Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals


The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as "the Sammies", honor members of the federal government workforce, highlighting the work of employees making significant contributions to the governance of the United States. The awards are considered "the Oscars" of American government service. The Sammies accordingly celebrate excellence in the federal merit service.

Background

The awards have been presented annually since 2002 by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence in the U.S. federal civil service, and are named for Samuel J. Heyman, the organization's founder. To date, over 120 individuals and teams have been recognized.

Selection process

The Sammies are chosen from nominations collected each winter, and narrowed down to about 30 finalists announced mid-spring of each year during Public Service Recognition Week. The finalists are assessed, and from their ranks, eight awardees are selected by early fall. The Sammies selection committee is composed of nationally known journalists, political leaders, educators, and executives of large corporations. The eight awards cover the various sectors of federal public service. Honorees are chosen for their commitment and innovation, as well as the impact of their work on addressing the needs of the republic. Awardees are announced each fall at a dinner and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Sammies finalists are those federal employees confronting complex issues of governance, including environmental, national security, and economic challenges. One criterion of the award is to qualify from among a dynamic group of talented, bright individuals working on behalf of the American people. The awards are organized and presented by the non-profit organization Partnership for Public Service.

Recipients

2000s

Source:
WinnersCategory
2002William Fleming & Ben Herren
Katharine Blodgett Gebbie
Daniel Weinberg
Rachel Billingslea
Kenneth Conepcion
Robert Rutherford
Alfred League
Donald Sweeney
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2003Stephen McHale
James P. Bagain
Nelson Hernandez
Denise Johnson
Alyson McFarland
Earl Stockdale
Riaz Awan
Paul Polski
Edward J. Needham
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2004Robert F. Clifford
Prudence Bushnell
Eileen Harrington
Nicole Nelson-Jean
Deborah S. Jin
Stephen E. Browning
Peter Darling
Brad Gair
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2005Orlando Figueroa
Barbara Turner
Terence Lutes
Kevin McAleenan
Subhashree Madhavan
Tobin Bradley
Elizabeth Grossman
Alan Estevez
Steven Bice
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2006Nancy Cox
William Daniel Phillips
Thomas Casadevall
Christina Sanford
Norden E. Huang
Mark S. Ward
Nancy Jo Powell
W. Martin Harrell
Ron McNeal
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2007Douglas R. Lowly & John T. Schiller
David Vesely
Dinah F. B. Cohen
Nicole Faison
Frazer Lockhart
Tracy Mustin
John S. Morgan
Anh Duong
Edward Messmer
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2008Richard Greene
Stephen O. Andersen
Rajiv Jain
Alain D. Carballeyra
Steven G. Chalk
Mary Katherine Friedrich
Mark Pletcher
Eddie Bernard
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
2009Janet Kemp
Thomas Alexander Waldmann
Michael German
Clare D. Rowley
Patricia Guerry
T. Allan Comp
Amy Meyer
Donald Burke & Sean P. Dennehy
Walter Benjamin Fisherow
Federal Employee of the Year
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement
Citizen Services
Emerging Leaders
Science and Environment
Science and Environment
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs
Safety, Security and International Affairs