A Department of Labor emerging technology chief and the executive director of CISA are among the finalists for this year’s Samuel J. Heyman Service to America awards.
Krista Kinnard has been honored for igniting a technology transformation at the Department of Labor by automating repetitive administrative processes, and Brandon Wales also made the long list of finalists for protecting government and commercial computer networks from cyberattacks and safeguarding the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain.
The Sammies awards are this year divided into seven Service to America Medal categories: the Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement medal; COVID-19 Response; Emerging Leaders; Science, Technology and Environment; Safety, Security and International Affairs; Management Excellence; and Federal Employee of the Year.
A full list of the awards finalists is available here.
The announcement of the 2022 Sammies finalists, which are organized by the Partnership for Public Service (PPS), came at the start of Public Service Recognition Week.
The winners will be chosen by a panel that includes Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., CNN anchor Kate Bolduan, Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken, National President of Blacks in Government Shirley Jones, founder of Craigslist Craig Newmark and PPS co-founder and chairman Ronnie F. Heyman. They will be announced in fall 2022.
The Service to America Medals program has honored nearly 700 federal employees since its inception in 2002. It was renamed in 2010 to commemorate the organization’s founder.