2019 Winner Victoria Brahm 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
2019 Winner Ann McKee, M.D. 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
2019 Winner Ryan Shelby, Ph.D. 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
2019 Winner Jamie Rhome 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
2019 Winner Robert Cabana and the Kennedy Space Center Senior Management Team Management Excellence Robert Cabana and the Kennedy Space Center Senior Management Team Transformed the historic Kennedy Space Center into a globally distinguished, multiuser launch site for government and commercial space exploration, helping preserve our country’s leadership in this important field
2019 Winner Daniel B. Jernigan, M.D. 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
2019 Winner Michael R. Bloomberg Spirit of Service Award Michael R. Bloomberg Public Servant, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
2019 Finalist John P. Wagner Safety, Security and International Affairs John P. Wagner 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.
2019 Finalist Kurt Yankaskas Safety, Security and International Affairs Kurt Yankaskas Identified and implemented solutions to combat noise-induced hearing loss, which affects hundreds of thousands of sailors and Marines, and costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year in treatments for veterans
2019 Finalist W. Marston Linehan, M.D. Science, Technology and Environment W. Marston Linehan, M.D. Discovered six different genetic origins of kidney cancer and provided the foundation for the development of targeted therapies that have saved thousands of lives
2019 Finalist Osama El-Lissy Management Excellence Osama El-Lissy Created a highly effective plan that led the United States to become the first and only country to eradicate the pink bollworm, saving cotton growers tens of millions of dollars annually
2019 Finalist Shannon Sartin and Team Management Excellence Shannon Sartin and Team Led the development of digital tools to make it easier for Medicare patients to access their electronic health records and for doctors to receive payment for the quality, not the quantity, of the care they provide
2019 Finalist William K. Boyes, Ph.D Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement William K. Boyes, Ph.D Conducted important research on the harm that commonly used chemicals have on eyesight and the central nervous system, leading to new standards to protect the public from overexposure to these toxic substances
2019 Finalist Emily Joy Haas, Ph.D. Safety, Security and International Affairs Emily Joy Haas, Ph.D. Improved the health and safety of our nation’s mine workers by using behavioral science to influence the adoption of new technologies and practices that reduce their exposure to known hazards
2019 Finalist Venkatachalam “Ram” Ramaswamy, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Venkatachalam “Ram” Ramaswamy, Ph.D. Developed a state-of-the-art modeling system to enhance understanding and prediction of global climate and provide earlier and more accurate forecasts of severe weather events, helping save lives and property
2019 Finalist Paul Shute, Christopher Aragao and David Enright Management Excellence Paul Shute, Christopher Aragao and David Enright Dramatically cut the time and manpower needed to make decisions on service-related mental health claims for veterans, helping tens of thousands of individuals each year receive their benefits faster
2019 Finalist Emily Banuelos and the Taxiway Tango Tiger Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Emily Banuelos and the Taxiway Tango Tiger Team Designed and implemented enhanced surveillance technology that warns when commercial aircraft are lined up to land on a taxiway instead of the intended runway, averting the potential for catastrophic accidents
2019 Finalist McMahan “Mac” Louis Gray Science, Technology and Environment McMahan “Mac” Louis Gray Created a game-changing technology that removes carbon dioxide from power plant emissions and absorbs heavy metals, such as lead, from municipal water supplies
2019 Finalist Michael G. Kozak Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Michael G. Kozak For nearly five decades, helped shape foreign policy to protect U.S. interests abroad and advance democracy and human rights around the world
2019 Finalist Othmane Benafan, Ph.D. Science, Technology and Environment Othmane Benafan, Ph.D. Advanced the science and use of a special alloy that returns to its original shape after being heated, leading to groundbreaking technologies that enable safer, more efficient aviation and space exploration
2019 Finalist Arthur A. Allen Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Arthur A. Allen Pioneered and perfected a modeling program that predicts where people lost at sea will be found, cutting search and rescue times and saving thousands of lives during a 35-year career
2019 Finalist Christina A. Neal and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Team Science, Technology and Environment Christina A. Neal and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Team Carefully monitored a large and sustained eruption of the Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaii and provided vital updates to protect residents, tourists and property from ash, lava and toxic fumes
2019 Finalist James McWhirter, Mark W. Pletcher and the Navy Bribery Scandal Team Safety, Security and International Affairs James McWhirter, Mark W. Pletcher and the Navy Bribery Scandal Team Uncovered and prosecuted the largest bribery and corruption scandal in the history of the U.S. Navy, resulting in dozens of federal criminal convictions and sanctions against numerous Navy officers
2019 Finalist Kara L. De Castro Safety, Security and International Affairs Kara L. De Castro Led pivotal international programs to convert weapons-grade nuclear materials for civilian use and enhanced security cultures to guard against their mishandling and misuse
2019 Finalist Leticia Pibida, Ph.D. Safety, Security and International Affairs Leticia Pibida, Ph.D. Strengthened our nation’s defenses against nuclear and radioactive threats by developing performance standards and tests for detection systems that screen nearly 7 million cargo containers entering U.S. seaports every year
2019 Finalist Kristen P. Finne Safety, Security and International Affairs Kristen P. Finne Developed a system for first responders to quickly locate and assist 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries who rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment and are at risk during prolonged power outages