Meet the Honorees

This premier awards program for career federal employees, known as the Sammies and considered the “Oscars” of public service, shines the spotlight on remarkable accomplishments that benefit the nation, seeks to build trust in our government and illustrates the role of the nonpartisan civil service, highlighting what we lose when it is disrupted.

Science, Technology and Environment

Brandon Wales

Protected government and commercial computer networks from highly sophisticated and damaging cyberattacks, safeguarding the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and reducing the risks of devastating ransomware attacks.

David Rader

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

Edward Sisco, Ph.D.

Devised a new method for crime laboratories to identify opioids and other drugs more quickly and safely, providing critical information to law enforcement while protecting lab employees from dangerous substances.

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.

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Paul Friday

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Eric J. “Rocky” Feuer

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

Science, Technology and Environment

Cheryl T. Seager

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

Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement

Ralph Roe Jr.

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

Management Excellence

Antonio Rios

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

Mark Williams, Ph.D.

Documented how agricultural runoff containing nitrogen and phosphorous used in fertilizers migrate into and pollute waterways, prompting new farming conservation practices to protect the environment.

Science, Technology and Environment

Joseph Poux Jr.

Organized a series of global environmental law enforcement operations targeting marine pollution and hazardous waste dumping that uncovered thousands of violations and led to the prosecution of countless individuals, companies and criminal networks.

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.

Safety, Security and International Affairs

Chong Le

Oversaw the development of a $1 billion Air Force satellite system that will enable prediction of major weather events and natural disasters, providing military leaders and civilian authorities with information needed to make crucial, life-saving decisions.

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.

Adam Jacoff and the Emergency Response Robotics team

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

Management Excellence

Mary D. Gibert

Successfully coordinated the federal assistance effort for the 2020–21 presidential transition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a disputed election.

William Hart-Cooper, Ph.D.

Created novel formulations for disinfectants and packaging that break down into harmless substances after use, protecting human health and reducing environmental pollution.

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.