEISA Team
2016 Finalist
Science and Environment
Goddard Space Flight Center GSFC
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Developed a sophisticated instrument for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft that revealed startling new information about Pluto’s terrain and composition, altering our perceptions of the solar system.

Spearheaded the EPA’s use of advanced pollution monitoring technology to increase compliance with federal environmental laws, provide more public transparency and reduce harmful pollutants in our air and waterways.

David A. Hindin
2016 Finalist
Science and Environment
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance OECA
Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Spearheaded the EPA’s use of advanced pollution monitoring technology to increase compliance with federal environmental laws, provide more public transparency and reduce harmful pollutants in our air and waterways.

Developed a cutting-edge system that allows U.S. warfighters to strike their intended targets faster and with greater accuracy, while helping to protect American troops and innocent civilians.

Daniel Patt
2016 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA



Developed a cutting-edge system that allows U.S. warfighters to strike their intended targets faster and with greater accuracy, while helping to protect American troops and innocent civilians.

Crafted a comprehensive, multibillion dollar plan to repair the immense damage to waterways, land, fish and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Christopher D. Doley
2016 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



Crafted a comprehensive, multibillion dollar plan to repair the immense damage to waterways, land, fish and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Provided rapid analysis and advice to military commanders and policymakers regarding adversarial activity in Eastern Europe and the Middle East during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions.

Catherine Michelle Pappas
2016 Finalist
Call to Service
450th Intelligence Squadron
Department of the Air Force USAF



Provided rapid analysis and advice to military commanders and policymakers regarding adversarial activity in Eastern Europe and the Middle East during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions.

Helped USAID make better decisions about its economic and humanitarian assistance in developing countries by championing the use of satellite data and geographic information to combat poverty, disease and natural disasters.

Carrie Stokes
2016 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Helped USAID make better decisions about its economic and humanitarian assistance in developing countries by championing the use of satellite data and geographic information to combat poverty, disease and natural disasters.

Halted the spread of the largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history, an avian influenza virus that threatened human health, the poultry industry and the jobs of 1.8 million people.

Burke Healey and the Avian Influenza Emergency Response Team
2016 Finalist
Management Excellence
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service APHIS
Department of Agriculture USDA



Halted the spread of the largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history, an avian influenza virus that threatened human health, the poultry industry and the jobs of 1.8 million people.

Reduced recidivism among veterans caught up in the criminal justice system, and lowered their chances of becoming homeless by providing housing, job counseling, and mental health and drug treatment services.

Anne Barker Dunn and the Veterans Justice Program Team
2016 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Veterans Health Administration VHA
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Reduced recidivism among veterans caught up in the criminal justice system, and lowered their chances of becoming homeless by providing housing, job counseling, and mental health and drug treatment services.

Pioneered the epidemiologic study of human reproduction, fundamentally changing both scientific and public understanding of fertility and pregnancy.

Allen Wilcox
2016 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health NIH



Pioneered the epidemiologic study of human reproduction, fundamentally changing both scientific and public understanding of fertility and pregnancy.

Tracked down 70 human rights violators living illegally in the United States and coordinated their removal to face justice for crimes including murder, torture and ethnic cleansing.

Ajay Bhatt and the Operation No Safe Haven Team
2016 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE



Tracked down 70 human rights violators living illegally in the United States and coordinated their removal to face justice for crimes including murder, torture and ethnic cleansing.

Mapped thousands of gene sequences for more than thirty types of cancer, advancing precision medicine in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these deadly diseases.

Jean C. Zenklusen, Carolyn Hutter and the Cancer Genome Atlas Team
2015 Winner
People's Choice Award

National Institutes of Health NIH

National Institutes of Health NIH

Mapped thousands of gene sequences for more than thirty types of cancer, advancing precision medicine in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these deadly diseases.

Developed the first effective drug treatment for sickle cell disease to lessen pain and suffering, and oversaw a stem cell transplant clinical trial that reversed the debilitating illness in a majority of patients.

Griffin P. Rodgers
2015 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Institutes of Health NIH



Developed the first effective drug treatment for sickle cell disease to lessen pain and suffering, and oversaw a stem cell transplant clinical trial that reversed the debilitating illness in a majority of patients.

Built an alliance of federal and international agencies, countries and corporations to bring more efficient cook stoves and cleaner burning fuels to homes in developing nations, protecting the environment and the health of millions of people worldwide.

Jacob E. Moss
2015 Winner
Science and Environment

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Built an alliance of federal and international agencies, countries and corporations to bring more efficient cook stoves and cleaner burning fuels to homes in developing nations, protecting the environment and the health of millions of people worldwide.

Conducted eye-opening research on ocean acidification caused by global carbon dioxide emissions, which poses a serious risk to the health of sea life and the marine environment, and to people who rely on the oceans for food.

Richard Alan Feely
2015 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



Conducted eye-opening research on ocean acidification caused by global carbon dioxide emissions, which poses a serious risk to the health of sea life and the marine environment, and to people who rely on the oceans for food.

Delivered life-saving food assistance to millions of people within war-torn Syria and to refugees who fled to neighboring countries.

Rob Thayer and the Syria Emergency Food Assistance Team
2015 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Office of Food for Peace
U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Delivered life-saving food assistance to millions of people within war-torn Syria and to refugees who fled to neighboring countries.

Provided the U.S. Navy with a new defense system by designing, building and testing the first-ever laser weapon to be approved for combat operations aboard a Navy ship.

Peter A. Morrison and the U.S. Navy Solid State Laser Team
2015 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of the Navy USN



Provided the U.S. Navy with a new defense system by designing, building and testing the first-ever laser weapon to be approved for combat operations aboard a Navy ship.

Led an interagency team to destroy Syria’s lethal chemical weapons at sea, a first in the history of chemical demilitarization.

Timothy A. Blades, Paul S. Gilmour and the Team
2015 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

U.S. Maritime Administration MARAD

Led an interagency team to destroy Syria’s lethal chemical weapons at sea, a first in the history of chemical demilitarization.

Spearheaded a new strategy to improve the quality of education in developing nations, shifting the focus from simply getting children into schools to teaching them to read.

Natasha M. de Marcken
2015 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Spearheaded a new strategy to improve the quality of education in developing nations, shifting the focus from simply getting children into schools to teaching them to read.

Led a team of U.S. responders who risked their own health to coordinate personnel from five federal agencies and helped turn the tide on the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Mia Beers and the U.S. Ebola Disaster Assistance Response Team
2015 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led a team of U.S. responders who risked their own health to coordinate personnel from five federal agencies and helped turn the tide on the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Developed innovative partnerships between Air Force bases and neighboring cities to save money on essential community services, from recreation activities to snow removal.

Steven W. Zander
2015 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of the Air Force AF



Developed innovative partnerships between Air Force bases and neighboring cities to save money on essential community services, from recreation activities to snow removal.

Increased the number of foreign visitors to the U.S., boosted economic activity and created jobs by improving visa processing capacity and reducing interview wait times at embassies worldwide.

Edward J. Ramotowski and the Consular Affairs Team
2015 Finalist
Management Excellence
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Department of State State



Increased the number of foreign visitors to the U.S., boosted economic activity and created jobs by improving visa processing capacity and reducing interview wait times at embassies worldwide.

Transformed and enhanced how the federal government annually prepares more than 200,000 service members for their transition to civilian life.

Susan S. Kelly and the DOD Transition to Veterans Program Office
2015 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Defense DOD



Transformed and enhanced how the federal government annually prepares more than 200,000 service members for their transition to civilian life.

As the Labor Department’s “Mr. Fix-It,”solved numerous critical management challenges, including saving the agency’s financial management system after its service provider went bankrupt.

Edward C. Hugler
2015 Winner
Management Excellence

Department of Labor DOL



As the Labor Department’s “Mr. Fix-It,”solved numerous critical management challenges, including saving the agency’s financial management system after its service provider went bankrupt.

Coordinated emergency assistance when tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America crossed the Southwest border, providing them food, shelter and medical care, and helping unite the children with family members.

Kevin L. Hannes and the FEMA Operation Precious Cargo Team
2015 Finalist
Management Excellence

Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA



Coordinated emergency assistance when tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America crossed the Southwest border, providing them food, shelter and medical care, and helping unite the children with family members.

Instituted a state-of-the-art risk assessment system that has protected federal computer networks from cyberattacks and helped secure information critical to our national and economic security.

Ron Ross
2015 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Instituted a state-of-the-art risk assessment system that has protected federal computer networks from cyberattacks and helped secure information critical to our national and economic security.

Created a device to find living disaster victims buried beneath the wreckage of toppled buildings by adapting radar-based space technology in partnership with NASA scientists.

John B. Price
2015 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Science and Technology Directorate
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Created a device to find living disaster victims buried beneath the wreckage of toppled buildings by adapting radar-based space technology in partnership with NASA scientists.

Protected and recovered millions of dollars in assets for American workers and their families, skillfully investigating misconduct by fiduciaries of private retirement, health and welfare plans.

Anna M. Dozier
2015 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Department of Labor DOL



Protected and recovered millions of dollars in assets for American workers and their families, skillfully investigating misconduct by fiduciaries of private retirement, health and welfare plans.

Saved countless lives by developing a fast and geographically targeted cell phone alert system for weather emergencies such as tornadoes and flash floods.

Robert Bunge, Michael Gerber and the Wireless Alerts Team
2015 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Weather Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
National Weather Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA

Saved countless lives by developing a fast and geographically targeted cell phone alert system for weather emergencies such as tornadoes and flash floods.

Reduced wait times for American citizens and a growing number of foreign travelers arriving at U.S. airports by expediting the clearance process while ensuring a high level of security.

John P. Wagner
2015 Finalist
Citizen Services

U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP



Reduced wait times for American citizens and a growing number of foreign travelers arriving at U.S. airports by expediting the clearance process while ensuring a high level of security.

Improved coal mine safety and reduced deadly accidents to the lowest number in history, and led dangerous rescue operations to save trapped miners.

Kevin G. Stricklin and the MSHA Mine Emergency Team
2015 Finalist
Citizen Services
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Department of Labor DOL



Improved coal mine safety and reduced deadly accidents to the lowest number in history, and led dangerous rescue operations to save trapped miners.

Protected commercial air travelers by leading major fire safety improvements that have increased passenger survivability during blazes occurring in-flight and after crash landings.

Constantine P. Sarkos
2015 Finalist
Citizen Services

Federal Aviation Administration FAA



Protected commercial air travelers by leading major fire safety improvements that have increased passenger survivability during blazes occurring in-flight and after crash landings.

Spurred communities and states to prepare for catastrophic earthquakes by applying her groundbreaking research and taking preventive measures to protect citizens and critical infrastructure.

Lucile Jones
2015 Winner
Citizen Services

U.S. Geological Survey USGS



Spurred communities and states to prepare for catastrophic earthquakes by applying her groundbreaking research and taking preventive measures to protect citizens and critical infrastructure.

Developed and implemented a multi-billion dollar grant program after Hurricane Sandy to make public transportation systems more resilient against future natural disasters.

Adam R. Schildge
2015 Winner
Call to Service

Federal Transit Administration FTA



Developed and implemented a multi-billion dollar grant program after Hurricane Sandy to make public transportation systems more resilient against future natural disasters.

Engaged a growing number of college students who contribute new skills, ideas and energy to assist diplomatic and international development programs around the world while working remotely from any location.

Bridget Lynn Roddy
2015 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of State State



Engaged a growing number of college students who contribute new skills, ideas and energy to assist diplomatic and international development programs around the world while working remotely from any location.

Protected citizens from dangerous power plant emissions that blow across state lines by leading the EPA’s legal defense of its interstate air pollution rule.

Stephanie L. Hogan
2015 Finalist
Call to Service

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Protected citizens from dangerous power plant emissions that blow across state lines by leading the EPA’s legal defense of its interstate air pollution rule.

Advanced the emerging field of physics known as atomtronics, paving the way for a new generation of technologies much like electronics has transformed our society today.

Gretchen K. Campbell
2015 Finalist
Call to Service

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Advanced the emerging field of physics known as atomtronics, paving the way for a new generation of technologies much like electronics has transformed our society today.

Developed life-saving treatments for millions of cancer patients, pioneering the use of the body’s immune system and genetically engineered anti-tumor cells to fight the disease.

Steven A. Rosenberg
2015 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute NIH



Developed life-saving treatments for millions of cancer patients, pioneering the use of the body’s immune system and genetically engineered anti-tumor cells to fight the disease.

Improved the lives of millions of service members and their families by instituting programs that help deployed soldiers stay in touch with loved ones, and increase health and wellness on military bases.

Charles E. Milam
2015 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Defense DOD



Improved the lives of millions of service members and their families by instituting programs that help deployed soldiers stay in touch with loved ones, and increase health and wellness on military bases.

Led influential research to decrease the use of antibiotics in commercial poultry, ensure the safety of this popular food and make the U.S. poultry industry more competitive overseas.

Hyun Soon Lillehoj
2015 Winner
Career Achievement

Agricultural Research Service ARS



Led influential research to decrease the use of antibiotics in commercial poultry, ensure the safety of this popular food and make the U.S. poultry industry more competitive overseas.

Transformed how the EPA tests the toxicity of industrial and household chemicals, dramatically increasing the number that are assessed for potential health risks, while reducing the cost, time and need for animal studies.

Robert J. Kavlock
2015 Finalist
Career Achievement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Transformed how the EPA tests the toxicity of industrial and household chemicals, dramatically increasing the number that are assessed for potential health risks, while reducing the cost, time and need for animal studies.

Created a wearable sensor that provides real-time information on the risk of traumatic brain injuries to soldiers exposed to bomb blasts, resulting in quicker medical treatment and uncovering previously undiagnosed injuries.

Jeffrey Rogers
2014 Finalist
Science and Environment

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA



Created a wearable sensor that provides real-time information on the risk of traumatic brain injuries to soldiers exposed to bomb blasts, resulting in quicker medical treatment and uncovering previously undiagnosed injuries.

Developed a new, low-cost method of locating and tracking space debris that could severely damage or destroy spacecraft and vital communications, navigation and weather satellites.

Richard Rast
2014 Finalist
Science and Environment

Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL



Developed a new, low-cost method of locating and tracking space debris that could severely damage or destroy spacecraft and vital communications, navigation and weather satellites.

Brought together industry and environmental groups to adopt new efficiency standards for appliances and commercial equipment that will save consumers money and reduce energy consumption and air pollution.

John Cymbalsky
2014 Finalist
Science and Environment
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Department of Energy DOE



Brought together industry and environmental groups to adopt new efficiency standards for appliances and commercial equipment that will save consumers money and reduce energy consumption and air pollution.

Led an interagency team that developed standards for cars and light trucks that will double fuel economy by 2025 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6 billion metric tons.

William Charmley and James Tamm
2014 Finalist
Science and Environment

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Led an interagency team that developed standards for cars and light trucks that will double fuel economy by 2025 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6 billion metric tons.

Greatly improved the health care and the quality of life of paralyzed veterans by developing new ways to treat long-overlooked medical problems.

William A. Bauman and Ann M. Spungen
2014 Winner
Science and Environment

Department of Veterans Affairs VA

Department of Veterans Affairs

Greatly improved the health care and the quality of life of paralyzed veterans by developing new ways to treat long-overlooked medical problems.

Coordinated U.S. efforts to end the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, one of Africa’s oldest and most brutal extremist groups, and help victims overcome decades of violence.

Jonathan Gandomi
2014 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
Department of State State



Coordinated U.S. efforts to end the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, one of Africa’s oldest and most brutal extremist groups, and help victims overcome decades of violence.

Helped America’s warfighters achieve mission success and stay out of harm’s way by developing and deploying a new mobile communications network that gives Army units continuous connectivity on the battlefield.

R. Patrick DeGroodt
2014 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of the Army Army



Helped America’s warfighters achieve mission success and stay out of harm’s way by developing and deploying a new mobile communications network that gives Army units continuous connectivity on the battlefield.

Guided a U.S. initiative to provide safe drinking water to 5 million people in Kenya and Uganda, saving lives and preventing illnesses for thousands of individuals.

Jill Boezwinkle
2014 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

United States Agency for International Development USAID



Guided a U.S. initiative to provide safe drinking water to 5 million people in Kenya and Uganda, saving lives and preventing illnesses for thousands of individuals.

Saved U.S. soldiers’ lives in Afghanistan by creating and deploying a new aerial sensor system to help Army and Special Forces units detect and destroy deadly improvised explosive devices.

Sean Young and Benjamin Tran
2014 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL

Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL

Saved U.S. soldiers’ lives in Afghanistan by creating and deploying a new aerial sensor system to help Army and Special Forces units detect and destroy deadly improvised explosive devices.

Honored our country’s veterans by delivering the pinnacle of care and service at their final resting place, while increasing availability and access to burial sites throughout the country.

Ronald E. Walters
2014 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Honored our country’s veterans by delivering the pinnacle of care and service at their final resting place, while increasing availability and access to burial sites throughout the country.

In the months following Hurricane Sandy, coordinated efforts of numerous federal agencies to help rebuild stronger and safer communities.

