Hall of Winners

IRS Tax Reform IT Team
Department of the Treasury

NOAA Weather Satellite Team
Department of Commerce

Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem Team
Department of Veterans Affairs

Texas Service Center Background Check Unit Team
Department of Homeland Security

James Tipton
Department of Defense

Electronic Departmental Order (eDO) Team
Department of Justice

Department of Commerce

Adam Jacoff
Ann Virts
Kamel Saidi
Kenny Kimble

Department of Commerce

Developed the first ever comprehensive suite of emergency response robot test methods and data collection tools to evaluate and improve bomb-disposal robots and operators. These efforts led to the enhanced testing and use of advanced robot capabilities in challenging environments and the adoption of standard operator measures.

Agency Award

Cyber Reskilling Academy Project Team

GSA

Annette Maldonado
Doc McConnell
Jason Gray
Dorothy Aronson
Trey Kennedy

Cyber Reskilling Academy Project Team

Created the first ever Federal Cybersecurity Reskilling Academy, offering federal employees hands-on training in cybersecurity. Their pilot was so successful that multiple cabinet agencies have adopted parts of the curriculum and core design to begin scaling the model at their own agencies, preparing an increasing number of federal employees to enter the future of work.

Agency Award

Providing Value Based Incentives to Align Safety Net Providers with ONC Health IT Standards of Care

HHS

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Providing Value Based Incentives to Align Safety Net Providers with ONC Health IT Standards of Care

Alek Sripipatana
Hank Hoang
Kristen Hansen
Bonnie Ohri
Josh Bolton

Created a reward system to incentivize federally qualified health centers to use Electronic Health Records to increase efficiency in all aspects of patient care. This initiative has led to positive health outcomes for 28+ million patients.

Department of Commerce

Abigail Harley
Keeley Kent
Karen Palmigiano
Aja Szumylo

Department of Commerce

Maximized Pacific Coast groundfish commercial and recreational fishing opportunities by streamlining restrictive rules and regulations. These rulemaking actions ensure the productivity and sustainability of West Coast groundfish fisheries and fishing communities through science-based decision-making, saving operators between $50,000 - $100,000 per vessel and creating up to 2,600 jobs.

Agency Award

Five-Year Review Process Improvement Team

EPA

Ashley Fisseha
Lauren Bumba
Chrystal Brantley

Five-Year Review Process Improvement Team

Streamlined the review and approval process for Five-Year Review reports, developing a standard operating procedure, as well as in-person and recorded training to teach all participants the new process. Their work eliminated the use of hard copy paper, reduced the chance of duplicate reports, shortened review times, and made it easier to find up-to-date report drafts and templates.

Agency Award

Region 5- Water Division efile LEAN Team

EPA

Khalia Poole
Janice Huang
Julie Spellman

Region 5- Water Division efile LEAN Team

Eliminated the use of hard copy paper within the Five Year Review signoff process, reducing paper use and associated costs by 100%. Their efforts have ensured high quality, eliminated redundant reviews and forms, streamlined the initial and final review processes, and increased participant satisfaction by 10% within 2 months.

Agency Award

AMERICA Internal Controls Application Project Team

DOE

Scott Anderson
Mindy Bledsoe
Karin Dasuki
Lynn Harshman
Rich Tomlinson

AMERICA Internal Controls Application Project Team

Replaced an outdated controls application process with a new web-based system, featuring user-friendly input, upfront data validations, automated workflow, dashboards, and expanded reporting. This work improved customer service, usability, data quality, accountability, transparency, and the prioritization of high-value work.

Agency Award

Service Area Need Assessment Methodology Team

HHS

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Service Area Need Assessment Methodology Team

Amy Harbaugh
Matt Kozar
Jessamy Taylor
Heather Lee
Jennifer Joseph
Iran Naqvi

Increased access to affordable, accessible, high quality, and cost-effective primary health care services in underserved areas. The team’s work established a standardized method to assess healthcare need while reducing unnecessary burden.

Bureau of Primary Care Quality Improvement Council

HHS

Adam Robbins
Wendy Whitaker
Jennifer Eveland
Duane McKinley

Bureau of Primary Care Quality Improvement Council

Supported 40+ quality improvement projects to enhance creativity, empower staff, and improve work/life balance. The council had a direct impact on increasing efficiency, quality, cost savings, and quality improvements across the Bureau of Primary Health Care.

Agency Award

Accelerated Acquisition Team

DOD

Robin Howard
Beverly Reinharz
Gregory Robinson
Natalie Dahm
Jason Gregory

Accelerated Acquisition Team

Developed awareness, training, and application of Other Transaction Authorities tools to quickly provide material solutions to warfighters. Their work led to a 60% reduction in documentation and a six month reduction in delivering wargaming capability.

Agency Award

Accessible Affordable Housing Team

HUD

Lynn Grosso
Pamela Zai
Jeanine Lafratta
Meryl Kanofsky
Anne Quesada

Accessible Affordable Housing Team

Negotiated a landmark ten-year agreement providing affordable accessible housing in LA. Their work breaks down barriers that were preventing those with disabilities from finding housing.

Agency Award

Adia Brown and OHS Monitoring Team 2019-From Gotcha to Growth

HHS

Adia Brown
Tamara White
Rochelle Logan

Adia Brown and OHS Monitoring Team 2019-From Gotcha to Growth

Improved the Head Start Grantee oversight system by adjusting the way feedback is delivered to grantees. The team fully automated the compliance system, reduced material costs, ensured accurate delivery, and provided meaningful feedback to grantees.

Agency Award

Air Force Sustainment Center Innovation Team

DOD

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Air Force Sustainment Center Innovation Team

Christopher Blackwell
Kristian Olivero
Eric Bartlow
Jason Mann
Ryan Fowler

Completed 400+ Air Force projects, reducing production flow time by more than 2,400 days and reducing cost by $3.7 million. Their application and rapid integration of technologies to real-world challenges advanced readiness and reform in support of our National Defense Strategy.

Homeland Security Investigations RAVEn Program

DHS

Ben Teed
Evan Campanella

Homeland Security Investigations RAVEn Program

Developed an analytics IT program (RAVEn), which allows information to be processed and stored quickly from multiple sources. RAVEn has reduced time and taxpayer dollars and has directly improved DHS’ ability to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and protect the nation. The team’s effort saved 6 months of manual processing time and is estimated to save $1.8 million per year.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Bradford Binkley
Joanna Stelnicki
Robert Dugan
Janice Manzaon
Peter Meyers

Department of Commerce

Established a communications network across multiple federal law enforcement agencies to identify illegal scrap metal export transactions and procure evidence against violators. Thanks to this team’s diligent work, they dismantled a conspiracy network that was defrauding U.S. and foreign companies.

Agency Award

USAID Data Services Team

USAID

Brandon Pusteiovskv Mason
Scott Thompson

USAID Data Services Team

Enhanced the usage, accessibility, and value of data, analytics, and evidence-based decision-making across USAID. Their efforts help the agency to better use data and evidence to inform policy formulation, strategic planning, project design, project management and adaptation, and program monitoring and evaluation.

Agency Award

Comply Chain Redesign Team

DOL

Chanda Uluca
Claudia Guidi
Austin Pedersen
Kyle Livingston
James Gyenes

Comply Chain Redesign Team

Redesigned the Comply Chain mobile application by reducing load times, increasing storage size, and implementing new features. The team improved the tool’s overall functionality and usability by the business community.

Agency Award

Environmental Protection Agency

Carlos Rivera
Darrel Collier

Environmental Protection Agency

Identified 42 “standardized positions” based on risk and sensitivity, allowing hiring managers and HR specialists to more quickly compile their packages, process personnel actions, and complete submissions. Their work significantly reduced the time and cost burden required to carry out the onboarding process.

