An inside look at the ‘Oscars’ of government: Meet our 2024 Sammies winners
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Partnership or Public Service hosted the 23rd annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
This year’s ceremony—livestreamed through Cox Media’s YurView platform—recognized 25 outstanding individuals and teams working in 20 different agencies and subcomponents.
Fittingly, the gala took place on Sept. 11, a day when public servants in New York and across the nation answered the call to serve to keep our country safe. Chosen from more than 530 nominations, our honorees continued this legacy, responding to major crises, protecting vulnerable communities and delivering vital services to the public.
Celebrating this year’s honorees
Renowned writer and comedian W. Kamau Bell emceed the awards program, which welcomed agency leaders, members of Congress and the media, and others from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including bestselling author Michael Lewis, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.
“The honorees here, like all civil servants, … protect our health and safety, come up with innovative ways to benefit our country and provide critical continuity across presidential administrations.”
President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service
Meet the 2024 Service to America Medals winners
Federal Employee of the Year Medal
At the Department of Labor, Nancy Alcantara, Shannon Rebolledo, Justin Uphold and the Packers Sanitation Leads Team discovered more than 100 children ages 13 to 17 illegally working on dangerous machinery in 13 meat slaughterhouses across eight states.
“[The members of this team] … follow every lead no matter where it takes them. They relentlessly dig for clues, building on the work of dedicated public servants before them.”
White House Chief of Staff
Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Medal
Christopher Mark of the Mine Safety and Health Administration devoted a lengthy career to preventing fatalities from roof falls and other underground mining disasters, saving countless lives.
Read: Michael Lewis’ Washington Post feature on Christopher Mark.
Safety, Security and International Affairs Medal
At the Environmental Protection Agency, Pete Guria, Steve Calanog, Tara Fitzgerald and the 2023 Maui Wildfires Emergency Response Team removed tons of hazardous materials while respecting local cultural norms during the devastating Maui wildfires.
Emerging Leaders Medal
Jerry Ma of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office developed new technology tools for patent office personnel and the public and led efforts to establish the agency’s approach toward using artificial intelligence for inventions seeking patents.
Management Excellence Medal
Amira Boland, formerly of the Office of Management and Budget, pioneered policies to improve government services and the customer experience in areas ranging from newborn care and disaster assistance to renewing passports online.
Science, Technology and Environment Medal
At the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Marc Levitan, Long Phan and the Tornado Wind Loads Team created the world’s first tornado-resistant building codes, conducting groundbreaking research that will save lives and protect critical facilities like schools, hospitals and emergency centers.
Other noted honorees
This year’s People’s Choice Award went to Yan Ping (Judy) Chen and Jay D. Evans, two scientists at the Department of Agriculture who are revolutionizing bee disease diagnosis and treatment.
We also recognized Chris Evans, Mark Kassen and Joe Kiani as our 2024 Spirit of Service Award winners. The threesome co-founded “A Starting Point,” a civic engagement platform that strives to create bipartisan communication and connection between the public and elected officials.
Members of the media and the public have been congratulating the winners and spreading the word about their accomplishments.
- The New Yorker, “The Oscars for the Deep State,” by Casey Cep.
- The Washington Post, “Feds cited for outstanding work are the opposite of ‘rogue bureaucrats’,” by Joe Davidson.
- Axios, “2024 Sammies awards: Saluting pioneering public servants,” by Mike Allen.
- Federal News Network, “2024 Sammies highlight extraordinary work of public servants at ‘vital’ time,” by Drew Friedman.
- Government Executive, “These are the 2024 winners of the ‘Oscars’ of government service,” by Sean Michael Newhouse.
Be part of the celebration by sharing the winners’ stories on social media with #Sammies2024.
💡Visit our Protecting Democracy website to learn why career civil servants are vital to our country and how you can help us support the nonpartisan, merit-based federal workforce.
Photo credit for all photos above: Allison Shelley for the Partnership for Public Service.