Marion Mollegen McFadden and the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force
2014 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



In the months following Hurricane Sandy, coordinated efforts of numerous federal agencies to help rebuild stronger and safer communities.

Led the General Services Administration’s “Cloud Initiative,” improving employee effectiveness, reducing agency costs and creating a model for other federal agencies to follow.

Sonny Hashmi
2014 Finalist
Management Excellence

General Services Administration GSA



Led the General Services Administration’s “Cloud Initiative,” improving employee effectiveness, reducing agency costs and creating a model for other federal agencies to follow.

Transformed NASA’s space travel programs, helping the U.S. continue important space research while reducing taxpayer costs and stimulating the commercial space industry.

Alan J. Lindenmoyer
2014 Winner
Management Excellence

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Transformed NASA’s space travel programs, helping the U.S. continue important space research while reducing taxpayer costs and stimulating the commercial space industry.

Assessed the vulnerabilities of hundreds of marine facilities and created comprehensive security plans for domestic and international shipping ports to guard against terrorist attacks.

Anthony Regalbuto
2014 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Coast Guard USCG



Assessed the vulnerabilities of hundreds of marine facilities and created comprehensive security plans for domestic and international shipping ports to guard against terrorist attacks.

Helped government authorities and power companies deliver emergency services and restore electricity following widespread natural disasters by creating critical information-sharing and assessment tools.

Gilbert Bindewald, Alice Lippert and Patrick Willging
2014 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Department of Energy DOE
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Department of Energy
Office of Petroleum Reserve
Department of Energy

Helped government authorities and power companies deliver emergency services and restore electricity following widespread natural disasters by creating critical information-sharing and assessment tools.

Led hundreds of Medicare fraud investigations that have resulted in nearly 700 convictions in South Florida, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars and providing an investigative roadmap for other jurisdictions to follow.

Omar Pérez Aybar, Reginald J. France, Joseph Beemsterboer and the Miami HEAT Teams
2014 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of Inspector General
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
Office of Inspector General
Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Department of Justice, Criminal Division

Led hundreds of Medicare fraud investigations that have resulted in nearly 700 convictions in South Florida, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars and providing an investigative roadmap for other jurisdictions to follow.

Brought to justice four prison guards who brutally beat and murdered an inmate, and exposed a culture of abuse in Alabama prisons.

Susan Hanson
2014 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



Brought to justice four prison guards who brutally beat and murdered an inmate, and exposed a culture of abuse in Alabama prisons.

Made iconic treasures from the Smithsonian’s vast collection accessible to students, teachers, historians and curious visitors everywhere through the use of computerized 3-D imaging and printing technologies.

Günter Waibel, Adam Metallo and Vincent Rossi
2014 Finalist
Citizen Services

Smithsonian Institution SI

Smithsonian Institution SI

Smithsonian Institution

Made iconic treasures from the Smithsonian’s vast collection accessible to students, teachers, historians and curious visitors everywhere through the use of computerized 3-D imaging and printing technologies.

Engaged citizens, scientists and state agencies in protecting their local streams, lakes and rivers by providing access to water quality data and assessment tools via the web.

Douglas James Norton
2014 Finalist
Citizen Services

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Engaged citizens, scientists and state agencies in protecting their local streams, lakes and rivers by providing access to water quality data and assessment tools via the web.

Collaborated with the ambulance manufacturing industry and multiple federal agencies to create ambulance crash standards to help reduce injuries and fatalities among EMS workers and patients.

James D. Green
2014 Finalist
Citizen Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health CDC NIOSH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Collaborated with the ambulance manufacturing industry and multiple federal agencies to create ambulance crash standards to help reduce injuries and fatalities among EMS workers and patients.

Directed congressional attention to the Food and Drug Administration’s increased global role in the regulation of drugs and medical devices leading to reforms to better protect public health.

Marcia Crosse
2014 Finalist
Citizen Services

Government Accountability Office GAO



Directed congressional attention to the Food and Drug Administration’s increased global role in the regulation of drugs and medical devices leading to reforms to better protect public health.

Put detailed data about our nation’s broadband availability and communications systems in the hands of citizens and policymakers through the use of interactive online maps and other visualizations.

Michael Byrne
2014 Winner
Citizen Services

Federal Communications Commission FCC



Put detailed data about our nation’s broadband availability and communications systems in the hands of citizens and policymakers through the use of interactive online maps and other visualizations.

Provided timely and reliable information on wildfires, storm damage and global energy consumption to help scientists and policymakers better understand and respond to natural disasters and climate change.

Miguel O. Román
2014 Finalist
Call to Service
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Provided timely and reliable information on wildfires, storm damage and global energy consumption to help scientists and policymakers better understand and respond to natural disasters and climate change.

Helped federal investigators crack intricate securities fraud cases and return hundreds of millions of dollars to investors by introducing cutting-edge technology and data analysis.

Sofia Hussain
2014 Finalist
Call to Service

Securities and Exchange Commission SEC



Helped federal investigators crack intricate securities fraud cases and return hundreds of millions of dollars to investors by introducing cutting-edge technology and data analysis.

Generated nearly $1 billion in aid for 60 projects in 42 developing countries during the past two years through an innovative, public–private loan guarantee program.

Anthony Cotton, Amanda Femal, Jason Fleming and the DCA Transaction Teams
2014 Finalist
Call to Service
Development Credit Authority DCA
U.S. Agency for International Development USAID
Development Credit Authority
U.S. Agency for International Development
Development Credit Authority
U.S. Agency for International Development

Generated nearly $1 billion in aid for 60 projects in 42 developing countries during the past two years through an innovative, public–private loan guarantee program.

Saved taxpayers more than $4 billion on the purchase of 40 new rockets and led the engineering team responsible for launching 13 Air Force satellites into orbit.

Jonathan Baker
2014 Finalist
Call to Service
Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Systems Directorate
U.S. Air Force USAF



Saved taxpayers more than $4 billion on the purchase of 40 new rockets and led the engineering team responsible for launching 13 Air Force satellites into orbit.

Created a sophisticated data analysis system to evaluate the performance of federal housing programs, and set up processes to track $13.6 billion in economic stimulus and $50 billion for Hurricane Sandy disaster recovery.

Sara Meyers
2014 Winner
Call to Service

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Created a sophisticated data analysis system to evaluate the performance of federal housing programs, and set up processes to track $13.6 billion in economic stimulus and $50 billion for Hurricane Sandy disaster recovery.

Helped transform national environmental health policy by focusing attention on the impact of pollutants on children, and by devising strategies to respond to contamination from a terrorist attack.

E. Ramona Trovato
2014 Finalist
Career Achievement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Helped transform national environmental health policy by focusing attention on the impact of pollutants on children, and by devising strategies to respond to contamination from a terrorist attack.

Pioneered the use of civil rights laws to try human trafficking cases when criminal enforcement and labor laws proved ineffective in defending foreign-born and intellectually disabled workers who were abused and exploited.

Robert A. Canino
2014 Finalist
Career Achievement

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC



Pioneered the use of civil rights laws to try human trafficking cases when criminal enforcement and labor laws proved ineffective in defending foreign-born and intellectually disabled workers who were abused and exploited.

Transformed drug prevention and addiction treatment programs in 70 countries around the world, providing special care and assistance to women and children.

Thomas Browne
2014 Finalist
Career Achievement
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Department of State State



Transformed drug prevention and addiction treatment programs in 70 countries around the world, providing special care and assistance to women and children.

Directed a world-class research program in Antarctica that uncovered important scientific discoveries about climate change, the origins of the universe, previously unknown sea life and two new dinosaur species.

Scott Gerald Borg
2014 Finalist
Career Achievement

National Science Foundation NSF



Directed a world-class research program in Antarctica that uncovered important scientific discoveries about climate change, the origins of the universe, previously unknown sea life and two new dinosaur species.

Argued 125 cases and helped shape the government’s legal position on hundreds more before the Supreme Court, while setting a high standard for integrity and protecting the long-term interests of the United States.

Edwin Kneedler
2014 Winner
Career Achievement

Department of Justice DOJ



Argued 125 cases and helped shape the government’s legal position on hundreds more before the Supreme Court, while setting a high standard for integrity and protecting the long-term interests of the United States.

Led a global campaign to convince some of the world’s poorest countries to use a vaccine to fight bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, an initiative that is estimated to save the lives of 7 million children by 2020.

Rana Hajjeh and the Hib Initiative Team
2014 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Led a global campaign to convince some of the world’s poorest countries to use a vaccine to fight bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, an initiative that is estimated to save the lives of 7 million children by 2020.

Participated in some of the most harrowing Cold War spy and human intelligence operations, helped bring cooperating foreign agents out from behind the Iron Curtain and rescued Americans trapped in Tehran as portrayed in the Hollywood thriller Argo.

Antonio J. Mendez
2013 Winner

Central Intelligence Agency CIA



Participated in some of the most harrowing Cold War spy and human intelligence operations, helped bring cooperating foreign agents out from behind the Iron Curtain and rescued Americans trapped in Tehran as portrayed in the Hollywood thriller Argo.

Demonstrated that drug addiction is a disease that changes brain function and created new strategies for treating patients with substance abuse issues.

Nora D. Volkow
2013 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Institutes of Health NIH



Demonstrated that drug addiction is a disease that changes brain function and created new strategies for treating patients with substance abuse issues.

Discovered and led efforts to halt the release of more than one million tons of the world’s most potent greenhouse gas from Energy Department facilities.

Josh Silverman
2013 Finalist
Science and Environment

Department of Energy DOE



Discovered and led efforts to halt the release of more than one million tons of the world’s most potent greenhouse gas from Energy Department facilities.

Revolutionized coronary stent technology by developing a new platinum-chromium alloy that makes the device thinner, more flexible and visible by x-ray.

Paul D. Jablonski
2013 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Energy Technology Laboratory
Department of Energy DOE



Revolutionized coronary stent technology by developing a new platinum-chromium alloy that makes the device thinner, more flexible and visible by x-ray.

Led the Curiosity rover mission to Mars that is exploring the Red Planet’s geology and climate, and assessing whether conditions are favorable for microbial life and future human exploration.

David Lavery and the Mars Science Laboratory Team
2013 Winner
Science and Environment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Led the Curiosity rover mission to Mars that is exploring the Red Planet’s geology and climate, and assessing whether conditions are favorable for microbial life and future human exploration.

Collected and publicly shared data that revealed dangerous air pollution levels in Chinese cities, increasing public awareness of the health risks and causing the Chinese government to confront the issue.

Erica Keen Thomas and the China Air Monitoring Team
2013 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State State



Collected and publicly shared data that revealed dangerous air pollution levels in Chinese cities, increasing public awareness of the health risks and causing the Chinese government to confront the issue.

Developed techniques to predict outbreaks of insect-borne illnesses and protect livestock and humans, including military personnel, from debilitating and life-threatening disease.

Kenneth J. Linthicum
2013 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Agricultural Research Service ARS
USDA DOA



Developed techniques to predict outbreaks of insect-borne illnesses and protect livestock and humans, including military personnel, from debilitating and life-threatening disease.

Identified a looming humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa and coordinated a complex U.S. relief effort to help millions of people who faced starvation and death due to the worst drought in six decades.

Cara Christie and the USAID Horn Drought Response Team
2013 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Identified a looming humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa and coordinated a complex U.S. relief effort to help millions of people who faced starvation and death due to the worst drought in six decades.

Directed the global initiative that eradicated polio in India and is leading the effort to eliminate this crippling and potentially fatal disease in the final three countries where it persists.

Hamid Jafari
2013 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Directed the global initiative that eradicated polio in India and is leading the effort to eliminate this crippling and potentially fatal disease in the final three countries where it persists.

Developed a shared IT network for American embassies and federal agencies operating overseas, saving money and reducing duplication.

Claire Votaw
2013 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of State State



Developed a shared IT network for American embassies and federal agencies operating overseas, saving money and reducing duplication.

Revitalized a faltering small business investment program, putting billions of dollars in the hands of entrepreneurs who have created thousands of jobs since 2009.

Harry Haskins and the Team
2013 Finalist
Management Excellence

Small Business Administration SBA



Revitalized a faltering small business investment program, putting billions of dollars in the hands of entrepreneurs who have created thousands of jobs since 2009.

Led bold reforms that dramatically improved the speed and quality of patent examinations and approvals, helping incentivize new technologies and spur economic growth.

Margaret Focarino and the Team
2013 Finalist
Management Excellence

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PTO



Led bold reforms that dramatically improved the speed and quality of patent examinations and approvals, helping incentivize new technologies and spur economic growth.

Championed the safe use of alternative fuels to ensure energy independence for combat and support missions around the globe and reduced U.S. Air Force fuel and energy consumption, saving more than $1 billion in 2012 alone.

Kevin T. Geiss
2013 Winner
Management Excellence

Department of the Air Force AF



Championed the safe use of alternative fuels to ensure energy independence for combat and support missions around the globe and reduced U.S. Air Force fuel and energy consumption, saving more than $1 billion in 2012 alone.

Led a team of FBI agents and Alabama police that saved the life of a five-year-old boy who was kidnapped and held hostage by an armed killer for six terrifying days in an underground bunker.

Stephen E. Richardson and the Team
2013 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



Led a team of FBI agents and Alabama police that saved the life of a five-year-old boy who was kidnapped and held hostage by an armed killer for six terrifying days in an underground bunker.

Led lengthy undercover investigations that have severely disrupted two of New York’s notorious and violent organized crime families.

Seamus McElearney and the C-38 Team
2013 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



Led lengthy undercover investigations that have severely disrupted two of New York’s notorious and violent organized crime families.

Following the loss of millions of farm animals throughout England in 2001, developed a new, safer vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease to protect America’s livestock industry and prevent harm to our national economy.

Michelle Colby and the Vaccine Development Team
2013 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Homeland Security DHS



Following the loss of millions of farm animals throughout England in 2001, developed a new, safer vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease to protect America’s livestock industry and prevent harm to our national economy.

Developed and implemented an innovative law enforcement program that reduced the high violent crime rate on four Indian reservations by 35 percent, providing a model for other Native American communities.

Charles Addington
2013 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Department of the Interior DOI



Developed and implemented an innovative law enforcement program that reduced the high violent crime rate on four Indian reservations by 35 percent, providing a model for other Native American communities.

Rescued more than 167 victims of child pornography and developed new forensic investigatory techniques to track down the predators that abuse them, resulting in 54 arrests since 2010.

John MacKinnon and the Operation Holitna Team
2013 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations ICE



Rescued more than 167 victims of child pornography and developed new forensic investigatory techniques to track down the predators that abuse them, resulting in 54 arrests since 2010.

Quickly identified contaminated medicine as the cause of a major meningitis outbreak in 2012, and led the national public health response.

J. Todd Weber and the CDC Multistate Response Team
2013 Finalist
Citizen Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Quickly identified contaminated medicine as the cause of a major meningitis outbreak in 2012, and led the national public health response.

Overhauled IRS’ information technology and tax processing systems, leading to quicker refunds and notices to taxpayers, reduced fraud and better internal management.

Terence V. Milholland
2013 Finalist
Citizen Services
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Treasury USDT



Overhauled IRS’ information technology and tax processing systems, leading to quicker refunds and notices to taxpayers, reduced fraud and better internal management.

Delivered timely information on federal programs and services and engaged citizens with our government through the use of web portals, social media, crowdsourcing tools and a powerful search engine.

Martha Dorris
2013 Finalist
Citizen Services

General Services Administration GSA



Delivered timely information on federal programs and services and engaged citizens with our government through the use of web portals, social media, crowdsourcing tools and a powerful search engine.

Developed a number of technology innovations that have improved Social Security’s customer service and employee efficiency.

Dave Broomell
2013 Finalist
Citizen Services
Chicago Region
Social Security Administration SSA



Developed a number of technology innovations that have improved Social Security’s customer service and employee efficiency.

Dramatically improved firefighting practices by conducting and sharing sophisticated research that has saved firefighters’ lives and protected property across the nation.

Daniel Madrzykowski
2013 Winner
Citizen Services

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Dramatically improved firefighting practices by conducting and sharing sophisticated research that has saved firefighters’ lives and protected property across the nation.

Advanced the national goal of developing hypersonic aircraft engines, the last frontier of aeronautics, through innovative testing and scientific analysis.

Manan Vyas
2013 Finalist
Call to Service

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Advanced the national goal of developing hypersonic aircraft engines, the last frontier of aeronautics, through innovative testing and scientific analysis.

Gathered, organized and analyzed data on cataract surgery results to improve medical practices and outcomes for patients.

David Vollman
2013 Finalist
Call to Service

Veterans Health Administration VHA



Gathered, organized and analyzed data on cataract surgery results to improve medical practices and outcomes for patients.

Led an initiative to engage young leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to share ideas and learn about American democracy.

Andrew Rabens
2013 Winner
Call to Service
Bureau of Near East Affairs
Department of State State



Led an initiative to engage young leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to share ideas and learn about American democracy.

As a federal legal adviser and litigator for more than four decades, improved education and helped ensure equal access to education for all students.

Philip Rosenfelt
2013 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Education ED



As a federal legal adviser and litigator for more than four decades, improved education and helped ensure equal access to education for all students.