Agency Award

Chief Information Officers Council

CIOC nsf HHS gsa

Chezian Sivagnanaman
George Santangelo
William Cahoe
Nicholas Daly
Ellis Steven

Chief Information Officers Council

Implemented tools to minimize duplication and overlap of research grants. This work will provide real-time notifications to participating organizations about proposal information determined to be the most valuable for sharing across participating organizations, reducing potential duplication and saving time.

Council Award

FY2020 Q1-CID ELMS Team

EPA

Christopher Brooks
James Beaty
Virginia Abraham
Bill Stevens
Jeanne Proctor

FY2020 Q1-CID ELMS Team

Streamlined the process for routing non-criminal matters to civil staff at EPA. Their efforts reduced the process from six steps to two, saving desk officers up to two hours per day.

Agency Award

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service

HHS

Candice Maynard
Meghan Alleyne
Deborah Pearson
Robert Zablocki

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service

Expanded the National Cancer Institute’s “Live Chat” to include a new feature designed to capture information such as health status and disease characteristics. The team’s utilization of technology led to 3,000+ interactions, improving operations and increasing client satisfaction in just three months.

Agency Award

Office of Mission Support - Phased Retirement Team

EPA

Christina Hines
Ramona Conway
Cheri Hembrey
Caterina Gillikin
Jerry Haworth

Office of Mission Support - Phased Retirement Team

Streamlined and automated the phased retirement process, saving the agency over $2 million. By automating the system, they reduced the time by 66% and eliminated the delay from supervisor to supervisor processing.

Agency Award

Chief Information Officers Council

CIOC HUD

David Chow
Kevin Cooke
Kathleen Cheeseman
Robert Arrington
Kelly Wong

Chief Information Officers Council

Modernized five of HUD’s most critical business systems by migrating them to a cloud-based application suite. Their work enabled functional and technical enhancements to be completed quicker at a lower cost, saving taxpayers $8 million.

Council Award

Operation Corregidor

DHS

Douglas McDonnell
Martin Conley
John Clifton
Brendan O’rourke
Christopher Fitzpatrick

Operation Corregidor

Investigated an international child sexual exploitation operation resulting in the rescue of 114 children, 47 arrests, and 17 convictions.

Agency Award

Nebraska Flood Response Team

Dennis Kohler
Toby Cox
Hunter Ray
Rosalynn Days-Austin
Lori Miller

Nebraska Flood Response Team

Mobilized GIS specialists with low-level aerial surveillance to immediately respond to the most urgent needs on the ground during the major flooding along the Missouri River in 2019, covering 25,176 miles over 9 days. The team identified 188 survey points and forwarded the data to the appropriate state/federal agency, allowing them to make timely decisions and take appropriate actions to identify hazards and protect livestock.

Agency Award

Deep Energy Retrofits Team

GSA

Kinga Porst Hydras
Sharon Conger

Deep Energy Retrofits Team

Developed best practices to achieve larger energy savings and more energy efficient federal buildings. The team’s work helps federal buildings reduce long-term operating costs, reduce vulnerabilities to energy price vitality, meet energy reduction mandates, and create manufacturing, construction, and engineering jobs.

Agency Award

Defense Personal Property (DPS) Team

DOD

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Defense Personal Property (DPS) Team

Dale Shelton
Rob Leibold
Lt Col Lisa Ryan
Linda Hum
John Black
Kipp Reed
Brian Perkins
Michael Feathers
Amorella (Amie) Davis

Transformed the Defense Personal Property System (DPS), which manages military and DoD civilian relocation and personal property storage. The new system cut hosting costs in half and increased DPS reliability to 98.9%.

Deobligation Recovery & Aged Audits Team

HUD

Jamal Bouaichi
Michelle Bennet
Christopher Davies
Brian Murray
Paul Gvozdov

Deobligation Recovery & Aged Audits Team

Returned $167 million in appropriations to the Office of Housing to support housing programs for low income, homeless, and struggling families nationwide. The funds will be utilized through HUD housing programs to encourage self-sufficiency and financial stability and to reduce the average length of homelessness.

Agency Award

Digital Aviation Readiness Technology, Engine (DART-E) Team

DOD

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Digital Aviation Readiness Technology, Engine (DART-E) Team

Benjamin Michlin
Jarrod Groves
Sean Blackman
Joshua Duclos
Dean Lee

Developed machine-learning models to track and predict aviation fleet readiness. Their work analyzes historical information to seamlessly view data and predict future performance, improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and readiness of the Naval Aviation Enterprise.

DoD Contracts Management Reform Team

DoD PIC

Waldemar Koscinski
Kristina Schneider
Sherry Wellmer
Kaitlyn Faillace
James Carlin

DoD Contracts Management Reform Team

Evaluated over $43 billion worth of contracts to identify potential cost-savings, resulting in the estimated savings of over $1.5 billion over a five-year period.

Council Award

AVS Business Services Branch Team

DOT

Eric Dunlap
Matthew Todd
Michael Hogge
Malcolm Little
Christopher Couture

AVS Business Services Branch Team

Realized cost avoidances and savings of more than $1.2 million due to lean business practices across its diverse portfolio of management programs. Their activities ensure sustainability and compliance with environmental regulations, provide IT services and infrastructure, and optimize space to avoid unnecessary costs in the large AVS office space portfolio.

Agency Award

Office of Credit Risk Management

SBA

Edward Ledford
Susan Streich

Office of Credit Risk Management

Implemented an improved loan guaranty process that increased program integrity, reduced risk through a rigorous review process, and decreased response time. This process was implemented nationally and will reduce program cost and save taxpayers money.

Agency Award

High Performance Computing Incubator Team

NASA

Edward Glaessgen
Scott Striepe
Eric Nielsen
Cara Leckey

High Performance Computing Incubator Team

Created a streamlined “mini-app” for rapid algorithm development on next generation architectures. They have achieved numerous major breakthroughs in speeding up codes across several key areas for NASA’s missions, including Entry-Decent and Landing (EDL), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Materials (CM), and Computational Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE).

Agency Award

OHRS Furlough Team

SBA

Elias Hernandez
Tanya Bennett
Valencia Dickens
Charles Brinkley
Shenita Hamlin

OHRS Furlough Team

Ensured continuous, outstanding service to the Small Business Administration during the 2018/2019 government shutdown. The team maintained a high morale, proactively resolved issues, and minimized financial loss.

Agency Award

VA Enterprise Governance Team

VA

Melissa Glynn
Dat Tran
Shana Love Holmon
Debra Walker

VA Enterprise Governance Team

Implemented a program to more efficiently deliver healthcare services for millions of American Veterans. The team improved policies, procedures, and instituted an enterprise governance framework that enhanced decision making, transparency, and accountability.

Agency Award

FATCA 6.3 Release Team

Treasury

Yoly Decelian
Edith Edusei Poku
Ernest John Leonardini
Tracy D. Smith
Keith Russo

FATCA 6.3 Release Team

Developed an automated system providing taxpayers with one-stop access to the IRS. They replaced the paper-driven process with a user-friendly, accessible option increasing voluntary compliance with US withholding and reporting requirements.

Agency Award

FHA Customer Transformation Team

HUD

Natalia Yee
Silas Vaughn
Casey Calvert
Diane Williams
Emily Gilcrest

FHA Customer Transformation Team

Streamlined refund and adjustment requests from lenders, saving staff over 2,100 hours of work time. Their efforts reduced request processing time from 60 to 21 days.

