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
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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This page can be found on the web at the following url: http://www.opm.gov/speeches/2005/DGB-Mar04.asp