Throughout a four-decade career, led seminal studies in the treatment of drug-resistant cancer cells and played an instrumental role in improving the rigor of medical research.

Michael Gottesman
2013 Finalist
Career Achievement

National Institutes of Health NIH



Throughout a four-decade career, led seminal studies in the treatment of drug-resistant cancer cells and played an instrumental role in improving the rigor of medical research.

Pioneered models to better forecast the path and intensity of hurricanes during the past three decades to help communities and first responders prepare for the severe storms, saving countless lives, homes and businesses.

Mark DeMaria
2013 Finalist
Career Achievement
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



Pioneered models to better forecast the path and intensity of hurricanes during the past three decades to help communities and first responders prepare for the severe storms, saving countless lives, homes and businesses.

Led the design and operation of NASA’s Kepler space mission which discovered Earth-like planets as far as 1,200 light years away, adding an impressive capstone on a 50-year career that began with the Apollo program.

William J. Borucki
2013 Finalist
Career Achievement
Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Led the design and operation of NASA’s Kepler space mission which discovered Earth-like planets as far as 1,200 light years away, adding an impressive capstone on a 50-year career that began with the Apollo program.

Provided Congress with impartial analysis and oversight regarding the nation’s financial regulatory system, issuing warnings about potential risks and suggesting ways to improve the implementation of new laws and economic recovery programs.

Orice Williams Brown
2013 Winner
Career Achievement

Government Accountability Office GAO



Provided Congress with impartial analysis and oversight regarding the nation’s financial regulatory system, issuing warnings about potential risks and suggesting ways to improve the implementation of new laws and economic recovery programs.

Stopped the spread of a deadly hospital-acquired infection through the first-ever use of genome sequencing to identify the source and trace the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, creating a groundbreaking model for the health care industry.

Julie Segre, Tara Palmore and the Team
2013 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

National Institutes of Health NIH

National Institutes of Health

Stopped the spread of a deadly hospital-acquired infection through the first-ever use of genome sequencing to identify the source and trace the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, creating a groundbreaking model for the health care industry.

Saves lives through cutting-edge research and treatments for patients with bone marrow failure diseases, including the rare and once deadly blood disorder known as aplastic anemia.

Neal S. Young
2012 Winner
Science and Environment
National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Healthy and Human Services HHS



Saves lives through cutting-edge research and treatments for patients with bone marrow failure diseases, including the rare and once deadly blood disorder known as aplastic anemia.

Sets the scientific standards to ensure that the pictures produced by medical imaging devices are accurate and can be reliably used to assist in the diagnosis of serious diseases.

Kyle Myers
2012 Finalist
Science and Environment
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Food and Drug Administration FDA



Sets the scientific standards to ensure that the pictures produced by medical imaging devices are accurate and can be reliably used to assist in the diagnosis of serious diseases.

Developed and tested innovative ways to prevent and treat the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in children, particularly among minority and disadvantaged children who are at greatest risk for this disease.

Barbara Linder
2012 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Institutes of Health NIH



Developed and tested innovative ways to prevent and treat the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in children, particularly among minority and disadvantaged children who are at greatest risk for this disease.

Developed the first humanoid robot ever sent into space, a revolutionary machine with a unique human-like hand that can take over simple, repetitive or dangerous tasks now performed by astronauts.

Myron “Ron” Diftler and the Robonaut2 Team
2012 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Developed the first humanoid robot ever sent into space, a revolutionary machine with a unique human-like hand that can take over simple, repetitive or dangerous tasks now performed by astronauts.

Enables combat amputees to lead active lives and potentially return to duty, through an internationally recognized rehabilitation program that uses a novel sports medicine approach.

Charles Scoville
2012 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center



Enables combat amputees to lead active lives and potentially return to duty, through an internationally recognized rehabilitation program that uses a novel sports medicine approach.

Helped organize an international summit that reduced and secured vast amounts of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, and that outlined additional steps to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.

Joyce Connery
2012 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

National Security Council



Helped organize an international summit that reduced and secured vast amounts of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, and that outlined additional steps to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.

Created innovative social media and online platforms for State Department employees around the world to collaborate, share information and connect with important outside audiences.

Richard Boly
2012 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State DOS



Created innovative social media and online platforms for State Department employees around the world to collaborate, share information and connect with important outside audiences.

Leads the effort to prepare the staff at U.S. embassies and consulates to help protect and evacuate Americans caught up in uprisings, wars and natural disasters.

Michelle Bernier-Toth
2012 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Department of State DOS



Leads the effort to prepare the staff at U.S. embassies and consulates to help protect and evacuate Americans caught up in uprisings, wars and natural disasters.

Through savvy acquisition and procurement, ensures our warfighters have the right equipment when they need it, at the best possible value for the American taxpayer.

Elliot B. Branch
2012 Winner
Management Excellence

Department of the Navy DON



Through savvy acquisition and procurement, ensures our warfighters have the right equipment when they need it, at the best possible value for the American taxpayer.

Simultaneously managed the critical tasks of doubling the FDIC’s workforce to respond to the nation’s financial crisis and overseeing a culture change initiative at the agency.

Arleas Upton Kea
2012 Finalist
Management Excellence

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC



Simultaneously managed the critical tasks of doubling the FDIC’s workforce to respond to the nation’s financial crisis and overseeing a culture change initiative at the agency.

Established a new unified approach to training and career development to help Department of Veterans Affairs’ employees nationwide more effectively meet the needs of the men and women who have served our country.

Alice Muellerweiss
2012 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Established a new unified approach to training and career development to help Department of Veterans Affairs’ employees nationwide more effectively meet the needs of the men and women who have served our country.

Designed and leads the government’s most successful teleworking program that has saved millions of dollars, increased productivity and boosted employee job satisfaction and commitment.

Danette Campbell
2012 Finalist
Management Excellence
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PTO
Department of Commerce DOC



Designed and leads the government’s most successful teleworking program that has saved millions of dollars, increased productivity and boosted employee job satisfaction and commitment.

Successfully increased the number of veterans hired by the federal government by matching their skills with government careers.

Joseph Kennedy, Ray Decker and Hakeem Basheerud-Deen
2012 Finalist
Management Excellence

Office of Personnel Management OPM

Office of Personnel Management OPM

Office of Personnel Management OPM

Successfully increased the number of veterans hired by the federal government by matching their skills with government careers.

Led a high-stakes federal undercover investigation spanning three continents that resulted in the arrest and conviction of the “Merchant of Death,” the world's most notorious arms trafficker.

Louis Milione and the DEA Team
2012 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Drug Enforcement Administration DEA
Department of Justice DOJ



Led a high-stakes federal undercover investigation spanning three continents that resulted in the arrest and conviction of the “Merchant of Death,” the world's most notorious arms trafficker.

Created a smartphone application that allows customs and border agents in the field to access law enforcement databases in real time, which has led to enforcement actions against more than 450 drug traffickers, weapons smugglers, illegal aliens and potential terror suspects since March 2010.

Nael Samha and Thomas Roland, Jr.
2012 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP
Department of Homeland Security DHS
U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP
Department of Homeland Security DHS

Created a smartphone application that allows customs and border agents in the field to access law enforcement databases in real time, which has led to enforcement actions against more than 450 drug traffickers, weapons smugglers, illegal aliens and potential terror suspects since March 2010.

Leads the recovery of thousands of priceless American historical documents stolen from the National Archives, including papers from the Civil War and Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

Kelly Maltagliati
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Archives and Records Administration NARA



Leads the recovery of thousands of priceless American historical documents stolen from the National Archives, including papers from the Civil War and Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

Recovered billions of dollars from perpetrators of fraud against the federal government through innovative use of the False Claims Act.

Michael Hertz
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Justice DOJ



Recovered billions of dollars from perpetrators of fraud against the federal government through innovative use of the False Claims Act.

Saves the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars by leading the government effort to identify and bring to justice tax evaders and unscrupulous promoters of fraudulent income tax filing schemes.

Shauna Henline
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Teasury USDT



Saves the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars by leading the government effort to identify and bring to justice tax evaders and unscrupulous promoters of fraudulent income tax filing schemes.

Forges unique partnerships with private-sector organizations to galvanize their participation in the planning, response and relief efforts for communities struck by tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters.

Daniel Stoneking
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Forges unique partnerships with private-sector organizations to galvanize their participation in the planning, response and relief efforts for communities struck by tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters.

Directed more than 300 AmeriCorps members deployed to Joplin, Missouri, where they coordinated the work of 60,000 unaffiliated volunteers following a devastating tornado.

Kelly Menzie-DeGraff and the Team
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Corporation for National and Community Service CNCS



Directed more than 300 AmeriCorps members deployed to Joplin, Missouri, where they coordinated the work of 60,000 unaffiliated volunteers following a devastating tornado.

Steered the development of new anthrax and plague vaccines and generated recommendations for post-exposure treatment of anthrax to protect the public in the event of a bioterrorist attack.

Arthur M. Friedlander
2012 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
Department of the Army DA



Steered the development of new anthrax and plague vaccines and generated recommendations for post-exposure treatment of anthrax to protect the public in the event of a bioterrorist attack.

Led an interdepartmental program that reduced veterans homelessness by 12 percent in one year as part of an ambitious national goal of finding shelter for all veterans by 2015.

Susan Angell, Mark Johnston and the Homeless Veterans Initiative Team
2012 Winner
Citizen Services

Department of Veterans Affairs VA

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD

Led an interdepartmental program that reduced veterans homelessness by 12 percent in one year as part of an ambitious national goal of finding shelter for all veterans by 2015.

Enhanced vaccine programs to protect greater numbers of children against life-threatening diseases by adding new vaccines, modernizing distribution, and reducing racial, ethnic and economic disparities.

Lance Rodewald
2012 Finalist
Citizen Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Enhanced vaccine programs to protect greater numbers of children against life-threatening diseases by adding new vaccines, modernizing distribution, and reducing racial, ethnic and economic disparities.

Established partnerships with more than 4,000 organizations that have annually enlisted nearly 90,000 volunteers to prepare millions of federal tax returns for disadvantaged filers.

Michael A. McBride
2012 Finalist
Citizen Services
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Treasury USDT



Established partnerships with more than 4,000 organizations that have annually enlisted nearly 90,000 volunteers to prepare millions of federal tax returns for disadvantaged filers.

Led a nationwide initiative that resulted in the creation of more than 1,600 community-based “People’s Gardens” and the donation of 1.3 million pounds of produce to the needy.

Livia Marques
2012 Finalist
Citizen Services

Department of Agriculture USDA



Led a nationwide initiative that resulted in the creation of more than 1,600 community-based “People’s Gardens” and the donation of 1.3 million pounds of produce to the needy.

Created and implemented a health-care professional team training program that has become the gold standard for eliminating thousands of preventable patient deaths each year due to medical errors.

Heidi King and James Battles
2012 Finalist
Citizen Services

Department of Defense DOD

Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Created and implemented a health-care professional team training program that has become the gold standard for eliminating thousands of preventable patient deaths each year due to medical errors.

Came up with an original scientific theory that could lead to medical imaging in microscopic detail for better health care, while also developing innovative technology to allow greater quantities of data to speed across the Internet with less energy and at lower cost.

Jacob M. Taylor
2012 Winner
Call to Service

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Came up with an original scientific theory that could lead to medical imaging in microscopic detail for better health care, while also developing innovative technology to allow greater quantities of data to speed across the Internet with less energy and at lower cost.

Leads the government-wide campaign against bullying, working to educate school districts and governments at all levels on what they can do to protect young people from this painful and sometimes fatal problem.

Deborah Temkin
2012 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of Education ED



Leads the government-wide campaign against bullying, working to educate school districts and governments at all levels on what they can do to protect young people from this painful and sometimes fatal problem.

Ensured U.S. diplomats in the Middle East could securely dispatch and receive classified documents and equipment during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Shane Morris
2012 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of State DOS



Ensured U.S. diplomats in the Middle East could securely dispatch and receive classified documents and equipment during the Arab Spring uprisings.

For nearly three decades, has used his engineering expertise to extract information from airplane cockpit recorders and other devices to determine the causes of major transportation accidents. 

James Cash
2012 Winner
Career Achievement

National Transportation Safety Board NTSB



For nearly three decades, has used his engineering expertise to extract information from airplane cockpit recorders and other devices to determine the causes of major transportation accidents. 

Significantly improved the way disaster victims receive health care by creating electronic systems to track those receiving treatment, quickly assign emergency medical teams and assess emerging threats and resource needs.

H. Allen Dobbs
2012 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Significantly improved the way disaster victims receive health care by creating electronic systems to track those receiving treatment, quickly assign emergency medical teams and assess emerging threats and resource needs.

Spent a career breaking barriers and advancing the health-care needs of women in a male-dominated veterans health-care system.

Patricia Hayes
2012 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Spent a career breaking barriers and advancing the health-care needs of women in a male-dominated veterans health-care system.

Played a pivotal role in preventing the AIDS epidemic among children by studying ways to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Lynne Meryl Mofenson
2012 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institutes of Health NIH



Played a pivotal role in preventing the AIDS epidemic among children by studying ways to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Developed innovative imaging techniques to unearth new historical information from some of the nation’s most treasured documents, including the Declaration of Independence.

Fenella France
2011 Finalist
Science and Environment

Library of Congress



Developed innovative imaging techniques to unearth new historical information from some of the nation’s most treasured documents, including the Declaration of Independence.

Created a unique government and private-sector partnership to identify, support and help take to market innovative technologies that offer solutions to global sustainability problems.

Diane Powell and the LAUNCH Team
2011 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Created a unique government and private-sector partnership to identify, support and help take to market innovative technologies that offer solutions to global sustainability problems.

Brings together medical specialists to diagnose mysterious diseases for desperate and long suffering patients.

William A. Gahl
2011 Winner
Science and Environment

National Institutes of Health NIH



Brings together medical specialists to diagnose mysterious diseases for desperate and long suffering patients.

Provided management and financial oversight that has helped the Pentagon save $20 billion, while ensuring our troops have the equipment and training they need.

Janet St. Laurent
2011 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Government Accountability Office GAO



Provided management and financial oversight that has helped the Pentagon save $20 billion, while ensuring our troops have the equipment and training they need.

Designed a modern export control system that will more effectively protect our national security while helping American businesses compete in the global marketplace.

Brian H. Nilsson and the Export Control Reform Team
2011 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
National Security Staff
Executive Office of the President EOP



Designed a modern export control system that will more effectively protect our national security while helping American businesses compete in the global marketplace.

Protects civilian Pentagon whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing within intelligence and defense-related activities, ensuring sources are not harassed, punished or fired.

Dan Meyer and the Civilian Reprisal Investigations Team
2011 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Office of the Inspector General
Department of Defense DOD



Protects civilian Pentagon whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing within intelligence and defense-related activities, ensuring sources are not harassed, punished or fired.

Played a key role in the negotiation and ratification of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, drafting portions of the accord, providing legal advice, and offering solutions during the U.S. Senate ratification debate.

Paul B. Dean
2011 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State State



Played a key role in the negotiation and ratification of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, drafting portions of the accord, providing legal advice, and offering solutions during the U.S. Senate ratification debate.

Provided medical, nutritional, psychological, survival and engineering expertise learned from space exploration to help 33 Chilean miners who were trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days.

James Michael Duncan and the NASA Team
2011 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Provided medical, nutritional, psychological, survival and engineering expertise learned from space exploration to help 33 Chilean miners who were trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days.

Saved U.S. taxpayers more than $750 million over three years by bringing together the buying power of 22 agencies and offices within the Department of Homeland Security.

Michael B. Smith
2011 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Homeland Security DHS



Saved U.S. taxpayers more than $750 million over three years by bringing together the buying power of 22 agencies and offices within the Department of Homeland Security.

Created data systems that shortened the time it takes to award homeless grants, reduced administrative costs by 90 percent and provided information to better evaluate homeless programs.

Ann Marie Oliva
2011 Finalist
Management Excellence

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Created data systems that shortened the time it takes to award homeless grants, reduced administrative costs by 90 percent and provided information to better evaluate homeless programs.

In only 18 months and $565 million under budget, obligated $5.5 billion in economic stimulus funding to construct new federal buildings and make existing ones more energy efficient and sustainment.

Bill Guerin
2011 Finalist
Management Excellence

General Services Administration GSA



In only 18 months and $565 million under budget, obligated $5.5 billion in economic stimulus funding to construct new federal buildings and make existing ones more energy efficient and sustainment.

Led significant reforms that integrate and streamline agency operations, reducing costs and delivering better service to America's veterans.

W. Todd Grams
2011 Winner
Management Excellence

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Led significant reforms that integrate and streamline agency operations, reducing costs and delivering better service to America's veterans.

Developed public-private partnerships that counsel local law enforcement leaders on a host of issues—from promoting citizen safety to managing budget cuts.

Katherine McQuay and Zoe Mentel
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Department of Justice DOJ
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Department of Justice

Developed public-private partnerships that counsel local law enforcement leaders on a host of issues—from promoting citizen safety to managing budget cuts.

Leads an expert team that traces recovered firearms to help law enforcement authorities solve violent crimes.

Charles J. Houser and the Team
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Department of Justice DOJ



Leads an expert team that traces recovered firearms to help law enforcement authorities solve violent crimes.

