Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda M. Springer today announced the assembly of 12 private citizens (see list below) from Maryland to consider nominations for the 2006 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and Senior Professional. Known as the Meritorious Review Board, appointees are private citizens from corporate America, academia, legal practice, and local government.

Members of the Board will review the accomplishments of nominees -- career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), and Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST) communities -- for the 2006 Presidential Award of Meritorious Rank. The nominations must be approved by the agency head before forwarding them to OPM for final board review.

"This respected assembly of some of Maryland's finest citizens will make sure the very best federal civil servants are considered for this prestigious honor," said Springer. "I am confident this group will select the most deserving and qualified individuals."

The Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and Senior Professional is the highest professional honor for career SES members and Senior Career Employees for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. Members of these communities manage many of the nation's most vital programs in defense, intelligence, the environment, energy, agriculture and others, and awardees receive a cash award of 20 percent of their base salary. Up to five percent of the career SES and SL/ST community may receive this rank.

This is the fifth Board to meet to consider nominees for the 2006 Presidential Rank Award. Panels have already met in Washington, D.C., Overland Park, KS, Cleveland, OH and Jackson, MS. The Board convened in Washington, D.C. earlier this year considered nominations for the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.

At the conclusion of the panels, Director Springer will send her recommendations to President George W. Bush, who will make the final selections and announce the award recipients later this year.

Members of the 2006 Presidential Rank Award Meritorious Review Board for Maryland are:

• William Askinazi, Partner, Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, PA, Rockville, MD;
• Janet Dudley-Eshbach, President, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD;
• William Hall, Retiree, City of Frederick, Frederick, MD;
• Richard Hug, Chairman and CEO, Hug Enterprises, Inc., Baltimore, MD;
• John Joaquin, Program Manager, ADP, Inc., Rockville, MD;
• Candice Quinn Kelley, President, Maredith Management, Waldorf, MD;
• Cindy Kollner, Deputy Executive Director, Office of Personnel Services & Benefits, Maryland Department of Budget and Management, Baltimore, MD;
• Michael Lang, Consultant and former CEO, Metamatrix, Inc., Sparks, MD;
• David Lee, Executive Director, Governor's Office on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Baltimore, MD;
• Rev. Callie Matthews, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Annapolis, MD;
• Hon. Warren Miller, Maryland State Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates, Woodbine, MD; and,
• Dr. Mary Beth Tung, Patent Agent, Conwell, LLC, Clarksville, MD.

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.