Twelve federal employees joined the ranks of famed U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., as winners of the 63rd Arthur S. Flemming Awards at a ceremony June 4 in George Washington’s Marvin Center.
The public servants, who work at institutions including the Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, the U.S. Census Bureau and National Institutes of Health, were honored for their “exceptional contributions” to the federal government.
The awardees were Craig Brown, Joshua Burger, Tucker McElroy, Nathan Newbury, Leonard Tender, Tom Misteli, Till Rosenband, Clare Waterman, Regina Galer, Elizabeth Gentry, Michael Lauer and Jonathan Kang.
Adm. Thad Allen, M.P.A. ’86, a recipient of GW’s Colin Powell Public Service Award, delivered the keynote address, and GW Provost Steven Lerman opened the ceremony with introductory remarks. Kathryn Newcomer, director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, and Peter Williams, president of the Arthur S. Flemming Awards Commission, served as hosts of the event and recognized several high-profile guests, including Mark Hughes, B.A. ’69, M.S.’77, a university trustee and a Flemming commission member.
Dr. Lerman emphasized the strong relationship the university has with federal employees and the high number of students who work in the government and go on to commit their lives to public service.
“We’re very proud of the way in which we serve the nation, and of course all the awardees here come [in the] spirit of national service,” said Dr. Lerman. “We think that’s a special part of the university. I like to think it’s part of the DNA, in which service to the country, service to society, service to world are all part of what we are educating our students for, and it gives them a purpose that transcends their own individual financial interests.”
Adm. Allen said the awardees are highly respected leaders who have navigated “complex problems” in an increasingly bureaucratic world, and have collaborated across agencies and organizations to tackle “hard things” in their respective fields.
“I don’t think we understand sometimes the premium that’s placed on personal leadership to be able to accomplish hard tasks in that environment,” said Adm. Allen. “That’s the reason these awards tonight are so important, and that’s the reason we should celebrate what these people have done and what they will continue to do for this country.”
The Flemming Awards ceremony was presented by George Washington and the Flemming Commission, in cooperation with the National Academy of Public Administration, and was sponsored by Geico and the Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service.
The awardees were selected by the Flemming Awards Commission and a panel of judges, including Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Dean Peg Barratt and Donald Lehman, the George Gamow Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics. Several GW faculty members, including Diana Lipscomb, the Robert L. Weintraub Professor of Biology, and Department of Chemistry Chair Michael King, serve as consultants to the commission.
Dr. Flemming, LL.B. ’33, was a former secretary of health, education and welfare under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and served in a number of federal organizations, including the National Security Council and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Dr. Flemming the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.