Led the investigation of a complex Ponzi scheme that resulted in a 50-year prison sentence for a South Florida lawyer who swindled investors out of $1.2 billion.

Taryn Guariglia
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation
Department of the Treasury DOT



Led the investigation of a complex Ponzi scheme that resulted in a 50-year prison sentence for a South Florida lawyer who swindled investors out of $1.2 billion.

Transformed national plans to ensure our government will continue to function in the event of a major disaster, shifting from a Cold War-era mindset to a modern, all-hazards approach.

Richard Reed
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Executive Office of the President EOP



Transformed national plans to ensure our government will continue to function in the event of a major disaster, shifting from a Cold War-era mindset to a modern, all-hazards approach.

Helped crisis managers respond to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill by providing critical information on the flow of oil, weather conditions, location of response vessels and the impact on fisheries and wildlife.

Amy Merten and the ERMA Team
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



Helped crisis managers respond to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill by providing critical information on the flow of oil, weather conditions, location of response vessels and the impact on fisheries and wildlife.

Runs a nationwide program that trains truck and bus drivers and other transportation professionals to observe, assess and report suspicious activities that may pose a serious danger to the public.

William Arrington
2011 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Transportation Security Administration TSA
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Runs a nationwide program that trains truck and bus drivers and other transportation professionals to observe, assess and report suspicious activities that may pose a serious danger to the public.

Created and launched an innovative, missing and unidentified persons database that allows law enforcement, families and others to share information and potentially solve cases nationwide.

Charles Heurich and the NamUs Team
2011 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
Department of Justice DOJ



Created and launched an innovative, missing and unidentified persons database that allows law enforcement, families and others to share information and potentially solve cases nationwide.

Developed a blueprint for the U.S. to deal with the health consequences of a radiological or nuclear incident, and helped the Japanese respond to radiation from earthquake and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plants.

C. Norman Coleman
2011 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health NIH



Developed a blueprint for the U.S. to deal with the health consequences of a radiological or nuclear incident, and helped the Japanese respond to radiation from earthquake and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plants.

Developed a comprehensive strategy to ensure every American has access to high speed Internet service, laying a foundation for economic growth and global competitiveness.

Julius Knapp, Ruth Milkman, Sharon Gillett and the Omnibus Broadband Initiative Team
2011 Finalist
Citizen Services

Federal Communications Commission FCC

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

Developed a comprehensive strategy to ensure every American has access to high speed Internet service, laying a foundation for economic growth and global competitiveness.

Created a fast-track system for terminally and seriously ill Americans to receive approval for Social Security disability benefits in days or weeks instead of months or years.

Diane K. Braunstein
2011 Winner
Citizen Services

Social Security Administration SSA



Created a fast-track system for terminally and seriously ill Americans to receive approval for Social Security disability benefits in days or weeks instead of months or years.

Awarded and tracked $2.9 billion in Interior Department economic stimulus funds, providing thousands of jobs while preserving our country’s treasured public lands.

Mary Pletcher
2011 Finalist
Call to Service
Office of Policy, Management and Budget
Department of the Interior DOI



Awarded and tracked $2.9 billion in Interior Department economic stimulus funds, providing thousands of jobs while preserving our country’s treasured public lands.

To ensure that a historic independence vote was fair and peaceful, helped develop and conduct a critical population and housing census, and mediated local tribal conflicts in remote and dangerous parts of Southern Sudan.

Oliver P. Fischer
2011 Finalist
Call to Service
U.S. Census Bureau
Department of Commerce DOC



To ensure that a historic independence vote was fair and peaceful, helped develop and conduct a critical population and housing census, and mediated local tribal conflicts in remote and dangerous parts of Southern Sudan.

Led the creation and evaluation of state plans to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, and one of the planet’s first identified “marine dead zones.”

Katherine Antos
2011 Finalist
Call to Service
Chesapeake Bay Program Office
Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Led the creation and evaluation of state plans to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, and one of the planet’s first identified “marine dead zones.”

Worked with Mexican officials to study cross-border currency flows and help disrupt the laundering of billions of dollars derived from illicit U.S. drug sales.

Ann S. Martin
2011 Winner
Call to Service
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Department of the Treasury DOT



Worked with Mexican officials to study cross-border currency flows and help disrupt the laundering of billions of dollars derived from illicit U.S. drug sales.

A pioneer in the field of traumatic stress disorders, who studied, treated and advocated for people psychologically affected by war or other tragedies.

Matthew J. Friedman
2011 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



A pioneer in the field of traumatic stress disorders, who studied, treated and advocated for people psychologically affected by war or other tragedies.

Spent three decades improving public health and treating veterans, pioneering ways to fight AIDS, hepatitis C and emerging health threats, and now leading the effort to reduce tobacco-related disease and death.

Lawrence Deyton
2011 Finalist
Career Achievement
Food and Drug Administration FDA
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Spent three decades improving public health and treating veterans, pioneering ways to fight AIDS, hepatitis C and emerging health threats, and now leading the effort to reduce tobacco-related disease and death.

Provides assistance and comfort to traumatized survivors and family members of those killed in aircraft accidents and other transportation disasters.

Sharon W. Bryson
2011 Finalist
Career Achievement

National Transportation Safety Board NTSB



Provides assistance and comfort to traumatized survivors and family members of those killed in aircraft accidents and other transportation disasters.

Helped transform mental health care in the U.S., moving people out of institutions and into community-based care, and giving mental health consumers and their families a voice in treatment options.

Neal B. Brown
2011 Finalist
Career Achievement
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Helped transform mental health care in the U.S., moving people out of institutions and into community-based care, and giving mental health consumers and their families a voice in treatment options.

Devoted his career to building a national network of small, community-based centers where veterans traumatized by combat obtain counseling, job assistance, medical referrals and other services.

Alfonso Batres
2011 Winner
Career Achievement

Veterans Health Administration VA



Devoted his career to building a national network of small, community-based centers where veterans traumatized by combat obtain counseling, job assistance, medical referrals and other services.

Provided critical scientific information to convince federal officials that the containment cap on a ruptured deepwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was working, thereby helping end the environmental disaster.

Paul A. Hsieh
2011 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

U.S. Geological Survey USGS



Provided critical scientific information to convince federal officials that the containment cap on a ruptured deepwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was working, thereby helping end the environmental disaster.

Leading government and industry to deliver a quieter, cleaner and more energy-efficient aviation system.

Carl Burleson
2010 Finalist
Science and Environment
Federal Aviation Administration FAA
Department of Transportation DOT



Leading government and industry to deliver a quieter, cleaner and more energy-efficient aviation system.

Used quantum physics and telecommunications technologies to develop a new way to send and receive 100 percent secure encrypted messages at record speeds.

Joshua Bienfang
2010 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Used quantum physics and telecommunications technologies to develop a new way to send and receive 100 percent secure encrypted messages at record speeds.

Led the design and construction of the world’s largest net-zero energy office building, demonstrating that buildings can be created to decrease energy consumption at no additional cost.

Jeffrey M. Baker
2010 Winner
Science and Environment
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy DOE



Led the design and construction of the world’s largest net-zero energy office building, demonstrating that buildings can be created to decrease energy consumption at no additional cost.

Led breakthroughs that could revolutionize the care and prevention of cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss worldwide.

Rafat R. Ansari
2010 Finalist
Science and Environment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Led breakthroughs that could revolutionize the care and prevention of cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss worldwide.

Leading a unique, interagency effort to identify and disrupt the flow of funding from the Afghan opium trade and other illicit sources to the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other terrorist and insurgent groups in Afghanistan.

Kirk E. Meyer and Frank P. Calestino
2010 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration DEA
Department of Justice DOJ

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Leading a unique, interagency effort to identify and disrupt the flow of funding from the Afghan opium trade and other illicit sources to the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other terrorist and insurgent groups in Afghanistan.

Devoted his 20-year career to fighting the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, advising policymakers on the creation of lifesaving programs and working in developing nations to ensure those services reach millions.

Robert James Simonds
2010 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Devoted his 20-year career to fighting the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, advising policymakers on the creation of lifesaving programs and working in developing nations to ensure those services reach millions.

Orchestrated the sale of Treasury bills that raised $1.7 trillion in the midst of a severe global economic crisis, helping stabilize the U.S. financial system and fund the country’s massive budget deficit and national debt.

Karthik Ramanathan
2010 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Department of the Treasury USDT



Orchestrated the sale of Treasury bills that raised $1.7 trillion in the midst of a severe global economic crisis, helping stabilize the U.S. financial system and fund the country’s massive budget deficit and national debt.

Has led negotiations for dozens of international agreements on critical issues, including extradition, counterterrorism and the environment, and is influencing human rights policies worldwide.

Robert K. Harris
2010 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Department of State DOS



Has led negotiations for dozens of international agreements on critical issues, including extradition, counterterrorism and the environment, and is influencing human rights policies worldwide.

Developed a state-of-the-art medical evacuation kit to provide life-saving treatment and emergency transportation to soldiers severely wounded by roadside bombs.

Teri Glass and the Army Medical Support Systems Team
2010 Winner
National Security and International Affairs
U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity
Department of the Army DA



Developed a state-of-the-art medical evacuation kit to provide life-saving treatment and emergency transportation to soldiers severely wounded by roadside bombs.

Led the largest strike against the La Familia Mexican drug cartel, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests, plus the seizure of one and a half tons of methamphetamine and $32 million in cash.

Carl W. Pike and the Project Coronado Team
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Drug Enforcement Administration DEA
Department of Justice DOJ



Led the largest strike against the La Familia Mexican drug cartel, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests, plus the seizure of one and a half tons of methamphetamine and $32 million in cash.

Led a wide ranging investigation that prompted congressional and federal action to protect vulnerable children in residential programs and schools from neglect and physical abuse by their teachers and caregivers.

Greg Kutz
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Government Accountability Office GAO



Led a wide ranging investigation that prompted congressional and federal action to protect vulnerable children in residential programs and schools from neglect and physical abuse by their teachers and caregivers.

Cracked the secretive Swiss banking system, prosecuted perpetrators of fraud, and prompted thousands of wealthy Americans to report billions of dollars of hidden assets to the IRS.

Jeffrey A. Neiman, Michael P. Ben’ary and Kevin M. Downing
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Department of Justice DOJ

U.S. Department of Justice DOJ

U.S. Department of Justice

Cracked the secretive Swiss banking system, prosecuted perpetrators of fraud, and prompted thousands of wealthy Americans to report billions of dollars of hidden assets to the IRS.

Led the investigation against Pfizer for illegally marketing prescription drugs and paying kickbacks to doctors, resulting in $2.3 billion in fines and penalties, the largest health care fraud settlement in history.

Sara M. Bloom and the Pfizer Case Team
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
District of Massachusetts
U.S. Attorney’s Office EOUSA



Led the investigation against Pfizer for illegally marketing prescription drugs and paying kickbacks to doctors, resulting in $2.3 billion in fines and penalties, the largest health care fraud settlement in history.

Providing vital resources in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children, which has resulted in the conviction of more than 500 pimps and predators, and the rescue of more than 1,000 child victims.

Jamie L. Konstas
2010 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



Providing vital resources in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children, which has resulted in the conviction of more than 500 pimps and predators, and the rescue of more than 1,000 child victims.

Created an innovative system that monitors fish behavior to detect toxicants in drinking water supplies and protect the health of millions of Americans.

William van der Schalie and the Biomonitor Team
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research
Department of the Army DA



Created an innovative system that monitors fish behavior to detect toxicants in drinking water supplies and protect the health of millions of Americans.

Confronting an armed gunman and mass chaos, the two civilian Defense Department police officers brought an end to the tragic rampage at Fort Hood that killed 13 people and wounded 43 others.

Kimberly D. Munley and Mark A. Todd, Sr.
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood, Directorate of Emergency Services
Department of the Army DA
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood, Directorate of Emergency Services
Department of the Army DA

Confronting an armed gunman and mass chaos, the two civilian Defense Department police officers brought an end to the tragic rampage at Fort Hood that killed 13 people and wounded 43 others.

Created a method to detect whether communications systems are still operable immediately following a disaster, enabling emergency responders to rapidly deploy back-up communications.

Joseph P. Casey and Paul D. Coburn
2010 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Federal Communications Commission FCC
Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Federal Communications Commission FCC

Created a method to detect whether communications systems are still operable immediately following a disaster, enabling emergency responders to rapidly deploy back-up communications.

Enabled military, law enforcement agencies and partner nations to collect and share vital threat information to more quickly locate, target and interdict adversaries at sea, on land and in the air.

Sandra K. Brooks
2010 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Naval Operations Information Dominance
Joint Interagency Task Force South and U.S. Department of the Navy DON



Enabled military, law enforcement agencies and partner nations to collect and share vital threat information to more quickly locate, target and interdict adversaries at sea, on land and in the air.

Improved the delivery of Social Security benefits to citizens living in impoverished and remote locations through an innovative two-way video service.

Shane Kelley and Eva Ristow
2010 Winner
Citizen Services
Denver Region
Social Security Administration SSA
Denver Region
Social Security Administration

Improved the delivery of Social Security benefits to citizens living in impoverished and remote locations through an innovative two-way video service.

Implemented a $700 billion rescue plan to secure the nation’s banking system and help the American people by halting the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

Jennifer Main, Timothy G. Massad, David N. Miller and the Troubled Asset Relief Program Team
2010 Finalist
Citizen Services
Office of Financial Stability
U.S. Department of the Treasury USDT
Office of Financial Stability
U.S. Department of the Treasury USDT
Office of Financial Stability
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Implemented a $700 billion rescue plan to secure the nation’s banking system and help the American people by halting the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

Served as Investigator in Charge of the “Miracle on the Hudson” and other high-profile airplane crash investigations, advancing aviation safety for millions of travelers worldwide.

Robert Benzon
2010 Finalist
Citizen Services
Office of Aviation Safety
National Transportation Safety Board NTSB



Served as Investigator in Charge of the “Miracle on the Hudson” and other high-profile airplane crash investigations, advancing aviation safety for millions of travelers worldwide.

Through aggressive enforcement actions, incentives and multi-faceted education campaigns, is stopping the distribution of hundreds of unapproved prescription drugs.

Deborah Autor
2010 Finalist
Citizen Services
Food and Drug Administration FDA
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Through aggressive enforcement actions, incentives and multi-faceted education campaigns, is stopping the distribution of hundreds of unapproved prescription drugs.

Fostering a new breed of environmentally-friendly construction and packaging materials that promote reuse, cut down on waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Saskia van Gendt
2010 Winner
Call to Service
Region IX
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Fostering a new breed of environmentally-friendly construction and packaging materials that promote reuse, cut down on waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Instrumental in shaping the Defense Department’s response to the Russia-Georgia War in 2008, while facilitating efforts to prevent further instability and promote U.S. interests in the region.

Mark Simakovsky
2010 Finalist
Call to Service
Office of the Secretary of Defense OSD
U.S. Department of Defense DOD



Instrumental in shaping the Defense Department’s response to the Russia-Georgia War in 2008, while facilitating efforts to prevent further instability and promote U.S. interests in the region.

Invented the world’s most precise timekeeping device, an entirely new type of atomic clock based on quantum computing research.

Till Rosenband
2010 Finalist
Call to Service
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Invented the world’s most precise timekeeping device, an entirely new type of atomic clock based on quantum computing research.

Ensured that a planned massive fish kill, intended to stop the invasive Asian carp from migrating into and damaging the Great Lakes’ ecosystem, would not have harmful effects on the environment.

P. Ryan Jackson
2010 Finalist
Call to Service
U.S. Geological Survey, Illinois Water Science Center USGS
Department of the Interior DOI



Ensured that a planned massive fish kill, intended to stop the invasive Asian carp from migrating into and damaging the Great Lakes’ ecosystem, would not have harmful effects on the environment.

Led internationally acclaimed atmospheric research that set us on a path to restoring the ozone layer and demonstrated the long-term harm to the environment caused by global warming.

Susan Soloman
2010 Winner
Career Achievement
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earth System Research Laboratory NOAA
Department of Commerce DOC



Led internationally acclaimed atmospheric research that set us on a path to restoring the ozone layer and demonstrated the long-term harm to the environment caused by global warming.

Developed and deployed 95 satellites, pioneering significant advances from lunar exploration to GPS to global weather forecasting.

Peter Wilhelm
2010 Finalist
Career Achievement
Naval Research Laboratory ONR
Department of the Navy DON



Developed and deployed 95 satellites, pioneering significant advances from lunar exploration to GPS to global weather forecasting.

Helping improve America’s global competitiveness by encouraging more than 300,000 students to consider careers in math and science.

Sue Ellen Walbridge
2010 Finalist
Career Achievement

U.S. Department of Energy DOE



Helping improve America’s global competitiveness by encouraging more than 300,000 students to consider careers in math and science.

Responsible for creating state-of-the-art systems to better predict and provide earlier forecasts and warnings of tornadoes, saving thousands of American lives every year.

Joseph T. Schaefer
2010 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service National O
Department of Commerce DOC



Responsible for creating state-of-the-art systems to better predict and provide earlier forecasts and warnings of tornadoes, saving thousands of American lives every year.