Agency Award

Fair Housing Risk Assessment Team

HUD

Andrew Kewer
Staci Gillman
Jessica Bernacci
Ashley Lowe
Carlos Osequeda

Fair Housing Risk Assessment Team

Used the Risk Assessment Tool to identify noncompliance with fair housing and civil rights requirements for more than 6,500 Community Planning and Development (CPD) grantees, Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), and multifamily property owners. Their work ensures housing equity and effective use of staff resources.

Agency Award

FedBizOpps (FBO) Transition Team

GSA

Judith Zawatsky
Vicky Niblett
Meredith Whitehead
Nancy Goode
Matthew Mcguire

FedBizOpps (FBO) Transition Team

Upgraded the long-standing Integrated Award Environment system by merging it into the new beta.SAM.gov. Their modernized, more efficient customer-friendly system makes contracting opportunities easier, saving both the federal government and business customers time and resources.

Agency Award

Financial Transformation Team

HUD

Nita Nigam
Anna Butler
Terri Dawson
Myrna Gordon
Otis Jones

Financial Transformation Team

Streamlined business processes and improved internal controls that impact Financial Reporting in the CFO’s Office of Accounting. The team has remediated a material weakness from FY’s 2018 audit report, developed SOPs that will help close multiple audit recommendations, and improved data in the accounting systems to achieve greater compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act.

Agency Award

HRSA AskHR Helpdesk

HHS

Georgia Lyons
Chris Krasias
Renee Lennox
Collin Ford
Chandra Peek

HRSA AskHR Helpdesk

Created an in-house incident management ticketing system to replace a call center. Their work helped Directors manage workloads, reduce HR costs, and identify risks that could potentially impact customer service.

Agency Award

Hunt and Incidence Response Team

DHS

Geoffery Ensley
Douglas Hennefent

Hunt and Incidence Response Team

Developed the DHS Emergency Directive for Cybersecurity to better protect citizens when they interact with government services over the internet.

Agency Award

GSA FEDSIM HYTIP Project Team

GSA

Michael Liss
Michael Chappelle
Marius Morgan
Spencer Burns
Keith Parks

GSA FEDSIM HYTIP Project Team

Awarded a $212 million Task Order for the Air Force Arnold Engineering and Development Center, Hypersonic Test and Evaluation Investment Program. The team ensured cost-competitiveness to allow the contract to deliver a groundbreaking operational clean air test and evaluation capability for hypersonic aircraft.

Agency Award

GSA/OPM Partnership to Modernize IT

GSA

David Shive
Beth Killoran
Lesley Briante
Anil Cheriyan

GSA/OPM Partnership to Modernize IT

Provided OPM with consulting, contracting, and technical expertise to stabilize IT operations and ensure continuity of operations. Through the work of this cross-functional team, OPM was able to address its urgent IT needs necessary to continue its mission.

Agency Award

GSA's RPA Program Team

GSA DHS DOD PIC

Gerard Badorrek
James Geoghegan
Shang-Jeo Gaublomme
James Gregory
Erica Thomas

GSA's RPA Program Team

Implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) across GSA, which helped accelerate its adoption government-wide. The team’s work helped to deploy 33 RPA “bots,” saving 65,000+ employee hours and allowing employees to focus on higher-value work.

Council Award

Troy Grenier

Department of Defense

Troy Grenier

Pioneered a performance monitoring process, allowing funding organizations to track and report cost in near real-time. Mr. Grenier’s work improved audit reporting and enabled Program Managers to more quickly identify and react to performance issues, resulting in significant cost and schedule delay avoidance.

Agency Award

PAGES Data System Team

HHS

Hilary Bruck
Kim Stupica-Dobbs
Nicole Constance
Lauren Deutsch
Dvora Wilensky

PAGES Data System Team

Modernized the collection and use of data for a large federal grant program, helping to inform policy and promote results-oriented accountability, program improvement, and evaluation.

Agency Award

NAS Information Security Group Team

DOT

Hector Morales
Linda Santon
Kristof Preisner
Doug Guido
Kelly Algozzini

NAS Information Security Group Team

Provided impactful cybersecurity services and solutions through the Cybersecurity Enterprise Engineering Facility. Their efforts have significantly improved the ATO’s ability to dynamically assess cybersecurity risks and target remediation activities around vulnerabilities and threats that pose the highest risk to air traffic operations.

Agency Award

High Level Radioactive Waste Interpretation Policy Change Team

DOE

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High Level Radioactive Waste Interpretation Policy Change Team

Mark Sanderling
Betsy Connell
Theresa Kliczewski
Jamie Joyce
Julia Shenk

Accelerated the disposal and closure of high-level radioactive waste sites. The team’s work enables the DOE to more effectively clean and dispose of hazardous waste while maintaining safety as a top priority.

Housing Choice Voucher Utilization Dashboards Team

HUD

Becky Primaeux
Patrick Hatch
Marika Bertram
Christopher Stevens

Housing Choice Voucher Utilization Dashboards Team

Created two interactive dashboards that display key performance metrics for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and the special purpose vouchers within HCV. This work gives PIH’s leadership and field staff an accurate picture of national trends, assists in risk monitoring, and helps predict which PHAs have the potential for budget shortfalls.

Agency Award

Housing Choice Voucher Physical Inspections Team

HUD

Luis Casillas
Alphonso Gamble
Elizabeth Basirico
Casey Kelly
George Forbes

Housing Choice Voucher Physical Inspections Team

Developed an app, Inspection ExAM4, now used to conduct an average of 5,000 inspections each month. By merging technology and data, the team streamlined the inspection process and increased customer satisfaction from 22% to 84%.

Agency Award

ECC & Annex Consolidation Team

GSA

Emily Adams
Scott Palmer
Tony Teti
Charlie Hearn
John McFadden

ECC & Annex Consolidation Team

Consolidated 100% of the IRS Annex function into the ECC in a mission to reduce data center space nationally. Their efforts eliminated 122,475 square feet of government leased space, saving $3 million in lease costs and creating an efficient mobile work environment through desk sharing.

Agency Award

Idaho National Laboratory Sheep Fire Response Team

DOE

Trevor Bluth
R Dary Newbry
Michael Goriup
Lance Lacroix
J Brian Latham

Idaho National Laboratory Sheep Fire Response Team

Supported response efforts for the Sheep Fire at the Idaho National Laboratory through emergency response shift support. The team’s rapid response helped contain the fire and ensure the safety of personnel and facilities.

Agency Award

Improving Financial Reporting and Audit Model

Treasury

Jamie Saling
Missy Williams
Mike Conley
Janis Doak
Joe Lynch

Improving Financial Reporting and Audit Model

Modernized the audit model for government-wide financial data, improving financial reporting and transparency. Their work improves data quality and better positions the federal government to use financial data as a strategic asset.

Agency Award

INSIGHT Product Management Team

SSA

Kurt Glaze
Robyn Konkel
Michael Smith
Magan Leary

INSIGHT Product Management Team

Developed an innovative software that improves the quality, consistency, and efficiency of the disability adjudication process. Their work increased recognition of quality issues, significantly reduced returns of case recommendations, and reduced relevant portions of case processing time.

Agency Award

Air and Marine Operations Coordination Team

DHS

Jeffrey Davies
Anthony Williams
Eric Terry
Kevin Krogh
Kimberly Ramsey

Air and Marine Operations Coordination Team

Coordinated the continuous deployment of interagency personnel and resources for national security. Their work provided extraordinary situational awareness, enabling thorough executive decision making and interoperability.

