Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
| Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals | |
|---|---|
 NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, right, presents the National Security and International Affairs Medal to Michael Duncan, former deputy chief medical officer at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at the 2011 Sammies gala in Washington. | |
| Awarded for | Making significant contribution to the country. |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Partnership for Public Service |
| First awarded | Oct. 5, 2002 |
| Official website | Service to America Medals |
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as "the Sammies," honor stars 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.[1] The Sammies accordingly celebrate excellence in the federal merit service.[2]
Background
The awards have been presented annually since 2002 by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence in our federal civil service. 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.
Winners and finalists
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
Emcees and Special Guests
| Year | Emcees | Special Guests |
| 2015 | Chuck Todd | Sally Jewell, Secretary, Department of the Interior
Thomas Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Anthony Foxx, Secretary, Department of Transportation Bruce Andrews, Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce Chris Lu, Deputy Secretary, Department of Labor Ambassador Susan Rice, National Security Advisor Shaun Donovan, Director, Office of Management and Budget Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health Ambassador Jeremiah Sulunteh, Republic of Liberia |
| 2014 | Jake Tapper | Eric Holder, Attorney General, Department of Justice
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services Robert McDonald, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs Shaun Donovan, Director, Office of Management and Budget Robert Work, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense Katherine Archuleta, Director, Office of Personnel Management Charles Bolden, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Julius Genachowski, former chairman, Federal Communications Commission |
| 2013 | Bianna Golodryga | Rand Beers, Acting Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence Ashton Carter, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense Bill Corr, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services Patrick Gallagher, Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Director, Office of Management and Budget Charles Bolden, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office |
| 2012 | Kyra Phillips | John Roberts, Senior National Correspondent, Fox News Channel
Shaun Donovan, Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security Rebecca Blank, Acting Secretary, Department of Commerce Ashton B. Carter, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense William Corr, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (Colorado) U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (California) |
| 2011 | Bob Schieffer | Ken Salazar, Secretary, Department of the Interior
Steven Chu, Secretary, Department of Energy Eric Shinseki, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs James Cole, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice Jeff Zients, Federal Chief Performance Officer, Office of Management and Budget John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management Michael Astrue, Commissioner, Social Security Administration Charles Bolden, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) |
| 2010 | Norah O'Donnell | Shaun Donovan, Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security Gary Grindler, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary, Department of Energy John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Admiral Thad Allen, Deepwater Horizon National Incident Commander, Department of Homeland Security Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (Maryland) |
| 2009 | Elizabeth Vargas | Eric Shinseki, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
Admiral Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence Peter Orszag, Director, Office of Management and Budget Bill Corr, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management Sheila Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Nancy Powell, Director General of the Foreign Service, Department of State |
| 2008 | Rob Riggle | Samuel Bodman, Secretary, Department of Energy
Josh Bolten, White House Chief of Staff Jim Nussle, Director, Office of Management and Budget U.S. Representative David Price (North Carolina) U.S. Representative Tim Murphy (Pennsylvania) U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (Maryland) Ambassador Said Jawad, Afghanistan |
| 2007 | Lester Holt | Michael Leavitt, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
Clay Sell, Deputy Secretary, Department of Energy Donald Winter, Secretary, Department of the Navy David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office Linda Springer, Director, Office of Personnel Management U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (Colorado) U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer, “CSI” Eric Szmanda, Actor, “CSI” |
| 2006 | Gwen Ifill | Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, Deputy Director of National Intelligence
Frances Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security John Marburger, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Linda Springer, Director, Office of Personnel Management Brigadier General Maurice Forsyth, Deputy Director for Global Operations, Joint Staff U.S. Representative Jim Leach (Iowa) U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka |
| 2005 | Wolf Blitzer | Secretary Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security
Ambassador John Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence Josh Bolten, Director, Office of Management and Budget Linda Springer, Director, Office of Personnel Management Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service Cari Dominguez, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Andrew Natsios, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (Nebraska) U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) |
| 2004 | Anderson Cooper | Admiral James Loy, Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
Ambassador Linton F. Brooks, Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office Thomas B. Leary, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission Kay Coles James, Director, Office of Personnel Management John Pistole, Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation Judy Woodruff, Anchor, CNN |
| 2003 | Cokie Roberts | Norman Mineta, Secretary, Department of Transportation
Admiral Jim Loy, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration Sean O’Keefe, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Donald Powell, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation John Bridgeland, Director, USA Freedom Corps U.S. Senator George Voinovich (Ohio) U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico) U.S. Representative Harold Ford, Jr. (Tennessee) U.S. Representative Jack Quinn (New York) |
| 2002 | Judy Woodruff | Norman Mineta, Secretary, Department of Transportation
Governor Tom Ridge, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security Andy Card, White House Chief of Staff and former Secretary of Transportation Kay Coles James, Director, Office of Personnel Management Charles Louis Kincannon, Director, Census Bureau David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office Sean O’Keefe, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration U.S. Representative Connie Morella (Maryland) John Spencer, Actor, NBC’s “The West Wing” |
References
- ↑ Stand-Out Public Servants Receive Coveted Service to America Medals at Washington, D.C. Gala; "Oscars" of Government Service Recipients Work in Washington, D.C., Colorado, Florida, California and Haiti (Sept. 16, 2010); see also Timothy B. Clark, Making a Difference, National Journal (Oct. 7, 2006).
- ↑ Gabrielle Maxey, Risky Business, The University of Memphis Magazine (Fall 2010); see also Marie Gilbert, "Hagerstown man one of 34 finalists for the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals", Herald-Mail (Hagerstown, Maryland)(Aug. 27, 2011) at 1 (reporting on the finalist Daniel P. Meyer from the Department of Defense).