Honorees

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Melissa Emrey-Arras

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

Laura K. Cooper and The Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Policy team

Created the structure for a nimble, meaningful response by the U.S. and its allies to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s unprovoked aggression and deliver military supplies at an unprecedented pace.

Spirit of Service Award

Judy Woodruff

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

Fletcher Schoen and Jennifer Harkins

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

Federal Employee of the Year

Gregory Robinson

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

Krista Kinnard

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Dr. H. Clifford Lane, M.D.

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Cynthia A. Newberg

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

Barbara C. Morton

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

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

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

People's Choice Award

Josh Josa

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Evan R. Kwerel, Ph.D.

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

Spirit of Service Award

Darren Walker

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Reem M. Ghandour, DrPH

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

Callie I. Higgins, Ph.D.

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

Kizzmekia S. Corbett, Ph.D., Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D.

Conducted groundbreaking research that led to the development of highly effective vaccines in record time that are protecting hundreds of millions of people from contracting the deadly coronavirus that swept across the globe in 2020 and 2021.

Ana B. Hinojosa, Eric Choy and team

Directed enforcement actions against companies seeking to import goods produced by forced labor in China and other countries as part of a broader human rights effort to curb modern-day slavery.

Federal Employee of the Year

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

Served as the government’s premier expert and spokesperson on infectious diseases during six presidencies, including taking a prominent role in seeking to protect the public from the highly contagious and deadly new coronavirus that swept through the country and the world in 2020.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Ira Pastan, M.D.

Discovered a new class of drugs that can successfully treat a rare form of leukemia and hold promise to be effective therapies for pancreatic and lung cancer as well as mesothelioma.

Science, Technology and Environment

Beth Ripley, M.D., Ph.D.

Created an interconnected, hospital-based 3D printing network that is assisting health care providers with medical procedures, reducing unnecessary surgeries and helping improve quality of life for veterans.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Donna F. Dodson

Recognized as one of the nation’s premier cybersecurity experts, having helped develop the first commercially available encryption standards as well as state-of-the-art guidelines for government and industry to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks.

Vikram Krishnasamy, M.D.

Established a training program and communications network to help local public health officials deal with the opioid epidemic, including coordinating outreach to patients when law enforcement arrested medical professionals for illegal conduct.

Corvelli A. McDaniel, Lorraine Cole, Ph.D.

Created an innovative program for large commercial financial institutions to provide management and technical assistance to help small and minority-owned banks strengthen their balance sheets and better serve low-income communities.

Federal Employee of the Year

Victoria Brahm

Restored the quality and safety of a broken health care center for veterans that had become notorious for unsafe medical practices, excessive opioid use and a toxic work environment

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Ann McKee, M.D.

Revolutionized scientific research and our understanding of the long-term effects of concussions, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in veterans and athletes

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Ryan Shelby, Ph.D.

Provided vital training and resources to help people in Haiti rebuild thousands of homes and roofs ripped apart by a Category 4 hurricane, making the structures safer and stronger to withstand future disasters

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Jamie Rhome

Created a new forecasting model and warning system that more accurately predicts the deadly storm surge caused by hurricanes, saving lives by alerting residents sooner of the approaching danger

Science, Technology and Environment

Daniel B. Jernigan, M.D.

Led response efforts for dozens of disease crises, including Ebola, SARS and West Nile virus, while greatly improving our country’s ability to identify, prepare for and respond to inevitable flu pandemics

Spirit of Service Award

Jeff Bezos

Built successful businesses that deliver everyday goods and services, advance space exploration and contribute to our national security and the public good, and launched large-scale philanthropic initiatives to help homeless families and improve educational opportunities in low-income communities

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Andrew M. Herscowitz and the Power Africa Team

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Margaret Honein, Ph.D.

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

Daniel L. Kastner, M.D., Ph.D.

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

Alison Smith, Ph.D.

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D.

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Rory A. Cooper

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

Promising Innovations Medal

Flora M. Jordan

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

Surabhi Shah and the Urban Waters Team

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Tedd V. Ellerbrock

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Kathleen Hogan

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.

Thomas A. Mariani, Steven O’Rourke and Sarah D. Himmelhoch

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.

Lisa M. Jones

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.