Agency Award

ORD-Water Treatment Technology Transfer Team

EPA

James Goodrich
Amelia McCall
John Hall

ORD-Water Treatment Technology Transfer Team

Developed an easy-to-use technology to provide emergency rapid response treatment of drinking water. Ultimately, mobile water treatment systems were supplied to all of the 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico, impacting an estimated 221,000 residents.

Agency Award

Department of Veterans Affairs

Justin Isbell
Bennet Gebken
Molly Gati

Department of Veterans Affairs

Implemented process automation for 40% of disability compensation claims. Their work improved stakeholder relationships and reduced the amount of time and resources needed to process claims.

Agency Award

Electronic Departmental Order (eDO) Team

DOJ

Joshua Cutler
Charles Smith
Julie Greynolds
Renee McCartney
Paula Zirkle

Electronic Departmental Order (eDO) Team

Implemented a firearm appeal process allowing the public to submit requests and receive responses electronically. Their efforts reduced response times by over 95%, decreased staffing needs by over 70%, and improved customer experience.

Agency Award

Department of Veterans Affairs

John Shriver
Dayna Ribnikar
Christopher Watts
Earl Richardson

Department of Veterans Affairs

Created a modernized environment for the Appeals Management Office Operations Team to successfully process Appeals Modernization Act claims in a timely manner. The team also improved their output by upgrading systems and processes and providing the necessary tools for claims processors in the field.

Agency Award

Idaho Cleanup Project Team

DOE

Jim Malmo
Doug Pruitt
Jack Zimmerman
Mike Goriup
Tally Jenkins

Idaho Cleanup Project Team

Processed 65,000 cubic meters of legacy transuranic radioactive debris for disposal, protecting the drinking water of over 300,000 Idaho residents. The team’s work provided direction and oversight to use innovative retrieval concepts, robotics, and automated treatment processes.

Agency Award

National Archives and Records Administration

NARA

Jennifer Klein
Hannah Bergman
Rana Khandekar
Erica Bell

National Archives and Records Administration

Expanded the reach of timely, effective ethics advice and training. As a result, the team reached over 1,250 NARA employees nationwide by utilizing engaging technology and other multimedia platforms.

Agency Award

ASDE-X Taxiway Arrival Prediction Team

DOT

Jacqueline Wiese
Jeff Lohr
James (Rusty) Dean
Chuck Massicotte
Josiah Jackson

ASDE-X Taxiway Arrival Prediction Team

Developed the Taxiway Arrival Prediction capability to identify potential risks before they result in aircraft collisions or injuries. This proactive approach reduces the chances of an accident resulting from landing on a taxiway instead of the intended runway.

Agency Award

SBA Compliance Team

SBA

Joseph Loddo
John Valliere
Richard Vogler
Michael Simmons

SBA Compliance Team

Improved SBA’s audit compliance functions through facilitation sessions with program officers and auditors to resolve outstanding issues and areas of disagreement. Their efforts revolutionized enterprise-wide compliance functions, increasing SBA’s GAO audit implementation rate to 96% and reducing unresolved recommendations from 199 in 2014 to 65 in 2019.

Agency Award

Tax Compliance Check Service Team

Treasury

Janet Miner
Klaudia Villegas
Dawn Malan
Joseph Parker
Ankur Bassi

Tax Compliance Check Service Team

Created the IRS Tax Compliance Check Service, automating and modernized the work of checking tax compliance for individuals. By applying technology to this process, they were able to significantly reduce the wait time to receive a tax compliance check.

Agency Award

Texas Service Center EOIR Data Team

DHS

James Bowen
Lawrence Barry
Jeffrey Terry
Charles Bullard

Texas Service Center EOIR Data Team

Streamlined the identification of criminal cases for USCIS’ Background Check Unit through collaboration with partners at the DOJ. The team’s work led to a more efficient and effective vetting process, generating a daily average of 600 positive criminal cases, freeing up time to be spent on the most critical cases.

Agency Award

Department of Veterans Affairs

jeffrey S. Pearson
Mark L. Hawkins
Deanna S. Devos
Lamoyd Figures
Leland Bermudez

Department of Veterans Affairs

Implemented the Competency Based Training System program to transform the way vocational rehab counselors demonstrate proficiency in job skills. This system eliminated inefficiency while increasing the time available for direct service to Veterans.

Agency Award

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Jeff Mitchell
Mike Case
Jack Cushing
John Lane
Evan Davidson

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Implemented five Enterprise-Wide Agreements to DOE laboratories, ensuring that each one was tailored to the unique capabilities of each laboratory. Their creative efforts made acquisitions at the NRC more efficient, effective, and mission-oriented.

Agency Award

Chief Acquisition Officers Council

CAOC dod

Joel Pitel
Marcia Cruz
Mark Ascione
Maria Papet
Juana Perez
Leontine Thompson

Chief Acquisition Officers Council

Designed an innovative acquisition strategy that improved essential communication services with a new cost-effective wireless solution. The team’s work is expected to save $157 million for the DoD and VA within five years.

Council Award

Community Lifelines Team

DHS

Jeremy Greenberg
Peter Danjczek
Benjamin Cabana
Jessica Quintanilla
Tommi Tyler

Community Lifelines Team

Revolutionized national emergency management practices through the development and release of the Lifeline Toolkit, Incident Stabilization Guide, and the revised National Response Framework.

Agency Award

Ground-Based Detect and Avoid Team

DOT

Jason Glaneuski
Peter Kennett
Dylan Hasson
Chiemi Heil

Ground-Based Detect and Avoid Team

Developed a ground-based detect and avoid capability, allowing remote Unmanned Aircraft Systems operators to detect and avoid other aircraft. As a result, this new capability provides a safety level equivalent to a pilot operating under visual or instrument flight rules and a 90-95% probability of detecting other aircraft, well above the 80 percent requirement for terminal radar sources.

Agency Award

Department of Veterans Affairs

Jim Cunningham
Paul Shute
Howard P. Wilson

Department of Veterans Affairs

Modernized the claims adjudication process through the creation of a geo-spatial information system to determine veteran benefit eligibility. As a result, the VA can rapidly adjudicate claims from 520,000 potential eligible veterans.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

John Haberstock
Scott Anderson
Michael Bloomfield

Department of Commerce

Identified 4,190 shell companies owned by Iran and North Korea, illuminating new illegal procurement pathways and providing a repository for the law enforcement and intelligence community to identify and mitigate future threats.

Agency Award

Chief Financial Officers Council

CFOC hhs Treasury SSA OMB DOC usda

Joe Pika
Tricia Long
TJ Jackson
Greg Paige
Aimee Shadder

Chief Financial Officers Council

Identified specific data elements that can be used to pre-check federal payment eligibility criteria. Their work revealed root causes of improper payments, allowing agencies to implement process improvements to save taxpayers money.

Council Award

Robotics Process Automation (RPA) Program Team

GSA

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Robotics Process Automation (RPA) Program Team

Kathy Hammer
Erik Dorman
Anthony Cavallo
Brian Mooers
Alicia Saucedo de Flores

Implemented Robotics Process Automation, deploying 33 bots that have saved 70,000 work hours across GSA business functions. The team will continue to increase the efficiency of the agency and accelerate RPA adoption government-wide.

Simplified Classification Team

NASA

Kelly Elliott
Joanna Lange
Joan Davidson
Cherie Carlson
Andrea Britton

Simplified Classification Team

Developed a streamlined, efficient classification process to meet expedited workforce movement in support of the Moon to Mars mission and other agency priorities. Their efforts resulted in labor reduction as well as savings in time and effort for customers by removing the need to write specific functional duties at each center for each job.

