Senior civil servants feted
Connecting state and local government leaders
The Senior Executives Association's Professional Development League recognizes 62 senior civil servants for sustained, extraordinary accomplishments.
Amid the decorative splendor of the State Department's Diplomatic Reception Rooms, the Senior Executives Association's Professional Development League last night recognized 62 senior civil servants for sustained, extraordinary accomplishments at the 21st annual Presidential Distinguished Rank Awards black-tie banquet.
The Presidential Distinguished Rank award is the highest honor that can be given to a civilian federal employee.
Among those honored were Barry L. Carpenter, deputy administrator for the Agriculture Marketing Service's livestock and seed program, who restructured billing processes for the program, including conversion from paper to electronic billing; Deirdre A. Lee, former director of Defense procurement and acquisition policy, who conducted a comprehensive review of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, identified more than 700 possible changes and eliminated 150 pages to shorten cycle times; and Dr. Gregory L. Parham, CIO of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, who conducted an extensive review of the agency's IT investment portfolio, reducing the cost of projects by 30 percent.
SEA president Carol A. Bonosaro, introducing the winners, noted that, collectively, this year's group was responsible for saving the government a total of $52.3 billion with their initiatives.
Delivering the keynote was Stephen Johnson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator and a 2002 Presidential Distinguished Rank executive, who identified three principles for running government effectively and efficiently: results, collaboration and 'science''meaning the ability to collect reliable data so that results can be measured. He described the President's Management Agenda as a powerful tool for reaching those goals.
Johnson also stressed the importance of mentoring to maintaining continuity of leadership in government. "Take somebody with you,' he urged executives.
The 2005 Presidential Distinguished Rank awardees are:
Agriculture Department: Barry L. Carpenter, Dr. Ronald Fayer, William J. Hudnall Jr. and Dr. Gregory L. Parham
Commerce Department: Dr. William D. Phillips and Preston J. Waite
Office of the Secretary of Defense: Dr. Richard P. Burke, Phyllis C. Campbell, Douglas M. Englund, Terrance M. Ford, Deirdre A. Lee, Anthony S. Montemarano, James O. Smyser and Mary E. Tomkey
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Christian Andreasen
National Security Agency: Gregory Smithberger
Air Force Department: James G. Clark, Robert J. Conner and William A. Davidson
Army Department: Kathryn A. Condon, Dr. James R. Houston, Janet C. Menig and M. Lynn Schnurr
Navy Department: Paul C. Hubbell and Dr. Bhakta B. Rath
Education Department: Sue E. Betka
Energy Department: James T. Campbell, Mary H. Egger and Richard F. Moorer
Health and Human Services Department: William H. Gimson and Michael R. McMullan
Homeland Security Department: Jayson P. Ahern, Connie L. Patrick, Gregory D. Rothwell and Mark J. Sullivan
Justice Department: Robert E. Kopp
Drug Enforcement Administration: William Simpkins
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Zalmai Azmi and John S. Pistole
Labor Department: Carol A. De Deo and Edward C. Hugler
State Department: Dr. Charles Thomas Fingar
Transportation Department: James E. Caponiti
Treasury Department: James H. Fall III, Richard L. Gregg and Deborah M. Nolan
Veterans Affairs Department: William F. Feeley and Michael C. Walcoff
Environmental Protection Agency: Susan B. Hazen and E. Timothy Oppelt
General Services Administration: Edward A. Feiner
NASA: Dr. Heinz Erzberger, William H. Gerstenmaier, Ralph R. Roe Jr. and Dr. Edward J. Weiler
National Science Foundation: Dr. Jarvis L. Moyers
National Transportation Safety Board: Daniel D. Campbell
Office of Management and Budget: Arthur G. Fraas
Small Business Administration: Herbert Mitchell
Social Security Administration: Paul D. Barnes and Beatrice M. Disman
Agency for International Development: James E. Painter
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