Led major organizational and personnel reforms in critical areas of the federal government that contributed to greater interagency cooperation, and better service and accountability to the American people.

Ronald Sanders
2010 Finalist
Career Achievement

Office of the Director of National Intelligence ODNI



Led major organizational and personnel reforms in critical areas of the federal government that contributed to greater interagency cooperation, and better service and accountability to the American people.

Expedited the immigration process to quickly unite more than 1,100 Haitian orphans with their adoptive families in the United States following the devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Pius Bannis
2010 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Expedited the immigration process to quickly unite more than 1,100 Haitian orphans with their adoptive families in the United States following the devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Opened the door to personalized medicine by developing new and affordable ways to sequence DNA as part of the Human Genome Project.

Jeffrey A. Schloss
2009 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health NIH



Opened the door to personalized medicine by developing new and affordable ways to sequence DNA as part of the Human Genome Project.

Led the development of the first avian influenza H5N1 vaccine—cited as the #3 medical breakthrough of 2007 by TIME magazine.

Robin Robinson
2009 Finalist
Science and Environment

Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Led the development of the first avian influenza H5N1 vaccine—cited as the #3 medical breakthrough of 2007 by TIME magazine.

Pioneered satellite-based monitoring of vegetation to track human-induced climate change, provide early warning of famine, and prevent deforestation and the spread of tropical disease.

Compton J. Tucker
2009 Finalist
Science and Environment
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Pioneered satellite-based monitoring of vegetation to track human-induced climate change, provide early warning of famine, and prevent deforestation and the spread of tropical disease.

Determined a link between climate change and probable elimination of the polar bear in the next 45 to 75 years, and established a scientific process that will investigate other physical and societal changes.

Leslie Holland-Bartels and the International Polar Bear Science Team
2009 Finalist
Science and Environment
U.S. Geological Survey USGS
Department of the Interior DOI



Determined a link between climate change and probable elimination of the polar bear in the next 45 to 75 years, and established a scientific process that will investigate other physical and societal changes.

Created the Campylobacter vaccine to prevent the world’s top cause of food-borne intestinal illness.

Patricia Guerry
2009 Winner
Science and Environment
U.S. Naval Medical Research Center
Department of the Navy DON



Created the Campylobacter vaccine to prevent the world’s top cause of food-borne intestinal illness.

Built a network of volunteers to revitalize communities in Appalachian coal country and the Western Hardrock mining region to repair decades of environmental degradation.

T. Allan Comp
2009 Winner
Science and Environment
Office of Surface Mining
Department of the Interior DOI



Built a network of volunteers to revitalize communities in Appalachian coal country and the Western Hardrock mining region to repair decades of environmental degradation.

Improved maritime safety by leading the creation of a comprehensive system to track merchant naval vessels, including the cargo and people aboard those ships.

Chris Dwyer
2009 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Department of the Navy DON



Improved maritime safety by leading the creation of a comprehensive system to track merchant naval vessels, including the cargo and people aboard those ships.

Provided supercomputer support that DOD scientists and engineers have used to develop improved body and vehicle armor, among many other technologies that enhanced military performance and saved billions of dollars.

Cray Henry and the HPCMP Team
2009 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Defense DOD



Provided supercomputer support that DOD scientists and engineers have used to develop improved body and vehicle armor, among many other technologies that enhanced military performance and saved billions of dollars.

Led USAID’s first-ever “crowdsourcing” initiative to pool ideas from the public to develop solutions to international challenges such as famine and public education.

Karen Turner and the Global Development Commons Team
2009 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led USAID’s first-ever “crowdsourcing” initiative to pool ideas from the public to develop solutions to international challenges such as famine and public education.

Led USAID’s Economic Growth Office in Pakistan, helping to build the program from a two-person office to a $200 million initiative. 

Amy Meyer
2009 Winner
National Security and International Affairs





Led USAID’s Economic Growth Office in Pakistan, helping to build the program from a two-person office to a $200 million initiative. 

Spearheaded the IRS Office of Chief Counsel’s efforts to stamp out the use of offshore accounts to commit tax fraud.

John C. McDougal
2009 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Treasury DOT



Spearheaded the IRS Office of Chief Counsel’s efforts to stamp out the use of offshore accounts to commit tax fraud.

Successfully prosecuted several international terrorism cases and created models for future cases involving international collaboration and sensitive intelligence information.

Jeffrey Knox
2009 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Eastern District of New York
U.S. Attorney's Office EOUSA



Successfully prosecuted several international terrorism cases and created models for future cases involving international collaboration and sensitive intelligence information.

Conducted Operation FALCON 2008, the largest law enforcement operation in American history, resulting in the arrests of 19,380 felons wanted for various, mostly violent, crimes.

William Fallon and the Operation Falcon 2008 Team
2009 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Marshals Service
Department of Justice DOJ



Conducted Operation FALCON 2008, the largest law enforcement operation in American history, resulting in the arrests of 19,380 felons wanted for various, mostly violent, crimes.

Increased passenger safety and reduced vulnerabilities by generating a series of reports and congressional testimony on transportation security issues that have resulted in legislative action to strengthen security.

Cathleen A. Berrick
2009 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Government Accountability Office GAO



Increased passenger safety and reduced vulnerabilities by generating a series of reports and congressional testimony on transportation security issues that have resulted in legislative action to strengthen security.

Improved the safety of U.S. water supplies by designing a sophisticated software suite that identifies risks and solutions to possible terrorist attacks.

Regan Murray and the TEVA Research Team
2009 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Improved the safety of U.S. water supplies by designing a sophisticated software suite that identifies risks and solutions to possible terrorist attacks.

Coordinated the largest Clean Air Act enforcement actions ever, which will result in the reduction of harmful air pollutants by nearly 2 million tons each year.

Walter Benjamin Fisherow
2009 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Department of Justice DOJ



Coordinated the largest Clean Air Act enforcement actions ever, which will result in the reduction of harmful air pollutants by nearly 2 million tons each year.

Promoted information sharing across the intelligence community through the development and implementation of “Intellipedia,” a Wikipedia-like clearinghouse of intelligence expertise.

Don Burke and Sean P. Dennehy
2009 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Central Intelligence Agency CIA

Central Intelligence Agency CIA

Promoted information sharing across the intelligence community through the development and implementation of “Intellipedia,” a Wikipedia-like clearinghouse of intelligence expertise.

Led the civil service’s efforts to ensure a smooth and peaceful presidential transition from the Bush to the Obama administration.

Gail Lovelace
2009 Finalist
Citizen Services

General Services Administration GSA



Led the civil service’s efforts to ensure a smooth and peaceful presidential transition from the Bush to the Obama administration.

Led the improvement of the Social Security Administration’s benefits and information websites, which rank higher in customer satisfaction ratings than Amazon, Google and Yahoo.

Tim Evans
2009 Finalist
Citizen Services

Social Security Administration SSA



Led the improvement of the Social Security Administration’s benefits and information websites, which rank higher in customer satisfaction ratings than Amazon, Google and Yahoo.

Created partnerships to reduce homelessness with more than 850 state and local leaders, which have contributed to a 30 percent reduction in long-term homelessness.

Michael German
2009 Winner
Citizen Services

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Created partnerships to reduce homelessness with more than 850 state and local leaders, which have contributed to a 30 percent reduction in long-term homelessness.

Created a unique industry-government alliance that is accelerating adoption of greener technologies.

Kristen Taddonio
2009 Finalist
Call to Service

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Created a unique industry-government alliance that is accelerating adoption of greener technologies.

Reduced costs for our government by $200 million through his successful leadership of the disposition of the retired F-117 fleet.

Jared Summers
2009 Finalist
Call to Service
Department of the Air Force AF
Department of Defense DOD



Reduced costs for our government by $200 million through his successful leadership of the disposition of the retired F-117 fleet.

Pioneered a new area of research that is helping scientists understand crucial, but currently intractable, mysteries of physics like the explanation of high-temperature superconductivity.

Ian B. Spielman
2009 Finalist
Call to Service
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Pioneered a new area of research that is helping scientists understand crucial, but currently intractable, mysteries of physics like the explanation of high-temperature superconductivity.

Helped urban areas improve the way they process food waste, promoting new efficiencies and ways to use refuse as a source of renewable energy.

Cara Peck
2009 Finalist
Call to Service

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Helped urban areas improve the way they process food waste, promoting new efficiencies and ways to use refuse as a source of renewable energy.

Helped thousands stay in their homes by working to implement IndyMac’s mortgage modification program after the bank failed, and advised the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce foreclosures.

Clare D. Rowley
2009 Winner
Call to Service

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC



Helped thousands stay in their homes by working to implement IndyMac’s mortgage modification program after the bank failed, and advised the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce foreclosures.

Served nearly two decades as lead scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope, which is widely recognized as the most successful scientific mission in NASA history.

David Leckrone
2009 Finalist
Career Achievement
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Served nearly two decades as lead scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope, which is widely recognized as the most successful scientific mission in NASA history.

Invented and developed various sensor systems that are diagnosing infectious diseases in developing countries, monitoring the air for biothreat agents and supporting clean-up efforts at Superfund sites.

Fran Ligler
2009 Finalist
Career Achievement
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering
Department of the Navy DON



Invented and developed various sensor systems that are diagnosing infectious diseases in developing countries, monitoring the air for biothreat agents and supporting clean-up efforts at Superfund sites.

Explored ways to help nurses and medical practitioners avoid back injuries, which resulted in a $200 million program across the VA to use mechanical lifts and transfer devices when moving patients.

Audrey Nelson
2009 Finalist
Career Achievement
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Explored ways to help nurses and medical practitioners avoid back injuries, which resulted in a $200 million program across the VA to use mechanical lifts and transfer devices when moving patients.

Over the course of a 52-year career, made cutting-edge discoveries that have led to effective treatments for previously fatal forms of T-cell leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple sclerosis.

Thomas Alexander Waldmann
2009 Winner
Career Achievement
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health NIH



Over the course of a 52-year career, made cutting-edge discoveries that have led to effective treatments for previously fatal forms of T-cell leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple sclerosis.

Established a national suicide prevention hotline for veterans, which has resulted in more than 5,000 immediate rescues.

Janet Kemp
2009 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
Veterans Health Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Established a national suicide prevention hotline for veterans, which has resulted in more than 5,000 immediate rescues.

Built a coalition of government officials, local landowners and conservation groups to develop and execute a plan to restore Montana’s Blackfoot River watershed, the setting of the 1992 film A River Runs Through It.

Greg Neudecker
2008 Finalist
Science and Environment
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS



Built a coalition of government officials, local landowners and conservation groups to develop and execute a plan to restore Montana’s Blackfoot River watershed, the setting of the 1992 film A River Runs Through It.

Invented Science on a Sphere®, a teaching tool that displays environmental data on a globe-like screen and makes Earth-system science more exciting and accessible.

Alexander E. MacDonald
2008 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
Department of Commerce DOC



Invented Science on a Sphere®, a teaching tool that displays environmental data on a globe-like screen and makes Earth-system science more exciting and accessible.

Leading many of our federal government’s most significant efforts to expand the development and use of renewable energy.

Steven G. Chalk
2008 Winner
Science and Environment

U.S. Department of Energy DOE



Leading many of our federal government’s most significant efforts to expand the development and use of renewable energy.

Planned and led the U.S. and international community to resettle more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees from the refugee camps they have been living in for nearly two decades.

Crystal Kaplan
2008 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State DOS



Planned and led the U.S. and international community to resettle more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees from the refugee camps they have been living in for nearly two decades.

Led the development of new satellite technology being used internationally to improve disaster relief and environmental stewardship.

Daniel Irwin and the SERVIR Team
2008 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Marshall Space Flight Center MSFC
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Led the development of new satellite technology being used internationally to improve disaster relief and environmental stewardship.

Developed systems that allow medical units to digitally capture and access service members’ medical records on the battlefield.

Orlando Illi and the MC4 Team
2008 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of the Army



Developed systems that allow medical units to digitally capture and access service members’ medical records on the battlefield.

Leads the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, a major public/private effort to enhance the economic, social and political status of Afghan women.

Mary Katherine Friedrich
2008 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Department of State DOS



Leads the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, a major public/private effort to enhance the economic, social and political status of Afghan women.

Developed the capability to connect law enforcement databases, with broad information sharing uses that include improving Amber Alerts and supporting the National Sex Offender Public Registry.

James “Patrick” McCreary and the BJA Information Sharing Team
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Bureau of Justice Assistance BJA
Department of Justice DOJ



Developed the capability to connect law enforcement databases, with broad information sharing uses that include improving Amber Alerts and supporting the National Sex Offender Public Registry.

Identified more than $2 billion in aberrant Medicare claims and created a model for reducing fraud in the program.

Scott Hutchison, Steven Zerebeck and the Team
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of Inspector General OIG
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
Office of Inspector General
Department of Health and Human Services

Identified more than $2 billion in aberrant Medicare claims and created a model for reducing fraud in the program.

Successfully prosecuted United States v. Saldana, convicting four murderers and marked the first time the federal hate crime statutes have been used to combat racial violence committed by members of a street gang.

Bobbi Bernstein and Alex Bustamante
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Justice DOJ

Department of Justice

Successfully prosecuted United States v. Saldana, convicting four murderers and marked the first time the federal hate crime statutes have been used to combat racial violence committed by members of a street gang.

Leading efforts to stop bid-rigging, fraud and corruption involving U.S. officials and defense contractors in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Mark Pletcher
2008 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Antitrust Division, National Criminal Enforcement Section
U.S. Department of Justice DOJ



Leading efforts to stop bid-rigging, fraud and corruption involving U.S. officials and defense contractors in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Made the scientific breakthrough to identify the cause of the largest pet food recall in history and is currently conducting critical research to guarantee the safety of imported foods.

Renate Reimschuessel
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Food and Drug Administration FDA



Made the scientific breakthrough to identify the cause of the largest pet food recall in history and is currently conducting critical research to guarantee the safety of imported foods.

Established an unprecedented alliance between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials to reduce the number of illegal border crossings.

Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr and the Operation Lifeguard Team
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
El Paso Sector
U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP



Established an unprecedented alliance between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials to reduce the number of illegal border crossings.

Helped establish and currently leads the National Operations Center, which has improved interagency and intergovernmental coordination regarding homeland security matters.

Frank J. DiFalco
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Homeland Security DHS



Helped establish and currently leads the National Operations Center, which has improved interagency and intergovernmental coordination regarding homeland security matters.

Created a new smart card credentialing system that is improving the security of federal properties and computer networks, in addition to saving taxpayer dollars.

Michael Butler
2008 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

General Services Administration GSA



Created a new smart card credentialing system that is improving the security of federal properties and computer networks, in addition to saving taxpayer dollars.

Created a tsunami detection system that has dramatically increased warning times and decreased the risk of catastrophic loss of life.

Eddie Bernard
2008 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA



Created a tsunami detection system that has dramatically increased warning times and decreased the risk of catastrophic loss of life.

Preventing identity theft by educating more than 120 million American households about the crime.

Carolyn Shanoff and the Team
2008 Finalist
Citizen Services

Federal Trade Commission FTC



Preventing identity theft by educating more than 120 million American households about the crime.

Led the development of the groundbreaking PubMed Central database which enhances biomedical research in a way that is accelerating scientific discovery and increasing public knowledge.

David J. Lipman
2008 Finalist
Citizen Services

National Institutes of Health NIST



Led the development of the groundbreaking PubMed Central database which enhances biomedical research in a way that is accelerating scientific discovery and increasing public knowledge.

Developed and led an initiative that reduced a type of life-threatening, hospital-acquired infections by 60 percent and has been replicated at all 153 VA hospitals and other hospitals across America and parts of the world.

Rajiv Jain
2008 Winner
Citizen Services
Pittsburgh Healthcare System
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Developed and led an initiative that reduced a type of life-threatening, hospital-acquired infections by 60 percent and has been replicated at all 153 VA hospitals and other hospitals across America and parts of the world.

Developed breakthrough technology that enhances our ability to read microchips, which will lead to further miniaturization in data storage.

Joshua Pomeroy
2008 Finalist
Call to Service

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Developed breakthrough technology that enhances our ability to read microchips, which will lead to further miniaturization in data storage.

Discovered hazards associated with reactive armor that have prompted safety improvements for U.S. soldiers.

Patricia Frounfelker
2008 Finalist
Call to Service
Army Research Laboratory
Department of the Army DA



Discovered hazards associated with reactive armor that have prompted safety improvements for U.S. soldiers.

Led the development of new technology to improve the accuracy of improvised explosive device (IED) detection by 75 percent.

Joshua R. Fairley and the Team
2008 Finalist
Call to Service
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center USACE
Department of the Army DA



Led the development of new technology to improve the accuracy of improvised explosive device (IED) detection by 75 percent.

Introducing cutting edge 3-D technology to improve medical care and rehabilitation, and helping restore quality of life for soldiers that have suffered traumatic battle injuries.

Alain D. Carballeyra
2008 Winner
Call to Service
59th Medical Wing
U.S. Department of the Air Force USAF



Introducing cutting edge 3-D technology to improve medical care and rehabilitation, and helping restore quality of life for soldiers that have suffered traumatic battle injuries.