Agency Award

Kobayashi Maru, Space and Missile Systems Center

DOD

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Kobayashi Maru, Space and Missile Systems Center

Jennifer Krolikowski
Ned Jones
Stevie Medeiros
Ken Thill
Doug McFarland

Developed an enterprise-level ecosystem responsive to the dynamic and evolving threats found in space. Their agile software practices allow for capability deliveries within days as opposed to years.

OEM ULO ELMS Team

EPA

Kerron Weston
Lavone Martinez
Nick Nichols
Bonyonoh Wojloh
Ryan Mills

OEM ULO ELMS Team

Improved the processing of Unliquidated Obligations (ULO) by using Lean Management Principles. The team is expected to recover over $300,000 by early FY2020.

Agency Award

H-1B Data Hub Working Group

DHS

Katherine Lotspeich
Limary Suarez
Patricia Mckenzie
Alexandria Echevarria

H-1B Data Hub Working Group

Developed the H-1B employer data hub in response to the demand for more public information on employment-based visa programs. This work increases transparency and allows the public to understand the impact of the H-1B program.

Agency Award

Chief Financial Officers Council

cfoc dhs DOD doc DOJ usda

Kate Oliver
Lisa Romney
Steve Kunze
Tyson Whitney
Reed Waller

Chief Financial Officers Council

Helped drive government-wide improvements in DATA Act data quality. Their work improved communication and information sharing between the agency and the agency inspector general, and increased coordination and openness to feedback during the audit and review processes.

Council Award

CMS Patients over Paperwork Initiative

HHS

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CMS Patients over Paperwork Initiative

Kate Goodrich
Mary Greene
Leslie Welsh Flaherty
Suzanne Martin-Devroye
Stefanie Costello

Launched the Patients over Paperwork initiative to systematically identify and eliminate regulatory and administrative burden. As a result, the team has targeted over 1,000 areas of burden so far, resulting in billions of dollars and millions of hours saved.

R6 - Region 6 Pesticide Import Team

EPA

Kristin Dunbar
Nabil Mzee
Sidrah Khan

R6 - Region 6 Pesticide Import Team

Applied readily-available technology to multiple projects, enhancing customer experience and expediting turnaround time. As a result, the credentialing process was reduced from about one year to two weeks.

Agency Award

Digital Investigations Branch

HHS

Luke Erickson
Dane Ritcheson
Lowell Floyd
Jarek Paduch
Jonathan Ramos

Digital Investigations Branch

Provided digital forensic support for an unprecedented number of fraud search warrant operations. The Data Integrity Board’s efforts played an integral role in identifying and delivering critical digital evidence to investigators, helping to dismantle one of the largest healthcare fraud schemes.

Agency Award

OSHA Region IV Voluntary Protection Plan Customer Service

DOL

Leigh Jackson
Ivory Williams
Daniel DeHart
Americo Pagen

OSHA Region IV Voluntary Protection Plan Customer Service

Improved the customer service for voluntary protection program applicants by creating a one-on-one assistance program that helps companies through the application process. The team was able to eliminate a backlog of new applicants and provide safer workplaces.

Agency Award

Billings Area Opioid Stewardship Dashboard Team

HHS

Larron Dolence
Ryan Macdonald

Billings Area Opioid Stewardship Dashboard Team

Used innovative technology to create an interactive “Opioid Stewardship” dashboard that enhances the use of data, accountability, and transparency to help address the national opioid crisis. The dashboard can process 1.5 million patient encounters and organize data into usable information to uncover trends, enhance accountability, and reduce risk.

Agency Award

Lab-to-Market Strategy Teams

OMB

Courtney Silverthorn
John Dement
Mark Rohrbaugh
Matthew McMahon
Mojdeh Bahar

Lab-to-Market Strategy Teams

Led efforts to develop milestones for each of the Lab-to-Market CAP Goal strategies, which work to improve the $150 billion annual Federal Government investment in research and development. The team’s work streamlined regulation, reduced administrative burden, increased private sector engagement, and improved innovative technology transfer tools and services.

Agency Award

Leveraging the Power of Innovation Team

HUD

Melajo Kubacki
Van Tran
Scott Barber
Anthony Smith
Heather Ramussen

Leveraging the Power of Innovation Team

Applied Robotics Process Automation to improve five processes across the organization. Their efforts saved over 5,000 staff hours, triggered a culture change, and laid the foundation for financial transformation.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Michael Bollinger
Ari Kozlow
R. Elizabeth Abraha
Zachary Klein

Department of Commerce

Detected a complex illegal mail repackaging export scheme, resulting in civil penalties of $44 million. This successful conviction will act as a deterrent in the future and increase compliance with export control laws.

Agency Award

SBA Cloud Based CDM Pilot Team

SBA CIOC

Maria Roat
Guy Cavallo
Sanjay Gupta
jeffrey Harris
James Saunders

SBA Cloud Based CDM Pilot Team

Leveraged cloud-native tools to successfully complete a pilot to meet Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) cybersecurity objectives. Using fewer products and cloud-based tools will improve cybersecurity protection with a faster implementation time at a lower cost.

Council Award

One MSHA Enforcement Initiative Application Development Team

DOL

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One MSHA Enforcement Initiative Application Development Team

Mary Nettles
Ibrahim Chaudhry
Tiffany Blair
Kerbi Jacobson
Reza Noorani

Streamlined the Mine Safety and Health Administration inspection process and IT requirements. The team’s work helped execute enforcement activities more efficiently and effectively, reduced travel time for inspectors, and increased inspector time with miners and operators.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Mick Worstell
Jeremy Cernik
Adam B. Kinder
Alan Carter
David Walsh

Department of Veterans Affairs

Analyzed criminal information and provided analytical assistance to find and apprehend five individuals coordinating an identity-theft and fraud scheme that targeted service members and veterans. The team’s efforts have prevented this scheme from compromising thousands of veterans’ personal and bank account information.

Agency Award

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Meghan Blair
Jawanza Gibbs-Nicholson
Min Lee
Kelly Riner

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Developed a process to validate the accuracy of staff time charges and contractor payments prior to issuing invoices to licensees. Their work enhanced internal controls in the fee billing validation process, increased transparency and accuracy of financial data, and improved accountability to licensees.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Mark Luce
Nolan Brandenburg
Jacob Ricker
Jay Hendricks

Department of Commerce

Developed innovative encasement technologies to preserve, protect, and provide public access to seven historical documents dating back to before the founding of the United States. Since the re-encasement was completed, over one million people have visited the preserved documents at several public facilities.

Agency Award

Artificial Intelligence Exchange

doe CIOC

Margaret Lentz
Pamela Isom
Wendy Wiles

Artificial Intelligence Exchange

Implemented the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Exchange, allowing users to reduce duplicative efforts across mission spaces and increase the education and adoption of AI throughout the Department of Energy.

Council Award

Midwest Multifamily Technology Team

HUD

Joshua Osbourne
Elterro Carroll
Larry Mundt
Mike Moran
Keri Wendell

Midwest Multifamily Technology Team

Developed an Annual Financial Statement review sheet that has generated over $250,000 man-hour cost savings per year per region. The tools they built standardize how work is completed, give staff access to vital information in an easy-to-use format, promote efficiency, and utilize data that was not previously available.

Agency Award

Chief Information Officers Council

DOJ CIOC

Nickolous Ward
Gabriela Smith-Sherman
Daphna Shai
Larry Tun

Chief Information Officers Council

Expanded the use of the Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS), providing 24/7 cybersecurity support to Federal organizations. The team plans to onboard more agencies in FY20, enhancing the security posture across the Federal government.

