A Remarkable Career

The President's Award for
Distinguished Federal Civilian Service

Remarks by
THE HON. DAN G. BLAIR
Acting Director
U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Delivered at the Office of Personnel Management
Steven R. Cohen Salute
Washington D.C.

March 4, 2005

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This is a real treat for me. In fact, I've taken it upon myself to declare today "Steve Cohen Day" here at OPM.

One of the greatest advantages of my job is the opportunity to pay tribute to those unique and special individuals who make the Federal workforce the envy of the world. Steve Cohen is one of those individuals.

The contribution he has made to America is reflected in the fact that the award he receives today, the "President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service," is the highest honor the Federal Government can grant to a career civilian employee.

Steve is the only employee of the Office of Personnel Management, or our predecessor agency, the Civil Service Commission, to receive the award. Indeed, he is the only recipient to be so recognized for contributions to the field of human resource management.

The definition that comes to mind whenever we think of Steve is simply…and profoundly: "Public servant."

And, Steve is a public servant in the highest sense of the term. In 1962 when President Kennedy challenged Americans to ask what they could do for their country, Steve accepted the challenge.

In the merit-based civil service created in the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt, Steve excelled. Over a career that spanned five decades, Steve devoted his life to promoting those ideals and to giving them life and substance.

With his wife Carol, Steve moved between Washington, D.C. - where he served three tours of duty - and three different regional offices. Wherever his country needed him, he went.

In 2001, Steve Cohen was back in Washington as head of OPM's Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness. His role was to serve as guardian of the American civil service he loves so well, ensuring that the foundational principles of merit were fairly and aggressively applied.

He fully expected this position would be the capstone on his distinguished civil service career.

But President George W. Bush had different plans. He tapped Steve to serve as the Acting Director of OPM.

Steve will try to tell you he felt somewhat overwhelmed as he took his seat in the Director's Office. Don't believe it. He is the consummate professional and he set the standard to which I aspire in my current role. In fact, many of you might not know that Steve was scheduled to retire last month. But, when I learned that I would be assuming the Acting Director position, I asked him to stay on for at least one more month. You know, it's nice to have a security blanket at times - and Steve has been that for me.

I'm not the only person who has leaned on Steve. When Kay Coles James arrived as the new Director, she asked Steve to come stay as her Senior Policy Advisor.

On the tragic morning of September 11, Steve Cohen was a key member of the OPM team, one of the wise counsels relied upon for advice and assistance during those first tense minutes and hours as we confronted the murderous attacks on America.

In the difficult weeks and months that followed, he was the voice of the civil service. His love and concern for his country and for the health and safety of his fellow teammates became our compass as we traveled the uncharted territory of terror alerts, of Anthrax threats and irradiated mail.

Steve retired briefly, but when OPM needed an extraordinary person to take on the formidable assignment of standing up the new Department of Homeland Security, we again called on Steve. And, once again, Steve heeded the call. He took on the historic challenge of designing model personnel systems for his beloved civil service - and saw it to completion with the publication of the final regulations earlier this year.

It will be his legacy now that the torch he has carried so steadily is passed on to a new generation, to take their place in the long line of men and women who - like young Steve Cohen forty years before - chose to work for something greater than themselves by answering our Nation's call to serve.

Steve is a trusted colleague and friend and I'm thrilled to be a part of this ceremony to acknowledge your achievements.

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