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Assistant regional Federal Technology Service administrator Marcella Banks is the latest recipient of the Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership award.
HERSHEY, Pa.'For more than 20 years Marcella Banks shared the trials and tribulations of being an assistant regional administrator with the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service with longtime friend Janice Mendenhall.
Together the two attempted to provide agency customers with effective and efficient service while also creating innovations in the way FTS serves its customers. Banks and Mendenhall worked together until Mendenhall's death in 2001.
So when Banks found out that she had won the Industry Advisory Council/American Council for Technology award named after her friend, she was both surprised and honored.
'I hope Janice is rolling over in her grave, but I hope it is a good roll-over,' Banks said with a smile. 'This is a great honor, and I will do my best to uphold this honor.'
Banks joins other recipients of the Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership award, including former GSA employees Virginia McCormick and Sandy Bates, former DOD official Howard Ady, and Army program officer for enterprise programs Kevin Carroll as those honored for their commitment to the government IT community.
'Marcella is [able] to impart a vision and practices the art of listening,' Carroll said, introducing Banks at the 2005 Executive Leadership Conference sponsored by the IAC and ACT.
Banks has been in government for 48 years, the last 38 with GSA. She is assistant regional FTS administrator for the southwest region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Before coming to GSA, Banks spent 10 years working for the Air Force.
Banks said working with Mendenhall to improve access to federal opportunities for Native Americans is one of her proudest accomplishments while at GSA.
Additionally, Banks spearheaded the design and award of the Millennia Lite contract and initiated a board-of-directors organizational model within GSA.
Banks has a bachelor of business administration degree from Western Colorado University and has completed numerous courses in management, leadership, financial management, quality management and benchmarking. She also attended the Federal Executive Institute.
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