Council Award

National Performance Metrics Dashboard Team

HUD

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National Performance Metrics Dashboard Team

Denise Cleveland-Leggett
Christopher Taylor
Timothy Smyth
Akshaya Suresh
Amit Kumar

Developed the National Performance Metrics Dashboard that collects data from programs across HUD to set targets for critical Secretarial and Departmental initiatives. Their work helps teams understand what needs to happen in their community and then document their effort and results.

VADS Modernization Team

DOL

Omer Erenulu
Deena Al-Mohamed
Whitney Hymes
Douglas Kalinowski
Sherman Williamson

VADS Modernization Team

Modernized the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program automated database system, expanding its capabilities to include tracking, reporting, and elimination of redundant information. By centralizing records, the team minimized internal paperwork, improved data accuracy, enhanced the speed of reporting, and improved program oversight.

Agency Award

OPM Executive Transition Team

OPM

Dennis Coleman
Tyshawn Thomas
Nicole Evans
Clare Martorana
Margaret Pearson

OPM Executive Transition Team

Transitioned the National Background Investigation Bureau from OPM to the Department of Defense with no adverse impact to the continuity of operations or the work of over 3,000 employees.

Agency Award

USAID's Operations Performance Team

usaid PIC

Margaret Mesaros
Erin Brown
Evander Baker
Maggie Strong
Chris Meservy

USAID's Operations Performance Team

Improved the efficiency of USAID operations through seven major management analyses. The team’s work saved over 6,400 employee hours.

Council Award

Oral Health Integration

HHS

Dr. Suma Nair
Vy Nguyen
Cuong Bui
Chinyere Amaefule
Sue Lin

Oral Health Integration

Implemented a data-driven training and technical assistance strategy to increase the precision of dental sealants, adoption of evidence-based interventions, optimization of health IT systems, and quality in health centers. Their work improved access to high quality pediatric oral health care in underserved communities.

Agency Award

The National Diabetes Prevention Program Customer Service Center

HHS

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The National Diabetes Prevention Program Customer Service Center

Philip Jacobs
Ann L. Albright
Miriam Bell
Patricia Schumacher
Robert Hancock

Launched the National Diabetes Prevention Program Customer Service Center, which provides a repository of articles, recorded webinars, and answers to frequently asked questions. As a result of their efforts, the site has provided enhanced customer experience and reduced the need for individualized program support.

VET TEC Team

Peter Nastasi
Beth Wesser
Michael Johnson
Jerome Golombek

VET TEC Team

Managed a nationwide education program offering veterans more accessible employment opportunities through high-tech, accelerated learning programs.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Pamela Sullivan
Dan Lindsey
Harry Cikanek
Joseph Pica
Vanessa Griffin

Department of Commerce

Restored the functionality of NOAA’s new weather satellite following a visibility defect. The team’s innovative techniques and coordinated approach restored the satellite’s ability to observe critical weather conditions across the Western Hemisphere, such as hurricanes, fires, and volcanic activity, with minimal data loss. This team’s response to the crisis restored the value of the nation’s $1 billion investment.

Agency Award

NTIS Team

DOC

Patricia Cullum
Kathleen Kaplan
Patrick Lee
Patricia Gresham
Simone Gills

NTIS Team

Created a common data platform and analytic tools to help address one of the deadliest diseases facing the world today, malaria. This improvement allowed the President’s Malaria Initiative team to draw insight and make evidence-based policy decisions.

Agency Award

Region 4 Office of Regional Counsel A3

EPA

Priscilla Johnson
Louann Gross
Andrea Hines
LaShandra Jones
Lisa Ellis

Region 4 Office of Regional Counsel A3

Streamlined the work of processing simple FOIA requests by reducing management review and creating a simplified FOIA checklist for ORC attorneys and Government Information Specialists. Their work decreased the FOIA backlog from 39 to 15 in just five months.

Agency Award

St. James Facility Lease Team

DOE

Roy Habbaz
Christopher Roark
Kelly O’Shaughnessy
Kelly Gele
Tyrone Doss

St. James Facility Lease Team

Managed a complex leasing strategy as part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The team’s work ensured accountable stewardship and provided protection from potential petroleum supply interruptions.

Agency Award

Bureau of Primary Health Care Online and In-Person Onboarding Program

HHS

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Bureau of Primary Health Care Online and In-Person Onboarding Program

Ruth Hurtado-Day
Christy Nelson
Natalie Matthews
Yolanda Harris
Merlin Martinez

Developed a blended onboarding program to provide productivity training for new and existing staff. As a result, staff are equipped with foundational organizational information, workforce expectations, and tools to succeed in their job.

MSFC Property Management Group (PMG)

NASA

Robbie Saint
Deborah Mynatt
Travis Chapman
Pamela Smith
Greg Tate

MSFC Property Management Group (PMG)

Improved stewardship, data accountability, and communication with stakeholders of government property. Their continued efforts increase NASA’s research and development capabilities, saving NASA and taxpayers money.

Agency Award

Chief Financial Officers Council

omb ssa CFOC

Rhea Hubbard
Jeannette Mandycz

Chief Financial Officers Council

Created the first set of grant data standards, standardizing the grant management process across the government and reducing the reporting burden. The team’s work is now considered the cornerstone for the future development of grant systems.

Council Award

Benefit Coordination & Recovery Center Re-competition & Call Center Modernization

HHS

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Benefit Coordination & Recovery Center Re-competition & Call Center Modernization

Rico Batte
Mohammed Islam
Tamara Jones
Steve Forry
Gerald Brozyna
Juanita Wilson
Sherri McQueen

Improved the acquisition management process to increase efficiencies and reduce cost across Health and Human Services. The team reduced the procurement acquisition lead time by four months and saved the government $100+ million.

ReConnect Team

USDA

Mia Jordan
Robert Ehrlich
Kristin Lough
Farwa Naqvi
Kenneth Kuchno

ReConnect Team

Reengineered staff and IT processes and systems to implement the pilot Rural Broadband Program. This program’s investment represents over $200 million in grant and loan funding for broadband infrastructure that currently includes 35,270 households.

Agency Award

Robotics Process Automation Team

USDA

Lynn Moaney
Ron Woody
Adrian Carter
Tacy Summersett
Ed Reyelts

Robotics Process Automation Team

Implemented the first server-based RPA in the federal government, leveraging information technology and eliminating unnecessary manual efforts. Their federated methodology can be used by other agencies to build their own RPAs.

Agency Award

Robotics Process Automation

Treasury

David Weekley
Jillian Eddy
James Nigh

Robotics Process Automation

Implemented 30 Robotics Process Automation bots that interact with financial management, procurement, travel, and human resource systems without human interaction. This has reduced processing time of associated tasks by more than 99%, increased processing capacity by more than 100 times, and improved accuracy by removing the potential for human error.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Sheng Lin-Gibson
Clare allocca

Department of Commerce

Combined technical, organizational, and standards expertise from more than 125 U.S. biotechnology stakeholders to develop unified biotechnology standards. This team’s leadership and strategic thinking informed the development of international biotechnology standards and helped promote biotechnology innovation, manufacturing, and trade.

Agency Award

Chief Financial Officers Council

cfoc HHS Treasury NRC

Sheila Conley
Dave Horn
Aileen Burgman
Brett Baker
Debbie Harker

Chief Financial Officers Council

Improved DATA Act data quality, which impacts strategic decisions, transparency, and services to citizens. These improvements enable agencies to leverage data as a strategic asset for accomplishing their missions and providing greater transparency to the public.

