As the Labor Department’s “Mr. Fix-It”, Edward C. Hugler, the deputy assistant secretary for administration and management, was called in last year when the agency found out its private-sector financial services provider was about to go bankrupt.

Hugler coordinated the efforts of five federal departments in purchasing data rights, software, hardware and intellectual property from the company in order to keep the financial system going. These actions prevented Labor from losing its ability to control $60 billion in annual disbursements.

“We felt secure and confident we would avert a potential crisis because Ed was leading the effort,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu. “The Labor Department doesn’t run without Ed Hugler. He is our problem-solver. We’ve given him a number of complicated problems and he fixes them. He gets things done.”

For being Labor’s go-to problem solver, the Partnership for Public Service named Hugler a finalist for the 2015 Management Excellence Medal. The award honors federal employees who demonstrate superior leadership and management.

Getting to Know Edward C. Hugler

Federal News Radio asked each of the Sammies finalists questions about themselves. Here are Hugler’s responses:

What three words best describe your leadership philosophy?

Challenge, focus and reward. I set high expectations for people, including myself, and I find that they almost always rise to that bar. To succeed, stay focused on the stated outcome. Equally important is celebrating those successes in tangible and intangible ways.

 What’s the best piece of advice (or words of wisdom) you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

From my father, who worked for the U.S. House of Representatives’ then Post Office and Civil Service Committee: “You are only as successful as the people that you recruit and cultivate.” It speaks to the fact that any complex undertaking is a team sport.

Who is your greatest role model and why?

No one person is my role model, although I have been lucky to work with great people. Like all of us, they had and have their strengths and weaknesses, and I try to take lessons from those best traits and practices.

What’s the last thing you read and what’s next on your reading list?

“The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I also want to read another of Mr. McCullough’s books, “Truman“.  President Harry Truman interests me because he seems like an unlikely politician who found himself in the middle of cataclysmic events.

Who would you most like to have lunch with and why?

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. I grew up on the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo manned space program (I remember hearing the Sputnik signals on the radio) and have always been fascinated with the workings of the universe. I admire how Tyson can make the complex science of space accessible to everyone.

The Management Excellence Medal is just one of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) presented annually by the Partnership for Public Service. View a photo gallery of all the Sammies nominees.

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