Led the expansion of the National Register of Historic Places to include well over a million properties, recognizing and helping to preserve sites of cultural significance.

Carol D. Shull
2008 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Park Service NPS
Department of the Interior DOI



Led the expansion of the National Register of Historic Places to include well over a million properties, recognizing and helping to preserve sites of cultural significance.

Served three decades as “the nation’s timekeeper,” creating a system for synchronizing time for our financial markets and computer networks, which is accessed more than 2.5 billion times a day.

Judah Levine
2008 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Served three decades as “the nation’s timekeeper,” creating a system for synchronizing time for our financial markets and computer networks, which is accessed more than 2.5 billion times a day.

Led the development of federal dietary guidelines and the establishment of the popular MyPyramid.gov website.

Carole A. Davis
2008 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Agriculture USDA



Led the development of federal dietary guidelines and the establishment of the popular MyPyramid.gov website.

Providing authoritative advice and analysis to Congress and the general public to improve the quality of health care in America.

Cynthia Bascetta
2008 Finalist
Career Achievement

Government Accountability Office GAP



Providing authoritative advice and analysis to Congress and the general public to improve the quality of health care in America.

Played a key role in implementing the landmark Montreal Protocol which has put us on a path to restoring the ozone layer by phasing out 95 percent of the world’s ozone-depleting substances and is leading current federal efforts to combat climate change.

Stephen O. Andersen
2008 Winner
Career Achievement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Played a key role in implementing the landmark Montreal Protocol which has put us on a path to restoring the ozone layer by phasing out 95 percent of the world’s ozone-depleting substances and is leading current federal efforts to combat climate change.

Designed and launched the President’s Malaria Initiative, which has provided potentially life-saving services to more than 25 million vulnerable people.

Richard Greene
2008 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
Bureau of Global Health
U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Designed and launched the President’s Malaria Initiative, which has provided potentially life-saving services to more than 25 million vulnerable people.

Developed environmentally friendly biological controls for saltcedar, an invasive tree that inflicted billions of dollars of damage to agricultural and natural areas.

Raymond Carruthers and Jack DeLoach
2007 Finalist
Science and Environment
Agricultural Research Service ARS
Department of Agriculture USDA
Agricultural Research Service
Department of Agriculture

Developed environmentally friendly biological controls for saltcedar, an invasive tree that inflicted billions of dollars of damage to agricultural and natural areas.

Completed the first successful cleanup of a former nuclear weapons facility 60 years ahead of schedule and $30 billion under budget.

Frazer Lockhart and the Rocky Flats Cleanup Team
2007 Winner
Science and Environment

Department of Energy DOE



Completed the first successful cleanup of a former nuclear weapons facility 60 years ahead of schedule and $30 billion under budget.

Developed new weapons technologies including the world’s longest-range, non-lethal weapons which heat the target’s skin without causing permanent harm.

William Baker
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL
Department of the Air Force AF



Developed new weapons technologies including the world’s longest-range, non-lethal weapons which heat the target’s skin without causing permanent harm.

Developed a program that enables citizens to develop fluency in foreign languages deemed most critical to national security.

Robert O. Slater and the NSEP Team
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Defense DOD



Developed a program that enables citizens to develop fluency in foreign languages deemed most critical to national security.

Founded a highly innovative new think tank to leverage international expertise to enhance intelligence analysis.

Carol Dumaine
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Central Intelligence Agency CIA



Founded a highly innovative new think tank to leverage international expertise to enhance intelligence analysis.

Led a team of archeological specialists who investigated Iraq’s mass graves and built the forensic case that helped prosecute Saddam Hussein and Chemical Ali for  genocide and crimes against humanity.

Michael K. Trimble
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE
Department of the Army DA



Led a team of archeological specialists who investigated Iraq’s mass graves and built the forensic case that helped prosecute Saddam Hussein and Chemical Ali for  genocide and crimes against humanity.

Led a six-fold increase in the United States’ AIDS relief efforts in Nigeria.

John F. Vertefeuille and Brian D. Wheeler
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health and Human Services

Led a six-fold increase in the United States’ AIDS relief efforts in Nigeria.

Created a program to combat indoor air pollution that has reduced health risks for more than 300,000 people.

Brenda Brown Doroski and John Mitchell
2007 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

Created a program to combat indoor air pollution that has reduced health risks for more than 300,000 people.

Designed the thermobaric bomb credited with helping win the war in Afghanistan and develops anti-terrorism technologies for the Pentagon.

Anh Duong
2007 Winner
National Security and International Affairs
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division
Department of the Navy DON



Designed the thermobaric bomb credited with helping win the war in Afghanistan and develops anti-terrorism technologies for the Pentagon.

Averted an impending health crisis during the 2006 Lebanon-Israeli armed conflict by helping to get fuel reserves into the country, which kept major power plants open.

Edward Messmer
2007 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State State



Averted an impending health crisis during the 2006 Lebanon-Israeli armed conflict by helping to get fuel reserves into the country, which kept major power plants open.

Led an investigation that uncovered and dismantled an international mass-market fraud scheme that targeted elderly U.S. citizens.

Vernan W. Roberson and the Operation Global Con Team
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of the Inspector General OIG
Department of Commerce DOC



Led an investigation that uncovered and dismantled an international mass-market fraud scheme that targeted elderly U.S. citizens.

Led the forensics investigation that resulted in the capture and conviction of Eric Rudolph, the terrorist responsible for a series of bombings that included an attack on the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael Ethridge and the Team
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ATF
Department of Justice DOJ



Led the forensics investigation that resulted in the capture and conviction of Eric Rudolph, the terrorist responsible for a series of bombings that included an attack on the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Developed a new market-based strategy and information system that enables U.S. government agencies to more effectively target and disrupt illegal drug trafficking networks.

Chris Dishman
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Executive Office of the President EOP



Developed a new market-based strategy and information system that enables U.S. government agencies to more effectively target and disrupt illegal drug trafficking networks.

Significantly expanded and improved the world’s largest program to train dogs to assist law enforcement.

Terrence Bohan
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ATF
Department of Justice DOJ



Significantly expanded and improved the world’s largest program to train dogs to assist law enforcement.

Served as Director of the National Hurricane Center where his accurate predictions and preparedness work helped mitigate the damage of numerous natural disasters.

Max Mayfield
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
Department of Commerce DOC



Served as Director of the National Hurricane Center where his accurate predictions and preparedness work helped mitigate the damage of numerous natural disasters.

Developed new countermeasures against biological weapons, including vaccines against botulinum toxin and ricin.

Leonard A. Smith
2007 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
Department of the Army DA



Developed new countermeasures against biological weapons, including vaccines against botulinum toxin and ricin.

Created program that has helped solve thousands of cold cases and dramatically expanded the capacity of local law enforcement to utilize DNA evidence.

John S. Morgan and the President’s DNA Initiative Team
2007 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Institute of Justice
Department of Justice DOJ



Created program that has helped solve thousands of cold cases and dramatically expanded the capacity of local law enforcement to utilize DNA evidence.

Led initiative to put radiological and nuclear detectors at seaports, airports and border crossings across the globe, providing vital defenses against nuclear terrorism.

Tracy Mustin
2007 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Nuclear Security Administration NNSA



Led initiative to put radiological and nuclear detectors at seaports, airports and border crossings across the globe, providing vital defenses against nuclear terrorism.

Created the IT infrastructure that supports the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Wallace Fung and Henry Chao
2007 Finalist
Citizen Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Created the IT infrastructure that supports the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Created the first successful Internet-based electronic filing system for U.S. patent applications.

John Doll and David Freeland
2007 Finalist
Citizen Services
United States Patent and Trademark Office PTO
Department of Commerce DOC
United States Patent and Trademark Office PTO
Department of Commerce DOC

Created the first successful Internet-based electronic filing system for U.S. patent applications.

Revamped outreach efforts for the Earned Income Tax Credit, helping hundreds of thousands of Americans receive vital benefits, and oversaw the Telephone Excise Tax Refund–the largest one-time tax refund in history.

David Williams
2007 Finalist
Citizen Services
Internal Revenue Service IRS
Department of the Treasury DOT



Revamped outreach efforts for the Earned Income Tax Credit, helping hundreds of thousands of Americans receive vital benefits, and oversaw the Telephone Excise Tax Refund–the largest one-time tax refund in history.

Leads the world’s largest assistive technology program, filling more than 60,000 accommodation requests for people with disabilities, including 2,400 accommodations for wounded service members.

Dinah F. B. Cohen
2007 Winner
Citizen Services
TRICARE Management Activity
Department of Defense DOD



Leads the world’s largest assistive technology program, filling more than 60,000 accommodation requests for people with disabilities, including 2,400 accommodations for wounded service members.

Serves as the leading spokesperson for democratic values in Ukraine, helping to move the nation in a more pro-western direction.

Myroslava Gongadze
2007 Finalist
Call to Service
International Broadcasting Bureau IBB
Broadcasting Board of Governors BBC



Serves as the leading spokesperson for democratic values in Ukraine, helping to move the nation in a more pro-western direction.

Rose to become one of the United States’ senior intelligence officials on the Korean peninsula by the age of 28.

Markus Garlauskas
2007 Finalist
Call to Service
Department of the Army DA
Department of Defense DOD



Rose to become one of the United States’ senior intelligence officials on the Korean peninsula by the age of 28.

Conducted groundbreaking research to use quantum mechanics to improve measurement science.

Konrad Lehnert
2007 Finalist
Call to Service
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Conducted groundbreaking research to use quantum mechanics to improve measurement science.

Led effort in Russia to successfully secure and dispose of enough radiological material to build 2,300 dirty bombs.

Brian Waud
2007 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of Energy DOE



Led effort in Russia to successfully secure and dispose of enough radiological material to build 2,300 dirty bombs.

Created income verification program that eliminated more than $2 billion in fraudulent payments by HUD’s rental assistance programs.

Nicole Faison
2007 Winner
Call to Service

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Created income verification program that eliminated more than $2 billion in fraudulent payments by HUD’s rental assistance programs.

Provided expert advice to Congressional lawmakers and staff for almost 40 years and helped emerging democracies around the world strengthen their legislative assemblies.

Walter Oleszek
2007 Finalist
Career Achievement
Congressional Research Service CRS
Library of Congress LOC



Provided expert advice to Congressional lawmakers and staff for almost 40 years and helped emerging democracies around the world strengthen their legislative assemblies.

Confirmed the Big Bang Theory to earn the Nobel Prize in Physics.

John Mather
2007 Finalist
Career Achievement
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Confirmed the Big Bang Theory to earn the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Discovered three hormones made by the heart that benefit the treatment of congestive heart failure, kidney failure and cancer.

David Vesely
2007 Winner
Career Achievement
James A. Haley VA Medical Center
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Discovered three hormones made by the heart that benefit the treatment of congestive heart failure, kidney failure and cancer.

Made discoveries that led to the development of a vaccine for the virus that causes a majority of cervical cancers worldwide.

Douglas R. Lowy and John T. Schiller
2007 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS
National Institutes of Health NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Made discoveries that led to the development of a vaccine for the virus that causes a majority of cervical cancers worldwide.

Has clinically proven the benefits of nutritional supplements to prevent and even cure age-related vision loss.

Stuart Richer and the LAST Team
2006 Finalist
Science and Environment

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Has clinically proven the benefits of nutritional supplements to prevent and even cure age-related vision loss.

Pioneered new conservation strategies built on cooperation between government, citizens, environmental groups and the private sector.

Robert J. Lamb
2006 Finalist
Science and Environment

Department of the Interior DOI



Pioneered new conservation strategies built on cooperation between government, citizens, environmental groups and the private sector.

Pioneering research to test and improve NASA spacecraft, earthquake-proof buildings, bridges, submarines, medicines and more.

Norden E. Huang
2006 Winner
Science and Environment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Pioneering research to test and improve NASA spacecraft, earthquake-proof buildings, bridges, submarines, medicines and more.

Led U.S. efforts to rebuild the Baghad airport and Iraq's aviation infrastructure.

Mark R. Price
2006 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Federal Aviation Administration FAA



Led U.S. efforts to rebuild the Baghad airport and Iraq's aviation infrastructure.

Led U.S. foreign aid efforts in Afghanistan to help build a free society.

Alonzo L. Fulgham
2006 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led U.S. foreign aid efforts in Afghanistan to help build a free society.

Served as principal U.S. liaison to Mexico on multiple initiatives dealing with national and border security.

Suzanne Petrie
2006 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Homeland Security DHS



Served as principal U.S. liaison to Mexico on multiple initiatives dealing with national and border security.

Designed and implemented program that is providing financial assistance to traumatically injured servicemembers and their families.

Thomas M. Lastowka and the TSGLI Team
2006 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Designed and implemented program that is providing financial assistance to traumatically injured servicemembers and their families.

Developed the Common Access Card—a smart card that provides more than 3 million DoD employees secure credentials.

Robert J. Brandewie
2006 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Defense DOD



Developed the Common Access Card—a smart card that provides more than 3 million DoD employees secure credentials.

Architect of the military's personnel recovery efforts that have successfully rescued more than 1,000 people in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ron McNeal
2006 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Department of Defense DOD



Architect of the military's personnel recovery efforts that have successfully rescued more than 1,000 people in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Led the U.S. recovery and reconstruction efforts after the Asia Tsunami and South Asia Earthquake.

Mark S. Ward
2006 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led the U.S. recovery and reconstruction efforts after the Asia Tsunami and South Asia Earthquake.

Provided forensic support that has contributed to the successful investigation and prosecution of corrupt contracting practices in Iraq.

Gene Driggers and the ICE Cyber Crime CenterTeam
2006 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Provided forensic support that has contributed to the successful investigation and prosecution of corrupt contracting practices in Iraq.

Led an investigation that resulted in the arrest of an international arms dealer and the dismantling of an illicit Iranian arms procurement network.

Brian Bucaro
2006 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Led an investigation that resulted in the arrest of an international arms dealer and the dismantling of an illicit Iranian arms procurement network.

Led investigation that resulted in the dismantling of the largest human trafficking ring ever uncovered in the United States.

Leigh Senzatimore and the Team
2006 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Led investigation that resulted in the dismantling of the largest human trafficking ring ever uncovered in the United States.

Established Compliance Enforcement Unit to disrupt, target and investigate illegitimate travelers and better enforce U.S. immigration laws.

Robert A. Schoch
2006 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Established Compliance Enforcement Unit to disrupt, target and investigate illegitimate travelers and better enforce U.S. immigration laws.

Led key diplomatic efforts to organize international preparations for an avian flu pandemic.

Nancy Powell
2006 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

National Intelligence Council NIC



Led key diplomatic efforts to organize international preparations for an avian flu pandemic.

Successfully prosecuted a case involving illegal transportation of hazardous waste in the United States and the export of 300 tons of hazardous waste and other chemicals from Pennsylvania to the Netherlands.

W. Martin Harrell
2006 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Environmental Protection Agency EPA



Successfully prosecuted a case involving illegal transportation of hazardous waste in the United States and the export of 300 tons of hazardous waste and other chemicals from Pennsylvania to the Netherlands.

Led the quick and full recovery of mail service to the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Robin E. Ware
2006 Finalist
Citizen Services

U.S. Postal Service USPS



Led the quick and full recovery of mail service to the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Set up customer call centers that helped 948,000 Hurricane Katrina victims receive federal relief.

Betsy Kinter
2006 Finalist
Citizen Services

Internal Revenue Service IRS



Set up customer call centers that helped 948,000 Hurricane Katrina victims receive federal relief.

Rescued 90 seniors who had been abandoned in an assisted living facility after Hurricane Katrina.

Kevin Harrison and the DEA Rescue Team
2006 Finalist
Citizen Services

Drug Enforcement Administration DEA



Rescued 90 seniors who had been abandoned in an assisted living facility after Hurricane Katrina.

Led effort to get Social Security benefits to Hurricane Katrina victims and restore SSA operations in Louisiana.

Raymond Brammer, Jr.
2006 Finalist
Citizen Services

Social Security Administration SSA



Led effort to get Social Security benefits to Hurricane Katrina victims and restore SSA operations in Louisiana.

Used technology to help locate and rescue thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims and personally conducted rescue missions that saved 600 people.

Thomas Casadevall and the USGS Hurricane Response Team
2006 Winner
Citizen Services

U.S. Geological Survey USGS



Used technology to help locate and rescue thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims and personally conducted rescue missions that saved 600 people.

Played critical role in developing and implementing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the largest public health initiative ever.

Karen Stewart
2006 Finalist
Call to Service
Health Resources and Services Administration HRSA
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Played critical role in developing and implementing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the largest public health initiative ever.

Developed new technology to treat contaminated wetlands without disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.

Emily H. Majcher
2006 Finalist
Call to Service
Maryland-Delaware-DC Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey USGS



Developed new technology to treat contaminated wetlands without disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.

Played critical role in laying the groundwork for the historic agreement between the United State and India on nuclear energy.

Matthew D. Lowe
2006 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of State State



Played critical role in laying the groundwork for the historic agreement between the United State and India on nuclear energy.

