U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

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Presidential Award Winner

The highest honor the Federal Government can grant to a career civilian employee is the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service.

• Award Recipient
• Executive Order 10717, The President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service

Award Recipient. This award was recently given to Dr. Homer C. "Mac" McClure for his leadership of the Oklahoma City Federal Executive Board after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. OPM Director James B. King presented the award on behalf of the President to Dr. McClure for spearheading the effort that brought relief, comfort, and compassion to the victims and to the families of those tragically lost.

After the bombing, Dr. McClure became a catalyst and energizer for implementing Governmentwide reform and improving the methods by which disasters are dealt with. These reforms led to improving Federal building security throughout the United States.

Throughout a career marked by excellence, strength of character, and dedicated service to his community and his country, Dr. McClure earned an outstanding reputation as a persuasive and resourceful leader. He was the Chairman of the Oklahoma City Federal Executive Board and the Director of the Federal Aviation Administration's Aeronautical Center before his retirement on January 3, 1997. Director King also presented Dr. McClure with an American flag as a symbol of his long and distinguished Federal career.

Executive Order 10717, The President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. Established in 1957 by Executive Order 10717, the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service recognizes exceptional achievements that are of unusual benefit to the Nation. Nominees must have received their agency's highest award and their nominations must be approved by the head of their agency. The Executive order specifies that normally no more than five such awards should be given in any year.

The award consists of an inscribed gold medal suspended from a blue and white ribbon, a lapel rosette made from the ribbon, and a certificate award are selected by the President upon the recommendation of the Director, OPM.

In addition to the medal given for the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, other medals are sometimes given by individual agencies as their highest form of recognition. For information on any such awards in your own agency, contact your servicing personnel office.

Originally published on April 1997.