2018 Finalist Gerald Ankley, Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Gerald Ankley, Ph.D. For three decades, established techniques and standards to identify dangerous chemicals and prevent them from contaminating America’s lakes and waterways
2018 Finalist Jeffrey Elliott Wood Jr. and the North Shore Gang Task Force Safety, Security and International Affairs Jeffrey Elliott Wood Jr. and the North Shore Gang Task Force 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
2018 Finalist Jordan T. Manos Promising Innovations Medal Jordan T. Manos 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
2018 Finalist Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. Promising Innovations Medal Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. 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
2018 Finalist Soheila J. Maleki, Ph.D. Science, Technology and Environment Soheila J. Maleki, Ph.D. 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
2018 Finalist Mark L. Bathrick and the Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Mark L. Bathrick and the Team 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
2018 Finalist Allen R. Hefner Jr., Ph.D. Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Allen R. Hefner Jr., Ph.D. 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
2018 Finalist Barbara G. Kutchko, Ph.D. Science, Technology and Environment Barbara G. Kutchko, Ph.D. 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
2018 Finalist Dave Huizenga Safety, Security and International Affairs Dave Huizenga 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
2018 Finalist Ariel Gold Management Excellence Ariel Gold 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
2018 Finalist Andy Neal and the NFIP Reinsurance Program Team Management Excellence Andy Neal and the NFIP Reinsurance Program Team 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
2017 Winner Phillip A. Brooks, Byron Bunker and Joshua H. Van Eaton Federal Employees of the Year Phillip A. Brooks, Byron Bunker and Joshua H. Van Eaton 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
2017 Winner Timothy P. Camus and the IRS Impersonation Scam Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Timothy P. Camus and the IRS Impersonation Scam Team 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
2017 Winner Rory A. Cooper 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
2017 Winner Flora M. Jordan 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
2017 Winner Courtney Lias, Stayce Beck and the FDA Artificial Pancreas Team Management Excellence Courtney Lias, Stayce Beck and the FDA Artificial Pancreas Team 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
2017 Winner Alex Mahoney and the Middle East Crisis Humanitarian Response Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Alex Mahoney and the Middle East Crisis Humanitarian Response Team 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
2017 Winner Surabhi Shah and the Urban Waters Team People's Choice Award 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
2017 Finalist Brenda B. Smith and the Single Window Team Management Excellence Brenda B. Smith and the Single Window Team 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
2017 Finalist Thomas R. Davis and the Rental Assistance Demonstration Team Management Excellence Thomas R. Davis and the Rental Assistance Demonstration Team 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.
2017 Finalist Elizabeth Angerman and the Unified Shared Services Team Management Excellence Elizabeth Angerman and the Unified Shared Services Team 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
2017 Finalist Jon R. Smibert Safety, Security and International Affairs Jon R. Smibert 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
2017 Finalist Nat Wood and the IdentityTheft.gov Development Team Safety, Security and International Affairs Nat Wood and the IdentityTheft.gov Development Team 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