Served as chief of the legal office at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and provided critical support for Iraq's democratically elected government.

Christina Sanford
2006 Winner
Call to Service

Department of State State



Served as chief of the legal office at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and provided critical support for Iraq's democratically elected government.

Led a new field of cancer prevention research.

Winfred Malone
2006 Finalist
Career Achievement
National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Institutes of Health NCI
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Led a new field of cancer prevention research.

Helped set the system requirements for and design most of the Air Force systems flying today including the F-15, F-16 and B-2 stealth bomber.

Joseph J. Lusczek, Jr.
2006 Finalist
Career Achievement
U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center
Department of the Air Force USAF



Helped set the system requirements for and design most of the Air Force systems flying today including the F-15, F-16 and B-2 stealth bomber.

Invented the catapult system that is currently used on all U.S. aircraft carriers.

George V. DiBiase
2006 Finalist
Career Achievement

U.S. Navy USN



Invented the catapult system that is currently used on all U.S. aircraft carriers.

Launched an entirely new subfield of atomic, molecular and optical physics and became the first federal employee to win the Nobel Prize for Physics for work done as part of his official duties.

William D. Phillips
2006 Winner
Career Achievement

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Launched an entirely new subfield of atomic, molecular and optical physics and became the first federal employee to win the Nobel Prize for Physics for work done as part of his official duties.

Led domestic and international efforts to prepare for a flu pandemic.

Nancy Cox
2006 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Led domestic and international efforts to prepare for a flu pandemic.

Oversaw development of new tools that have made air travel safer, reduced airport delays and saved tens of millions of dollars.

Gloria Kulesa
2005 Finalist
Science and Environment
Federal Aviation Administration, ATO-P FAA
Department of Transportation DOT



Oversaw development of new tools that have made air travel safer, reduced airport delays and saved tens of millions of dollars.

Pioneered several weather predicting initiatives to help forecast flash floods, the deadliest form of severe weather hazards.

Robert Davis
2005 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service NOAA
Department of Commerce DOC



Pioneered several weather predicting initiatives to help forecast flash floods, the deadliest form of severe weather hazards.

Created database that could lead to new cancer treatments and revolutionize the way cancer research is conducted.

Subhashree Madhavan and the Rembrandt Project Team
2005 Winner
Science and Environment
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Center for Bioinformatics NIH
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Created database that could lead to new cancer treatments and revolutionize the way cancer research is conducted.

Led the creation, development and deployment of the Coalition Chat Line to enable United States and allied forces in Iraq to communicate rapidly and effectively in their native language.

Christopher Hillenbrand
2005 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport USW Weapons and Vehicle Systems
Department of the Navy DON



Led the creation, development and deployment of the Coalition Chat Line to enable United States and allied forces in Iraq to communicate rapidly and effectively in their native language.

Led the reconstruction of the 400,000 square feet of the Pentagon that was damaged on 9/11, getting the job done ahead of schedule and under budget.

Dave Gabel
2005 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Pentagon Renovation and Construction Program Office
Department of Defense DOD



Led the reconstruction of the 400,000 square feet of the Pentagon that was damaged on 9/11, getting the job done ahead of schedule and under budget.

Led the expansion of the Air Force Survivor Assistance Program and established a model for the care of our veterans.

Thomas Flaherty
2005 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Department of the Air Force AF
Department of Defense DOD



Led the expansion of the Air Force Survivor Assistance Program and established a model for the care of our veterans.

Established a distribution facility in Dubai that allows for faster delivery of aid overseas.  Negotiated the collection of $142 million in reimbursements, helping to feed 1.4 million people for a full year.

Jeffrey Drummond
2005 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Established a distribution facility in Dubai that allows for faster delivery of aid overseas.  Negotiated the collection of $142 million in reimbursements, helping to feed 1.4 million people for a full year.

Oversaw the largest internet child pornography case ever investigated, putting more than 1,200 purchasers of explicit material behind bars.

Susan Cantor and the Team
2005 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Oversaw the largest internet child pornography case ever investigated, putting more than 1,200 purchasers of explicit material behind bars.

Implemented use of Radio Frequency Identification by the military, transforming military logistics for the 21st century.

Alan Estevez
2005 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Defense DOD



Implemented use of Radio Frequency Identification by the military, transforming military logistics for the 21st century.

Organized 15 local elections in southern Iraq and developed a voting system that the U.N. used as the basis for the January 2005 national elections.

Tobin Bradley
2005 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Department of State State



Organized 15 local elections in southern Iraq and developed a voting system that the U.N. used as the basis for the January 2005 national elections.

Led the overhaul of the nation’s border management systems.

Jim Williams and the Team
2005 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Border and Transportation Security
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Led the overhaul of the nation’s border management systems.

Initiated groundbreaking public-private partnership in the area of public safety and homeland security.

Paul McCabe
2005 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI
Department of Justice DOJ



Initiated groundbreaking public-private partnership in the area of public safety and homeland security.

Spearheaded investigation that led to the arrest of Colombian cartel kingpin—the biggest arrest ever in the war on drugs.

Ed Kacerosky
2005 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Spearheaded investigation that led to the arrest of Colombian cartel kingpin—the biggest arrest ever in the war on drugs.

Helped lead prosecution that brought down one of America’s leading crime families and launched the Child Exploitation Prosecutions Initiative that has resulted in dozens of convictions.

Robert Henoch
2005 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Justice DOJ



Helped lead prosecution that brought down one of America’s leading crime families and launched the Child Exploitation Prosecutions Initiative that has resulted in dozens of convictions.

Led national efforts to improve cargo security and prevent illicit weapons, drugs and contraband from entering the United States.

Allen Gina
2005 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Customs and Border Protection CBP
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Led national efforts to improve cargo security and prevent illicit weapons, drugs and contraband from entering the United States.

Secured EEOC’s second largest sexual discrimination settlement ever in landmark case against Morgan Stanley.

Elizabeth Grossman
2005 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC



Secured EEOC’s second largest sexual discrimination settlement ever in landmark case against Morgan Stanley.

Developed two of the country’s most effective emergency preparedness organizations in the public health field.

Steven Bice
2005 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Developed two of the country’s most effective emergency preparedness organizations in the public health field.

Developed and conducted an initiative that has generated rapid increases in organ donation in the U.S., already saving or enhancing 1,400 additional lives in 2004.

Dennis Wagner and the Leadership Team
2005 Finalist
Citizen Services
Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Transplantation
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Developed and conducted an initiative that has generated rapid increases in organ donation in the U.S., already saving or enhancing 1,400 additional lives in 2004.

Brought the post office to the people by developing the USPS’s web services.

 

Robert Otto
2005 Finalist
Citizen Services

United States Postal Service USPS



Brought the post office to the people by developing the USPS’s web services.

 

Coordinated government-wide effort to distribute more than 118,000 computers and related equipment to needy schools.

Coral Childs and the GSA Computers for Learning Team
2005 Finalist
Citizen Services
Office of Government-wide Policy
General Services Administration GSA



Coordinated government-wide effort to distribute more than 118,000 computers and related equipment to needy schools.

Led the development of the popular e-File system that has allowed millions of Americans to get their tax refunds in as few as 10 days, while also cutting processing costs for government by as much as 90 percent.

Terence Lutes
2005 Winner
Citizen Services
Internal Revenue Service IRS
U.S. Department of the Treasury DOT



Led the development of the popular e-File system that has allowed millions of Americans to get their tax refunds in as few as 10 days, while also cutting processing costs for government by as much as 90 percent.

Developed a laser technology system that allows the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to better communicate with one another in wartime, saving the government $100 million and enhancing our national defense.

Bill Hindman
2005 Finalist
Call to Service
Department of the Air Force AF
Department of Defense DOD



Developed a laser technology system that allows the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to better communicate with one another in wartime, saving the government $100 million and enhancing our national defense.

Expanded homeownership in the impoverished Colonias regions along the U.S.-Mexico border, helping 800 families buy homes.

Patrick Forrest
2005 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Expanded homeownership in the impoverished Colonias regions along the U.S.-Mexico border, helping 800 families buy homes.

Developed a national education and outreach campaign to educate young people about their workplace rights and responsibilities.

Lynn Clements
2005 Finalist
Call to Service

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC



Developed a national education and outreach campaign to educate young people about their workplace rights and responsibilities.

Developed the Office of Anti-Terrorism, which was created soon after 9/11 to help better secure the nation’s ports and borders from terrorists and terrorist weapons.

Kevin McAleenan
2005 Winner
Call to Service
Customs and Border Protection CBP
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Developed the Office of Anti-Terrorism, which was created soon after 9/11 to help better secure the nation’s ports and borders from terrorists and terrorist weapons.

More than three decades of public service advancing the field of cultural resource management in the U.S. including the survey and excavation of Chaco Canyon, which helped unlock the mysteries of this historic landmark.

John Schelberg
2005 Finalist
Career Achievement
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of the Army DA



More than three decades of public service advancing the field of cultural resource management in the U.S. including the survey and excavation of Chaco Canyon, which helped unlock the mysteries of this historic landmark.

Helped establish U.S. Embassy in Iraq and serves as the chief operating officer of the Mission.  Spent more than three decades as a diplomat going “where the need is the greatest and the risks are the highest.”

James Jeffrey
2005 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of State State



Helped establish U.S. Embassy in Iraq and serves as the chief operating officer of the Mission.  Spent more than three decades as a diplomat going “where the need is the greatest and the risks are the highest.”

Led the expansion of Treasury’s international technical assistance program which has strengthened the financial systems in 70 nations around the world.

James H. Fall, III
2005 Finalist
Career Achievement
Office of International Affairs
Department of the Treasury DOT



Led the expansion of Treasury’s international technical assistance program which has strengthened the financial systems in 70 nations around the world.

Worked her way up to the highest levels at USAID where she has played a critical role in the Agency’s work in Egypt, the former Soviet Union, Bosnia, and other countries.

Barbara Turner
2005 Winner
Career Achievement

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Worked her way up to the highest levels at USAID where she has played a critical role in the Agency’s work in Egypt, the former Soviet Union, Bosnia, and other countries.

Led the development of the Mars Exploration Rover project.

Orlando Figueroa
2005 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Led the development of the Mars Exploration Rover project.

Led the efforts to continue the safe operation of the International Space Station in the absence of the Space Shuttle, allowing continued research and preservation of its unique capabilities for the future.

William Gerstenmaier
2004 Finalist
Science and Environment
Johnson Space Center JSC
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA

Led the efforts to continue the safe operation of the International Space Station in the absence of the Space Shuttle, allowing continued research and preservation of its unique capabilities for the future.

Developed national award-winning natural resource conservation program that integrates military training, environmental protection, public involvement and sustained community support.

Diane Drigot
2004 Finalist
Science and Environment
U.S. Marine Corps USMC
Department of the Navy DON



Developed national award-winning natural resource conservation program that integrates military training, environmental protection, public involvement and sustained community support.

Developed techniques to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to chemical or biological attack and devised a plan to safeguard the Pentagon from chemical or biological attack.

Amy Alving
2004 Finalist
Science and Environment

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency



Developed techniques to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to chemical or biological attack and devised a plan to safeguard the Pentagon from chemical or biological attack.

Created a new form of matter which could potentially unlock the key to superconductivity, a phenomenon with the potential to improve energy efficiency dramatically across a broad range of applications.

Deborah Jin
2004 Winner
Science and Environment

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Created a new form of matter which could potentially unlock the key to superconductivity, a phenomenon with the potential to improve energy efficiency dramatically across a broad range of applications.

Worked to develop the agriculture infrastructure of Iraq and help transfer more than $90 million in funding to the Regional Government and Ministries of Agriculture.

George W. Aldaya
2004 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Farm Service Agency FSA
Department of Agriculture USDA



Worked to develop the agriculture infrastructure of Iraq and help transfer more than $90 million in funding to the Regional Government and Ministries of Agriculture.

Helped to establish a transitional government in Liberia and secure $520 million in international aid and $200 million in U.S. aid, and helped deliver more than $500 million of food aid to Ethiopia.

Keith Brown
2004 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Helped to establish a transitional government in Liberia and secure $520 million in international aid and $200 million in U.S. aid, and helped deliver more than $500 million of food aid to Ethiopia.

Led U.S. efforts to help Iraqis rebuild their electrical infrastructure and acted as the Administrative head of multiple Iraqi ministries; also led Army Corps of Engineers’ recovery efforts at Ground Zero.

Stephen E. Browning
2004 Winner
National Security and International Affairs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division USACE
Department of the Army DA



Led U.S. efforts to help Iraqis rebuild their electrical infrastructure and acted as the Administrative head of multiple Iraqi ministries; also led Army Corps of Engineers’ recovery efforts at Ground Zero.

Developed and implemented a national multi-media fraud prevention campaign to educate senior citizens about telemarketing and mail fraud schemes.

Michele Culp
2004 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Postal Service USPS



Developed and implemented a national multi-media fraud prevention campaign to educate senior citizens about telemarketing and mail fraud schemes.

Pioneered efforts to hold financial industry executives accountable and deter fraudulent activity.

Samuel Holland
2004 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Office of Inspector General
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC



Pioneered efforts to hold financial industry executives accountable and deter fraudulent activity.

Developed a training program to identify and reduce the number of minority students mistakenly classified as special education students, giving them a second chance at academic achievement.

Anna Moretto, John Carroll and Erin Gimbel
2004 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
New York Office for Civil Rights
Department of Education ED

New York Office for Civil Rights ED
New York Office for Civil Rights
Department of Education ED

Developed a training program to identify and reduce the number of minority students mistakenly classified as special education students, giving them a second chance at academic achievement.

Developed the software being used by public health officials to prepare for a bio-terrorist attack and conducted cutting edge research in the field of immunizations.

Michael Washington
2004 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Immunization Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC



Developed the software being used by public health officials to prepare for a bio-terrorist attack and conducted cutting edge research in the field of immunizations.

Drew upon his instincts and skillfully prevented the alleged “20th hijacker” from entering the United States before September 11, 2001.

Jose Melendez-Perez
2004 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Drew upon his instincts and skillfully prevented the alleged “20th hijacker” from entering the United States before September 11, 2001.

Shut down a massive conspiracy in which rented babies and women couriers were used to smuggle cocaine in baby formula cans. 

Peter Darling and the Operation Kids For Cover Team
2004 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Shut down a massive conspiracy in which rented babies and women couriers were used to smuggle cocaine in baby formula cans. 

Oversaw the federal government’s recovery efforts in New York after 9/11 and supervised other FEMA rebuilding work in the wake of multiple natural disasters.

Brad Gair
2004 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Oversaw the federal government’s recovery efforts in New York after 9/11 and supervised other FEMA rebuilding work in the wake of multiple natural disasters.

Pioneered new performance-focused management principles that have revolutionized the way that we deliver aid to social service providers and low-income families.

Margaret Washnitzer
2004 Finalist
Citizen Services
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services ACF
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Pioneered new performance-focused management principles that have revolutionized the way that we deliver aid to social service providers and low-income families.

Coordinated the federal legal response to contain outbreak of monkeypox, and also helped manage the federal legal response to SARS and West Nile Virus occurrences.

Joseph A. Foster
2004 Finalist
Citizen Services
Office of the General Counsel, Public Health Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Branch CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Coordinated the federal legal response to contain outbreak of monkeypox, and also helped manage the federal legal response to SARS and West Nile Virus occurrences.

Gave up a successful job at one of the most prestigious liver transplant hospitals in the world to ensure that veterans in need of organ donors would receive swift and affordable care.

Thomas Cacciarelli
2004 Finalist
Citizen Services
Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Gave up a successful job at one of the most prestigious liver transplant hospitals in the world to ensure that veterans in need of organ donors would receive swift and affordable care.

Developed and implemented the federal Do Not Call Registry, which has reduced the number of telemarketing calls for more than 60 million Americans.

Eileen Harrington and the FTC Do Not Call Team
2004 Winner
Citizen Services
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission FTC



Developed and implemented the federal Do Not Call Registry, which has reduced the number of telemarketing calls for more than 60 million Americans.

Developed expertise on Afghanistan’s ethnic groups, geography and economy which has made her a leading expert in formulating U.S. policy to deal with opium poppy cultivation and narcotics trafficking in that country. 

Ranjeet Singh
2004 Finalist
Call to Service
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Department of State DOS



Developed expertise on Afghanistan’s ethnic groups, geography and economy which has made her a leading expert in formulating U.S. policy to deal with opium poppy cultivation and narcotics trafficking in that country. 

Established the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife program in the Caribbean, which has helped to restore more than 2,000 acres of tropical habitat; also created the first “shade coffee” program in the U.S., which is expanding to Hawaii.

Leopoldo Miranda-Castro
2004 Finalist
Call to Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of Interior DOI



Established the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife program in the Caribbean, which has helped to restore more than 2,000 acres of tropical habitat; also created the first “shade coffee” program in the U.S., which is expanding to Hawaii.

Developed new techniques to improve DNA identification and crafted texts and established guidelines used internationally to ensure accurate DNA testing. Helped identify the remains of additional victims of the World Trade Center attacks.

