Federal News Radio has announced the winners of
the third annual Causey Awards, recognizing
human-resources professionals who have gone
above and beyond to h...
Federal News Radio has announced the winners of the third annual Causey Awards, recognizing human-resources professionals who have gone above and beyond to help the government operate better.
The awards, named for Federal News Radio Senior Correspondent Mike Causey, are in tribute to his life-long dedication to the reporting of federal workforce management and federal pay and benefits issues.
The recipients were nominated by their peers for outstanding achievements and important contributions in the human capital management field in 2011. A panel of expert judges selected the final winners.
Below, find more information about each of the winners. Federal News Radio will interview each award recipient this week. Find links to those interviews, plus video excerpts with the winners, below.
Andrews helped create a process-oriented approach to human capital management, her colleagues say, including “creating a shared vision and mission” with an 80-member IT team. At the Peace Corps, appointments carry a maximum length of five years, and Andrews worked to retain institutional knowledge amid annual enforced turnover of 20 percent.
Human Resources Specialist Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration
O’Brien led the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General’s telework initiative, which increased the number of teleworking employees from as few as five employees to 90 regular teleworkers. “Through Mr. O’Brien’s innovative thinking, his outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, and his hard work, OIG has become a model for SSA to implement telework initiatives,” said the colleague, who nominated O’Brien for the Causey Awards.
Deputy Comptroller for Human Resources Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Treasury Department
Pointer spearheaded the human capital effort to integrate the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) within the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. She managed the transition of 700 employees “without a single employee being displaced or experiencing adverse impact,” one of her colleagues told Federal News Radio.
Director Veteran Employment Services Office Veterans Affairs
Santiago manages the VA program, “VA for Vets,” the new high-tech platform for recruiting, retaining and reintegrating veterans into the workforce. The colleague that nominated Santiago said, “Through her innate leadership abilities, dedication, and ability to foster collaboration across stakeholders, [she] has spent the last year leveraging her passion and unwavering commitment to supporting veterans and implementing VA for Vets.”
Deputy Associate Director Executive Resources & Employee Development Office of Personnel Management
Shih was responsible for designing a new performance appraisal system for the Senior Executive Service to better meet the performance-management standards of all agencies. One of Shih’s colleagues said his efforts are “particularly impressive not only because of the unity in effort and solution but also because of the exceptional efficiency and speed in which the initiative was accomplished.”
eDiplomacy Liaison Officer Bureau of Information Resources Management (IRM) State Department
Williams has been a strong advocate for improving staffing of the State Department’s IT positions. As a mid-level officer, she organized a global workforce survey requiring State’s IT staff “to take a hard look at the work activities, staff structure and skills required to meet the department’s future strategies,” the nominating colleague said.