The 2025 Service to America Medals honorees champion a government that works better for all
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® recognize nonpartisan, career federal employees who have made outstanding contributions to our country.
Unlike past years, when honorees were recognized by individual categories, the 2025 program celebrates these individuals and teams in three distinct groups, reflecting their wide range of critical work that benefits the nation.
Meet the 2025 Sammies honorees who ensure our government works better for all of us.
Ensuring fiscal integrity and efficiency
These civil servants safeguard taxpayer dollars and enhance government’s operational effectiveness through rigorous oversight and innovative financial management.
Kristofer Pasquale, Heather McCormick, Alex Meusburger and the SBAOIG Pocket Teams from the Small Business Administration
This team from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General is leading an ongoing nationwide effort to return stolen COVID-19 relief funds to the American taxpayer. They established a new model for prosecuting fraud that so far has led to the return of about $1.2 billion to the federal government.
Renata Miskell, Linda Chero and the Payment Integrity Team from the Department of the Treasury
Renata Miskell and Linda Chero led a Treasury Department team that used data sharing, artificial intelligence and machine learning that prevented and recovered a record-breaking $7 billion in fraud and improper payments in 2024.
Modernizing services for a better customer experience
These honorees are transforming how citizens interact with their government, making essential services more accessible, efficient and user-friendly through technological innovation and process improvements.
Luis Coronado Jr., Matthew Pierce and the Online Passport Renewal Team from the Department of State
This team developed and implemented the first-ever online passport renewal system that eliminated an outdated, paper-heavy process. Inspired by the simplicity of technology used to track food and package deliveries, their innovation dramatically reduced wait times for millions of Americans. As of May 2025, over 2 million Americans successfully renewed their passports using the online service.
Maya Bretzius from the Internal Revenue Service
Maya Bretzius transformed IRS call center operations, significantly cutting wait times for millions of taxpayers. Her innovations, including demand-based modeling, chatbot usage and consolidated taxpayer data, are projected to reduce IRS wait times by 25% to 50%.
Protecting public health, safety and security
These dedicated public servants work to defend the nation from threats to public health, food safety and national security, ensuring the well-being and protection of all Americans through critical programs.
Lydia Carpenter from the Department of Agriculture
Lydia Carpenter, a veterinary medical officer at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, established a breakthrough federal program to prevent, detect and respond to African Swine Fever. This critical initiative safeguards the U.S. pork industry from the potential of billions of dollars in revenue loss and tens of thousands of job losses, also assuring stability of the pork industry for trade partners.
Shane Harrigan from the Department of Justice
With a four-decade federal career, this public servant at the Department of Justice litigated and oversaw the prosecution of numerous high-profile criminal cases. His work included investigations into cases involving associates of 9/11 hijackers, human, firearms and drug traffickers, Iranian sanctions, foreign terrorist organizations and hate crimes, contributing significantly to U.S. national security and justice.
Yakov Pachepsky, Moon Kim and the Sensing and AI Modeling for Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Team from the Department of Agriculture
This team from the Agricultural Research Service created cutting-edge technology to detect contaminants on farms and in food facilities. Their innovations, including drones and handheld scanners, prevent foodborne illnesses that sicken millions of Americans annually, ensuring a safer food supply from farm to table.
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals honorees prove government can work better for all of us. They excel in the critical and often behind-the-scenes operations that strengthen the very foundation of public service.
Read our honorees’ profiles to learn more about their achievements and sign an e-card to congratulate these exceptional public servants.