John Butler
2004 Finalist
Call to Service
Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Developed new techniques to improve DNA identification and crafted texts and established guidelines used internationally to ensure accurate DNA testing. Helped identify the remains of additional victims of the World Trade Center attacks.

Led U.S. delegation to the Arctic Circle for negotiations with Russian officials to better secure Russia’s nuclear materials and weapons. This agreement led to the creation of a service and training center for nuclear material and weapons security in Murmansk, Russia.

Nicole Nelson-Jean
2004 Winner
Call to Service
Tokyo Office
U.S. Department of Energy DOE



Led U.S. delegation to the Arctic Circle for negotiations with Russian officials to better secure Russia’s nuclear materials and weapons. This agreement led to the creation of a service and training center for nuclear material and weapons security in Murmansk, Russia.

Thirty-year career developing smarter and safer simulation-based combat training systems to save the lives of American pilots.

Elizabeth Martin
2004 Finalist
Career Achievement
Air Force Research Laboratory
U.S. Air Force USAF



Thirty-year career developing smarter and safer simulation-based combat training systems to save the lives of American pilots.

Planned and managed the search and recovery operations for the Space Shuttle Columbia accident; managed the Space Shuttle processing and launch operations at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and is now directing one of NASA’s largest field centers.

David A. King
2004 Finalist
Career Achievement

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Planned and managed the search and recovery operations for the Space Shuttle Columbia accident; managed the Space Shuttle processing and launch operations at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and is now directing one of NASA’s largest field centers.

Provided the scientific basis for national efforts to provide care and compensation for veterans afflicted by war-related illnesses.

Han K. Kang
2004 Finalist
Career Achievement
Veterans Health Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Provided the scientific basis for national efforts to provide care and compensation for veterans afflicted by war-related illnesses.

Educating millions of underserved women about how to detect and prevent life-threatening diseases.

Marsha Henderson
2004 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Educating millions of underserved women about how to detect and prevent life-threatening diseases.

Guided U.S. Embassy in Kenya through the 1998 bombing and was a leading voice in the U.S. government urging a response to the ethnic genocide in Rwanda.

Prudence Bushnell
2004 Winner
Career Achievement
Foreign Service Institute
U.S. Department of State DOS



Guided U.S. Embassy in Kenya through the 1998 bombing and was a leading voice in the U.S. government urging a response to the ethnic genocide in Rwanda.

Led investigation that resulted in the conviction of more than a dozen leaders of the “November 17” Group—Europe’s most notorious and elusive terrorist group.

Robert F. Clifford
2004 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI



Led investigation that resulted in the conviction of more than a dozen leaders of the “November 17” Group—Europe’s most notorious and elusive terrorist group.

Developed a process to eliminate the deadly threat of anthrax carried in U.S. mail in response to the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Bert Coursey
2003 Finalist
Science and Environment
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Developed a process to eliminate the deadly threat of anthrax carried in U.S. mail in response to the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Worked to make environmental public health a national priority.

Richard Jackson, MD, MPH
2003 Finalist
Science and Environment
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Worked to make environmental public health a national priority.

Developed the plan to restore the Florida Everglades—the world’s largest environmental restoration project.

Earl Stockdale
2003 Winner
Science and Environment
Department of the Army DA
Department of Defense DOD



Developed the plan to restore the Florida Everglades—the world’s largest environmental restoration project.

Led a team of special agents responsible for protecting the safety of Afghanistan’s new president under hazardous conditions.

Kimber Davidson and the Team
2003 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Department of State DOS



Led a team of special agents responsible for protecting the safety of Afghanistan’s new president under hazardous conditions.

Led a public-private partnership effort that is transforming assistance to the developing world.

Holly Wise
2003 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID



Led a public-private partnership effort that is transforming assistance to the developing world.

Led the swift, safe and secure permanent closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and advises Ukrainian authorities to ensure that terrorists and rogue states cannot access nuclear materials.

Riaz Awan
2003 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Energy DOE



Led the swift, safe and secure permanent closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and advises Ukrainian authorities to ensure that terrorists and rogue states cannot access nuclear materials.

Nurtured the growth of Youth Courts, one of the most innovative, fastest-growing crime prevention programs in the nation.

William Pericak and the Team
2003 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Justice DOJ



Nurtured the growth of Youth Courts, one of the most innovative, fastest-growing crime prevention programs in the nation.

Developed initiatives to fight child abuse and sexual assault cases in Native American communities during his three years of federal service.

John Oliveira
2003 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Law Enforcement
Department of the Interior DOI



Developed initiatives to fight child abuse and sexual assault cases in Native American communities during his three years of federal service.

Developed detecting systems to reduce the threat of terrorist attack or the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Catherine Montie
2003 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Department of Defense DOD



Developed detecting systems to reduce the threat of terrorist attack or the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Helped prepare America prepared for a nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological attack.

Deborah Monette
2003 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy DOE



Helped prepare America prepared for a nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological attack.

Led an FBI Recovery Team in carefully sifting through tons of World Trade Center debris to recover criminal evidence and the remains and belongings of the victims of September 11.

Richard Marx
2003 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Department of Justice DOJ



Led an FBI Recovery Team in carefully sifting through tons of World Trade Center debris to recover criminal evidence and the remains and belongings of the victims of September 11.

Led the developement of innovative products to detect concealed weapons before they can be brought onto commercial aircraft and others that may allow planes to survive a terrorist attack.

Paul Polski
2003 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Transportation Security Administration TSA
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Led the developement of innovative products to detect concealed weapons before they can be brought onto commercial aircraft and others that may allow planes to survive a terrorist attack.

Took the lead in bringing a potential Al Qaeda “sleeper cell” to justice before they could unleash an act of terror on American soil.

Edward J. Needham and the Buffalo Joint Terrorism Task Force
2003 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Joint Terrorism Task Force
Department of Justice DOJ



Took the lead in bringing a potential Al Qaeda “sleeper cell” to justice before they could unleash an act of terror on American soil.

Created a computer database to track and enforce child support payments.

Donna Bonar
2003 Finalist
Citizen Services
Office of Automation and Program Operations
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Created a computer database to track and enforce child support payments.

Developed a school of entrepreneurship for one of Texas’ most impoverished communities.

Terry Van Allen
2003 Finalist
Citizen Services

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD



Developed a school of entrepreneurship for one of Texas’ most impoverished communities.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration, led by Ray McKinney, saved the nine Quecreek miners trapped in a cold, dank mine 240 feet below ground.

Ray McKinney and the Team
2003 Finalist
Citizen Services
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Department of Labor DOL



The Mine Safety and Health Administration, led by Ray McKinney, saved the nine Quecreek miners trapped in a cold, dank mine 240 feet below ground.

Revolutionized American manufacturing with comprehensive technical, business and consulting services.

Kevin Carr
2003 Finalist
Citizen Services
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST
Department of Commerce DOC



Revolutionized American manufacturing with comprehensive technical, business and consulting services.

Bridged the digital divide for Native American communities and the military during her 45-year federal career.

Marcella Banks
2003 Finalist
Citizen Services
Federal Technology Service FTS
General Services Administration GSA



Bridged the digital divide for Native American communities and the military during her 45-year federal career.

Led efforts towards the worldwide eradication of polio, managing $300 million in grants and the purchase of 600 million doses of polio vaccine.

Denise Johnson
2003 Winner
Citizen Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



Led efforts towards the worldwide eradication of polio, managing $300 million in grants and the purchase of 600 million doses of polio vaccine.

Helped disadvantaged Americans learn how to benefit from personal banking services and better manage their money.

Nelson Hernandez and the Community Affairs Team
2003 Winner
Citizen Services

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC



Helped disadvantaged Americans learn how to benefit from personal banking services and better manage their money.

Designed the tests that revealed the likely cause of the Columbia disaster.

Paul Wilde
2003 Finalist
Call to Service
Federal Aviation Administration FAA
Department of Transportation DOT



Designed the tests that revealed the likely cause of the Columbia disaster.

In just three years of federal service, he created and voluntarily manages a collaborative outreach program that educates the disadvantaged about preventive health care.

Chevell Thomas
2003 Finalist
Call to Service
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC
Department of Health and Human Services HHS



In just three years of federal service, he created and voluntarily manages a collaborative outreach program that educates the disadvantaged about preventive health care.

A leading policy expert on terrorist financing and support networks, he is a major contributor to the Defense Department’s efforts to stop the flow of money to terrorists.

Jared Feinberg
2003 Finalist
Call to Service
The Pentagon, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense DOD



A leading policy expert on terrorist financing and support networks, he is a major contributor to the Defense Department’s efforts to stop the flow of money to terrorists.

Played a key role in negotiations between the U.S., Chinese and South Korean governments that eventually allowed three North Korean asylum seekers to find freedom in South Korea.

Alyson McFarland
2003 Winner
Call to Service

Department of State State



Played a key role in negotiations between the U.S., Chinese and South Korean governments that eventually allowed three North Korean asylum seekers to find freedom in South Korea.

Made aviation safer during a 37-year career as an engineer in the federal government.

James Hallock
2003 Finalist
Career Achievement
Research and Special Programs Administration
Department of Transportation DOT



Made aviation safer during a 37-year career as an engineer in the federal government.

Negotiated Cold War spy-swaps, implemented Middle East peace agreements, and developed extradition and asset forfeiture agreements during a 30-year State Department career.

Andre Surena
2003 Finalist
Career Achievement

Department of State State



Negotiated Cold War spy-swaps, implemented Middle East peace agreements, and developed extradition and asset forfeiture agreements during a 30-year State Department career.

Contributed enormously in his 24 years of experience as a federal public servant, including the development of an innovative patient safety program that is now in place in all 173 VA hospitals.

James Bagain
2003 Winner
Career Achievement
Veterans Health Administration VHA
Department of Veterans Affairs VA



Contributed enormously in his 24 years of experience as a federal public servant, including the development of an innovative patient safety program that is now in place in all 173 VA hospitals.

Helped grow TSA into an organization responsible for aviation security with more than 60,000 people, the largest mobilization of a new agency since World War II.

Stephen McHale
2003 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year
Transportation Security Administration TSA
Department of Homeland Security DHS



Helped grow TSA into an organization responsible for aviation security with more than 60,000 people, the largest mobilization of a new agency since World War II.

Helped diffuse a diplomatic crisis with a US ally and kept the US Navy the world’s leader in safe diving practices.

Richard C. Asher
2002 Finalist
Science and Environment
Naval Sea Systems Command
U.S. Navy USN



Helped diffuse a diplomatic crisis with a US ally and kept the US Navy the world’s leader in safe diving practices.

Saved taxpayers $1.5 billion in unnecessary construction projects after refusing orders to improperly falsify data.

Donald Sweeney
2002 Winner
Science and Environment

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE



Saved taxpayers $1.5 billion in unnecessary construction projects after refusing orders to improperly falsify data.

Developed internationally-recognized procedures to protect postal workers and customers in the aftermath of the October 2001 anthrax attacks.

Dennis Baca
2002 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

U.S. Postal Service USPS



Developed internationally-recognized procedures to protect postal workers and customers in the aftermath of the October 2001 anthrax attacks.

Ensured the safety of Americans by managing the security of the nation’s weapons laboratories.

Arnold E. Guevara
2002 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs

Department of Energy DOE



Ensured the safety of Americans by managing the security of the nation’s weapons laboratories.

Potected Americans from the post-September 11 threat of radiological terrorism.

Richard Meehan and Kerry Thomas
2002 Finalist
National Security and International Affairs
Facilities and Materials Reuse Division
Department of Energy DOE
State and Local Program Management Division, Office for Domestic Preparedness
Department of Justice

Potected Americans from the post-September 11 threat of radiological terrorism.

Provided American military personnel with real-time information they need to ensure operational success and protect our national security.

Alfred League
2002 Winner
National Security and International Affairs

National Imagery and Mapping Agency NIMA



Provided American military personnel with real-time information they need to ensure operational success and protect our national security.

Collaborated with the New York Fire Department and federal agencies reacting to the World Trade Center catastrophe.

Michael Miller and the DTOS Team
2002 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE



Collaborated with the New York Fire Department and federal agencies reacting to the World Trade Center catastrophe.

Organized and led a team of military personnel that developed a system to secure US airspace in the aftermath of the attacks. American skies are safer because of his work.

Jonathan Blincone
2002 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Program Executive Office for Theater Surface Combatants
Naval Sea Systems Command NSSC



Organized and led a team of military personnel that developed a system to secure US airspace in the aftermath of the attacks. American skies are safer because of his work.

Put his life on the line to save others after the 9/11 Pentagon attack.

Michael Benedict
2002 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Pentagon Police DPS



Put his life on the line to save others after the 9/11 Pentagon attack.

Helped evacuate 6 World Trade Center despite great personal risk and would not leave the building until he was satisfied that no one was left behind.

Nelson Palma
2002 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
Public Buildings Service PBS
General Services Administration GSA



Helped evacuate 6 World Trade Center despite great personal risk and would not leave the building until he was satisfied that no one was left behind.

Created an investigative tool that is being used to find potential terrorists and ensure the security of airports nationwide.

Ronald Ingleby
2002 Finalist
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

Social Security Administration SSA



Created an investigative tool that is being used to find potential terrorists and ensure the security of airports nationwide.

Organized multi-agency personnel into a cohesive unit which led to a reduction in narcotics trafficking and crime in South Florida.

Robert Rutherford
2002 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Customs Service



Organized multi-agency personnel into a cohesive unit which led to a reduction in narcotics trafficking and crime in South Florida.

Directed the safe and orderly seaborne evacuation of 70,000 confused and frightened people from Lower Manhattan amidst the chaos of the September 11 attacks.

Kenneth Concepcion
2002 Winner
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

U.S. Coast Guard USCG



Directed the safe and orderly seaborne evacuation of 70,000 confused and frightened people from Lower Manhattan amidst the chaos of the September 11 attacks.

Provided the American public with a high level of dedication and compassion in the mental health field, specifically in working to reduce school violence.

Anne Matthew-Younes
2002 Finalist
Citizen Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration



Provided the American public with a high level of dedication and compassion in the mental health field, specifically in working to reduce school violence.

Led the development of an improved measure of poverty which more accurately reflects the needs of the poor; this will help leaders effectively target resources toward improving economic well-being.

Daniel Weinburg
2002 Winner
Citizen Services
Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
U.S. Census Bureau USCB



Led the development of an improved measure of poverty which more accurately reflects the needs of the poor; this will help leaders effectively target resources toward improving economic well-being.

Enhanced airport security and helped in the effort against illegal drugs.

Duane Blackburn
2002 Finalist
Call to Service
Dahlgren Division
US Navy Naval Sea Systems Command NAVSEA



Enhanced airport security and helped in the effort against illegal drugs.

Impacted the nation’s defense policies while acting with a great sense of commitment and professionalism.

Mark Jacobson
2002 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of Defense DOD



Impacted the nation’s defense policies while acting with a great sense of commitment and professionalism.

Her deftness as an attorney has resulted in numerous convictions and the forfeiture of tens of millions of dollars later reimbursed to victims of criminal schemes.

Carolyn Miller
2002 Finalist
Call to Service

Department of Justice DOJ



Her deftness as an attorney has resulted in numerous convictions and the forfeiture of tens of millions of dollars later reimbursed to victims of criminal schemes.

Played a leading role in developing policies to improve relations with a key U.S. ally and helped advance the formulation of America’s post-Cold War national security policy.

Rachel Billingslea
2002 Winner
Call to Service

Department of Defense DOD



Played a leading role in developing policies to improve relations with a key U.S. ally and helped advance the formulation of America’s post-Cold War national security policy.

Led with concern for his colleagues and fearlessness in the face of great danger throughout his career.

David Webb
2002 Finalist
Career Achievement

Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA



Led with concern for his colleagues and fearlessness in the face of great danger throughout his career.

Bravely served his nation in war and as a civilian and inspired young people to explore careers in science and engineering.

Samuel Massenberg
2002 Finalist
Career Achievement

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA



Bravely served his nation in war and as a civilian and inspired young people to explore careers in science and engineering.

Put himself at risk for over 20 years so that American soldiers could better understand and disarm unexploded foreign military weapons.

Alan Richwald
2002 Finalist
Career Achievement
Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
US Army Materiel Command AMC



Put himself at risk for over 20 years so that American soldiers could better understand and disarm unexploded foreign military weapons.

Served the Veteran’s Administration for 40 years with exceptional knowledge, training and compassion, along with an unsurpassed dedication to serving others.

Frances Selsnick
2002 Finalist
Career Achievement

Veterans Administration VA



Served the Veteran’s Administration for 40 years with exceptional knowledge, training and compassion, along with an unsurpassed dedication to serving others.

Helped enhance scientific career opportunities for women and minorities through a lifetime of service.

Katharine Gebbie
2002 Winner
Career Achievement

National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST



Helped enhance scientific career opportunities for women and minorities through a lifetime of service.

Brought to justice two of the men responsible for the infamous 1963 bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, nearly 40 years after they had committed the crime.

William L. Fleming and Ben H. Herren
2002 Winner
Federal Employee of the Year

Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Brought to justice two of the men responsible for the infamous 1963 bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, nearly 40 years after they had committed the crime.

2015-2016 Photos by Aaron Clamage Photography