Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recently convened a panel of 12 private citizens in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to consider nominations for an elite award given to federal employees.

Members of the Presidential Rank Award Meritorious Review Board reviewed the accomplishments of nominees -- career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), and the Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST) communities -- for the 2004 Presidential Meritorious Rank Award with the Bush Administration's goals and criteria for sustained accomplishment in the management of federal programs and services.

Following a review of the panel's work, OPM Director Kay Coles James will make her recommendations to President George W. Bush, who will make the final selections and announce the award recipients later this year.

"Through their service on the Presidential Rank Award Meritorious Review Board, these volunteers from New Mexico are helping the Bush Administration honor the very best among our federal civil servants who have chosen a noble calling -- public service," said James. Appointees to the board came from the federal, state, military and corporate communities. "Members of the board have taken their task to heart, and I know their recommendations reflect the honesty, objectivity and integrity each has brought to the table."

Second only to the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Service, the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Service is a high honor bestowed upon career federal employees. The award recognizes members of the career SES, SL and ST communities, the federal government's top cadre of managers and senior professionals, who have a consistent record of integrity, industry and commitment to public service. Members of these communities manage many of the nation's most vital programs in defense, intelligence, the environment, energy, agriculture and others.

The SES, SL and ST are comprised of 7,300 dedicated employees out of a federal work force of 1.8 million, and members are highly valued for their management, leadership and technical skills. And while they are small in numbers, an even smaller population is recognized each year with a Rank Award.

Nominees for the award must demonstrate a commitment to public service and possess a record of extraordinary leadership that is recognized at the agency level or acknowledged on a national or international level. Nominees are evaluated against meaningful and balanced criteria that have been adjusted to reflect the evolution of government services and the increasing complexity of federally managed programs. Successful nominees must demonstrate a record of achievement in:

• Leading Change
• Leading People
• Being Results Driven
• Possessing Business Acumen
• Building Coalitions/Communications

Members of the SL and ST communities are evaluated under different criteria, including technical leadership in the professional community and noteworthy improvements in the quality and efficiency of the civil service.

Over the next few months, additional Presidential Rank Award Meritorious Review Boards will meet across the country to consider nominees for the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.

Members of the Presidential Rank Award Meritorious Review Board are:

• Yvonne Chicoine, Board Member, St. Elizabeth Shelter
• Ashton B. Collins Jr, President and CEO, Collins Capital Corporation
• Arthur B. Cordova, Campus Director, TVI South Valley Campus
• Frank Gerstle Jr, Ph.D., Consultant
• Judy Moore, Community Support Liaison, Albuquerque Public Schools
• Geraldine E. Rivera, District Judge, Second Judicial District Court, Albuquerque
• Bruce Shaffer, Marketing Manager, Talbot Agency
• William B. Thompson, Commander, United States Navy (Retired)
• Joe L. Valles, Dentist
• Glenn Walters, Owner, GW Enterprises
• Carol Wight, CEO, New Mexico Restaurant Association
• Jon K. Zaman, Development Director, Albuquerque Rescue Mission

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.