Service to America Medals - 2011 Finalists

The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals or Sammies recognizes federal employees who have done outstanding work in public service. This year, 34 feds were named finalists in eight categories.

The Partnership for Public Service awarded the winners in a Sept. 15 award gala in Washington.

Prior to the gala, Federal News Radio talked to each of the finalists about their accomplishments. (All photos are by Sam Kittner/Kittner.com.)

Call to Service

This award will recognize a fed whose professional achievements reflect the important contributions that a new generation brings to public service.

	KATHERINE ANTOS *Position:* Water Quality Team Leader *Agency:* Environmental Protection Agency *Location:* Annapolis, Md. Listen to the interview.		OLIVER P. FISCHER *Position:* Demographer/Conflict Monitoring and Response Officer *Agency:* Census Bureau *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.
	MARY PLETCHER *Position:* Deputy Recovery Coordinator and Acting Deputy Director, National Business Center *Agency:* Interior *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.

Career Achievement
This award recognizes a federal employee for significant accomplishments throughout a lifetime of achievement in public service.
	ALFONSO BATRES *Position:* Chief Officer, Readjustment Counseling Service *Agency:* Veterans Health Administration *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.	MATTHEW J. FRIEDMAN *Position:* Executive Director, National Center for PTSD *Agency:* Veterans Affairs *Location:* White River Junction, Vt. Listen to the interview.
	NEAL B. BROWN *Position:* Chief, Community Support Programs Branch *Agency:* Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration *Location:* Rockville, Md. Listen to the interview.	SHARON W. BRYSON *Position:* Deputy Director, Office of Communications *Agency:* National Transportation Safety Board *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.
	LAWRENCE DEYTON *Position:* Director, Center for Tobacco Products *Agency:* Food and Drug Administration *Location:* Rockville, Md. Listen to the interview.

Citizen Services
This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to social services (including economic development and assistance, education, health care, housing, labor and transportation).
	DIANE BRAUNSTEIN *Position:* Associate Commissioner, Office of International Programs *Agency:* Social Security Administration *Location:* Baltimore, Md. Listen to the interview.	KIM M.NAZI & BLUE BUTTON INITIATIVE TEAM *Position:* Analyst, Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office *Agency:* Veterans Health Administration *Location:* Albany, N.Y. Listen to the interview.
	JULIE RUSHIN *Position:* Deputy Chief Information Officer for Operations Support *Agency:* Internal Revenue Service *Location:* Atlanta, Ga.

OMNIBUS BROADBAND INITIATIVE TEAM *Agency:* Federal Communications Commission *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview
	JULIUS KNAPP Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology		RUTH MILKMAN Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau		SHARON GILLETT Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau

Homeland Security
This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to homeland security (including border and transportation security, emergency preparedness and response, intelligence and law enforcement).
	WILLIAM ARRINGTON *Position:* General Manager, Highway and Motor Carrier Security Division *Agency:* Transportation Security Administration *Location:* Arlington, Va. Listen to the interview.	C. NORMAN COLEMAN *Position:* Associate Director, Radiation Research Program *Agency:* National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute *Location:* Rockville, Md. Listen to the interview.
	AMY MERTEN & ERMA TEAM *Position:* Spatial Data Branch Chief, Office of Response and Restoration *Agency:* National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration *Location:* Seattle, Wash. Listen to the interview.	RICHARD REED *Position:* : Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Resilience Policy *Agency:* Executive Office of the President *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.

Justice and Law Enforcement
This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to justice and law enforcement (including civil rights, criminal justice, counterterrorism, and fraud detection and prevention).
	TARYN GUARIGLIA *Position:* Special Agent *Agency:* Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation *Location:* Deerfield Beach, Fla.	CHARLES J. HOUSER & TEAM *Position:* Chief, National Tracing Center Division *Agency:* Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives *Location:* Martinsburg, W.Va.
	CHARLES HEURICH & NamUs TEAM *Position:* Program Manager, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System *Agency:* Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.

TEAM *Agency:* Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.
	KATHERINE MCQUAY Assistant Director		ZOE MENTEL Assistant Director Policy Analyst

Management Excellence
This medal recognizes a federal employee for demonstrating superior leadership and management excellence through a significant contribution to the nation that exemplifies efficient, effective and results-oriented government.
	W. TODD GRAMS *Position:* Acting Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer *Agency:* Veterans Affairs *Location:* Washington, D.C. Click to hear the interview.	BILL GUERIN *Position:* Assistant Commissioner for Project Delivery, Public Buildings Service *Agency:* General Services Administration *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.
	ANN MARIE OLIVA *Position:* Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs *Agency:* Department of Housing and Urban Development *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.	MICHAEL B. SMITH *Position:* Director of Strategic Sourcing *Agency:* Homeland Security *Location:* Washington, D.C.

National Security and International Affairs
This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to national security and international affairs (including defense, military affairs, diplomacy, foreign assistance and trade).
	PAUL B. DEAN *Position:* Attorney-Adviser, Office of the Legal Adviser *Agency:* State *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.	JAMES MICHAEL DUNCAN & TEAM *Position:* Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Johnson Space Center *Agency:* NASA *Location:* Houston, Texas Listen to the interview.
	DAN MEYER & TEAM *Position:* Director, Whistleblowing and Transparency *Agency:* Defense Department, Office of the Inspector General *Location:* Arlington, Va. Listen to the interview.	BRIAN H. NILSSON & EXPORT CONTROL REFORM TEAM *Position:* Director for Non-Proliferation, Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate *Agency:* Executive Office of the President, National Security Staff *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.
	JANET ST. LAURENT *Position:* Managing Director for Defense Capabilities and Management *Agency:* Government Accountability Office *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.

Science and Environment
This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to science and environment (including biomedicine, economics, energy, information technology, meteorology, resource conservation and space).
	FENELLA FRANCE *Position:* Preservation Scientist, Preservation Research and Testing Division *Agency:* Library of Congress *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.	WILLIAM A. GAHL *Position:* Director, Undiagnosed Diseases Program *Agency:* National Institutes of Health *Location:* Bethesda, Md. Listen to the interview.
	PAUL HSIEH *Position:* Research Hydrologist *Agency:* U.S. Geological Survey *Location:* Menlo Park, Calif. Listen to the interview.	DIANE POWELL & LAUNCH TEAM *Position:* Team lead, LAUNCH, Office of the Chief Technologist *Agency:* NASA *Location:* Washington, D.C. Listen to the interview.

Check out Federal News Radio interviews with past Sammies finalists.

Service to America Medals – 2011 Finalists

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