Council Award

Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal Improvement Projects Team

Steve Forry
Jacqueline Cipa
Suman Puri
Kara Johnson
Erica Watkins

Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal Improvement Projects Team

Used human-centered design concepts to improve customer experience for the Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal (MSPRP) and the Commercial Repayment Center Portal (CRCP). As a result, payments can be submitted electronically, providing for enhanced operational efficiency and external customer satisfaction.

Agency Award

Region 6 eTime Team

EPA

Sarah Frey
Larry Koss
Tony Clifton
Margaret Osbourne

Region 6 eTime Team

Developed an online regional timekeeping system that provides employees, supervisors, and timekeepers with several different reports and search functions, and replaces the need for paper forms when requesting new work schedules. Their impactful work is now being adopted nationally.

Agency Award

Department of Veterans Affairs

Spencer Mion
Timothy Strebel
David Hook
Brian Kaiser
Cory Litson

Department of Veterans Affairs

Reduced the amount of time it takes for veterans to receive eyeglasses through technology process improvement. Eyeglass orders that previously took a full day to complete can now be completed in minutes, impacting more than 280,000 Veterans.

Agency Award

DOL IT Platform Team

DOL

Samson Teffera
Tim Erskine
Mike Pulsifer
Phanindra Tangirala
Gundeep Ahluwalia

DOL IT Platform Team

Adopted the Department of Labor IT Platform enterprise system, which links business processes and business intelligence with technology to deliver strategic capabilities. Their new approach to IT solutions increases inter-agency collaboration and improves the quality and efficiency of citizen-facing services.

Agency Award

Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) Team

DOE

Cynthia Anderson
Michael Hill
Jill Jonkouski
Michael Procario
Steven Thiede

Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) Team

Negotiated and created a unique cooperative agreement with the South Dakota Science and Technical Authority to operate the underground research facility for the Department of Energy. The team’s work enables the further study and experimentation of neutrino physics and other disciplines that require the absence of cosmic radiation.

Agency Award

GSA SmartPay3 Transition Team

GSA

GSA SmartPay3 Transition Team

Managed the successful government-wide transition of 560 participating organizations to the largest, most innovative government charge card and related payment services program worldwide. Their work increases customers’ refund earning potential and offers agencies more efficient operations by substantially reducing the number of vendor invoices to be processed, along with the associated effort and cost.

Agency Award

New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty/Nuclear Team

DOD

Scott Dutkus
Edward Smither
Javier Orozco
Ronald Mclaughlin

New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty/Nuclear Team

Performed 76 onsite nuclear treaty inspections, led missions to shut down nuclear reactors, and conducted 36 inspection missions in the Russian Federation as part of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Their efforts were important in the further reduction of the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

Agency Award

Systemic Penalty Relief

Treasury

Kylee Johnson
Jeremy Green

Systemic Penalty Relief

Identified new methods of applying systemic penalty relief to more than 440,000 taxpayers without filing a claim. Their dedication saved the IRS 400,000 hours of customer service work.

Agency Award

Modernizing the Protection of United States Citizenship

DOJ

Timothy Belsan
Anthony Bianco
Kathleen Connolly
Aram Gavoor
Aaron Petty

Modernizing the Protection of United States Citizenship

Modernized enforcement methods used to prosecute terrorists, war criminals, child sex abusers, and violent felons who unlawfully naturalized. Their efforts resulted in a 98% favorable outcome rate in federal courts.

Agency Award

R3 Planning & Analysis Branch

EPA

Tracy Clarke
Angela lthier
Theresa Johnson
jeffrey Fang
Allison Ng

R3 Planning & Analysis Branch

Managed the Region 3 Realignment, working tirelessly to ensure all Realignment activities and deadlines were met. Their thorough communication strategy ensured all stakeholders were up to speed on all details of the realignment and had the tools needed to successfully realign while maintaining high customer service standards.

Agency Award

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Claims Team

HUD

Tammy Massone
Diana Dickson
Kevin Ziober
Ramiro Delgado
Frank Yao

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Claims Team

Managed the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) reverse mortgage program, reviewing overdue Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Claims to reduce the significant backlog. By February 2019, the team had processed 14,195 claims, approving 94%, returning almost $3 billion back to the industry.

Agency Award

Tax Exempt Organization Search Implementation Team

Treasury

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Tax Exempt Organization Search Implementation Team

Kathi Palmer
JaLynne Archibald
Anita Cyprian
Michael Rautio
Robert Ticsay

Created the new Tax-Exempt Organization Search tool on IRS.gov, replacing an outdated system and giving the public a straightforward connection to the IRS through technology. Now, taxpayers can access more types of information, decreasing the number of inquiries received by the IRS and freeing up resources for use in other areas.

Tax Reform Information Technology Implementation Project

Treasury

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X

Tax Reform Information Technology Implementation Project

Nancy Sieger
Kenneth Corbin
Robert Bedoya
Craig Drake
Tracy DeLeon

Translated broad tax policy goals from Congress into tangible computer programming changes for IRS technology systems. The team updated more than 140 IT systems and 500 tax products, resulting in effective, timely implementation of tax legislation.

Team ERA

State

Anne Amadou
Brijin Green
Kate Netherton
Daniele Schoenauer

Team ERA

Modernized the candidate review process by switching from paper-based to online applications. Their work enabled staff to spend less time processing thousands of applications, giving them more time to work on high value work.

Agency Award

Team Logistics Management

State

Cecelia Coates

Team Logistics Management

Streamlined the management of the Department of State’s global supply chain operations using real-time data analytics and customer service principles. Their work has significantly improved planning and support of $10 billion in procurement spending, tracking 3.7 million assets worth $7 billion, and managing over 60,000 shipments annually.

Agency Award

Team SAFE

State

Maribel Pulido
Bradley Tarr
Leslie Hope

Team SAFE

Modernized the Department of State’s global emergency notification and accountability platform using innovative technologies, significantly improving the safety of 150,000 domestic and overseas personnel and their families.

Agency Award

Trade Negotiation Team

USDA

Bob Spitzer
Kristy Goodfellow-Mills
Becky Rasdall
Leo Roytman
Andrew Hochhalter

Trade Negotiation Team

Negotiated the new USMCA, securing access to the Mexican and Canadian markets and lowering barriers for many US agricultural products. The new deal will advance US agricultural interests in the most important markets for American farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses, leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America.

Agency Award

Treasury Workforce Dashboard

Treasury

Dr. Kimberly Steide
Roger Mishoe
So Yeon (Christie) Kim
Luis Unda
Darryl Goode

Treasury Workforce Dashboard

Developed the workforce dashboard, a Treasury-wide tool that standardizes data, identifies trends, and enables management to modernize the workforce. Their work allows for effective data analysis and visualization for both self-service and enterprise use within a single platform, creating a greater sense of transparency.

Agency Award

USDA Consolidation Project Team

USDA GSA

Jason Sielcken
Loreen Sullivan
Joan Amend

USDA Consolidation Project Team

Found innovative approaches to archival storage, moving from hard copy film storage to digital storage and allowing for a reimbursable work center that offers similar services to other agencies. Their work resulted in a complete business model transformation that eliminated over $2.5 million in annual private market lease costs, reduced USDA’s footprint by 54%, and saved taxpayers over $74 million.

Agency Award

United States Transportation Command Cyber Governance Team

DOD

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United States Transportation Command Cyber Governance Team

Donna Davis
Timothy Blevins
Adlai Berger
Caroline Mutters
Charles Long

Developed a web-enabled tool to drive security improvements and operational optimization for the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise. The team improved efficiency and cybersecurity for US systems, providing greater transparency and customer satisfaction.

VEO Enterprise Measurement and Design Team

VA

Curtis Carie
Anil Tilbe

VEO Enterprise Measurement and Design Team

Enhanced VA’s understanding of what matters most to veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. By focusing on the customer first, they were able to identify service areas needing improvement and achieved an increase in trust in 74% of VA Medical Centers.

Agency Award

VEO Multi-Channel Technology (MCT) Team

VA

Sharon Denise Kitts
Trisha Dang

VEO Multi-Channel Technology (MCT) Team

Modernized VA’s data systems, customer engagement tools, and self-service channels to reduce layers of case processing, resolve issues quickly, and improve the efficiency and quality of responses relayed to veterans. Their focus on an easier, more personalized customer experience reduced the average case processing time and facilitated almost 10,000 updates to veteran profiles.

Agency Award

VEO Patient Experience Team

VA

Thomas Pasakarnis
Toni Hightower
jeffrey Tennen
Jennifer Purdy
Paula Stokes
Michael Renfrow

VEO Patient Experience Team

Developed programs that facilitate a cultural shift from a traditional bureaucratic system to a patient-focused system. Their changes improved patient experience across 147 VA medical centers by empowering 360,000 employees with the knowledge and skills to deliver exceptional customer service.

Agency Award

VHA Innovation Ecosystem

VA

Joshua Patterson
Tom Osborne
Blake Henderson
Brynn Cole
Allison Amrhein

VHA Innovation Ecosystem

Developed three major innovations including practices to de-prescribe unnecessary medicine to veterans, prevent pneumonia, and encourage VA Police to carry intranasal opioid overdose reversal medication. Their projects improved care for over 120,000 veterans, lowered costs for taxpayers by over $24 million, saved lives from opioid overdoses, and advanced care for the entire field of medicine.

Agency Award

VIONE Clinical Project Team

VA

Sara Battar
Kimberly Dickerson
Christopher Sedgwick
Timothy Cmelik

VIONE Clinical Project Team

Developed the VIONE methodology to reduce the use of potentially harmful medications, making deprescribing a more seamless process. It’s anticipated that their work will impact 500,000+ veterans and generate annual cost savings of $120 million.

Agency Award

OGC/ORD - Successful CRADA Technology Transfer Team

EPA

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OGC/ORD - Successful CRADA Technology Transfer Team

Vasudevan Namboodiri
Jennifer Cashdollar
Craig Patterson
Eunice Varughese

Developed cost-effective, innovative technologies that can effectively remove microbial contaminants from water. Their efforts continue to grow the economy and maintain a strong national security innovation base.

Vegetation Management Team

DOE

Melissa Ardis
Matt Custer
Neilie Goodwin
Brian Little

Vegetation Management Team

Developed plans to safely clear vegetation around the Western Area Power Administration transmission lines. The team partnered with other agencies to ensure the continuous flow of power and reduce the risk of fire while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Agency Award

Veterans STEM Innovation Networks Team

HUD

Jerryl Bennett
Eva Fulton
Denise Cleveland-Leggett
Peter Jackson
Walter Elmore

Veterans STEM Innovation Networks Team

Developed a national program empowering low-income youth through hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities. Their efforts impart learning strategies that help students spark and sustain a career in STEM.

Agency Award

Chief Acquisition Officers Council

dod CAOC

Wayne Vickers
Brian Snellen

Chief Acquisition Officers Council

Developed the Navy Enterprise Tactical Command and Control Program (NETC2), which provides deployable capabilities for the Navy. As a result, the team achieved the highest mission readiness with 6 training refresher courses for 43 sailors and new NETC2 capabilities training for approximately 65 sailors.

Council Award

PTSD/Emergence Delirium Training and Response Team

VA

William Pileggi
Michael Boland
David Julian

PTSD/Emergence Delirium Training and Response Team

Developed a safety initiative for patients receiving and staff administering anesthesia to prevent the avoidable risk of emergence delirium. The team has increased safety and reduced injuries in both veterans and staff, and their training program is now mandatory and has been presented locally, state-wide, and nationally.

Agency Award

Department of Commerce

Xiaoyu Yang
Pedatsur Neta
Yuxue Liang
Stephen Stein

Department of Commerce

Revolutionized the ability to identify emerging chemical compounds in complex liquid mixtures through the use of powerful analytical tools and methods. This team’s work is a critical resource for federal, industrial, and academic scientists across the country.

Agency Award

Welcome2Video Investigation Team

DHS

Zia Faruqui
Christopher Janczewski
Kimberly Reece
Donald Bruckschen
Thomas Tamsi

Welcome2Video Investigation Team

Investigated a child exploitation website using innovative online and undercover techniques. The team’s investigation resulted in 323 arrests and the rescue of 21 victims.

Agency Award

FEMA Region 3, Substantial Damage Determination Team

DHS

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FEMA Region 3, Substantial Damage Determination Team

Zane Hadzick
Heather Davis
Charlie Baker
Craig Lockhart
Matthew McCullough

Developed assessment tools to determine the severity of damage following natural disasters. Creation of this tool has led to faster recovery times and substantial savings to property owners.

Kristin Allen

Department of Defense

Kristin Allen

Managed a successful conversion of financial systems and procedures despite many significant challenges. The changes Ms. Allen implemented affect six regional commands, four aviation wings, 123 Navy Operational Support Centers, and 38 squadrons.

Agency Award

Amy Sweeney

Department of Energy

Amy Sweeney

Supported the DOE’s goal of promoting exports of domestically produced hydrocarbons and fossil energy technologies. Her leadership provided a stable and transparent regulatory environment that has given the natural gas industry predictability and confidence.

Agency Award

SSgt Jeremie Anderson

Department of Defense

SSgt Jeremie Anderson

Developed an intuitive signaling device that can be used during C-130 refueling operations. The new device enhances safety and security for both the C-130 crew and the receiving aircraft.

Agency Award

Auxiliary Processing Unit Team

USDA

Kevin Smith
Joaquin Tremols
Michelle Corridon
Cathy Glover
Roger Glendenning

Auxiliary Processing Unit Team

Transformed Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program delivery from a non-centralized structure to an efficient virtual workforce. Their work provided relief to states experiencing application backlogs, improved overall program delivery, and enhanced customer experience nationwide.

Agency Award

Billings Analysis and Management Team

USDA

Shauna Armstrong
Matthew Didday
Jordan Goldie

Billings Analysis and Management Team

Solved an immediate issue that was threatening to derail millions of dollars in commodities traded with China. Their work directly impacted the economic success for producers and the ability for USDA to continue processing export certificates in the future.

Agency Award

Erin Rachelle Brown

United States Agency for International Development

Erin Rachelle Brown

Recommended process improvements after reviews of the Enterprise Risk Management and ADS 580 Conference Planning and attendance. Ms. Brown’s recommendations help the agency clarify policy and implement process changes.

Agency Award

Allison Carlock

Department of Homeland Security

Allison Carlock

Created the “Ready 2 Help” card game and “Prepare with Pedro” children’s activity book that teaches kids how to stay safe during emergencies. Over 163,000 copies of the activity book have been distributed nationwide, helping to build a culture of preparedness.

Agency Award

Ramaswamy Chandramouli

Department of Commerce

Ramaswamy Chandramouli

Developed international standards to improve cybersecurity practices for cloud-based technologies. Dr. Chandramouli’s work has increased public-private collaboration between government and industry, resulting in enhanced cybersecurity readiness.

Agency Award

Kelly Cordeira

Health and Human Services

Kelly Cordeira

Improved quality, reach, and visibility of CDC’s Science Ambassador Fellowship for middle and high school teachers interested in incorporating public health sciences into the classroom. This program improves health literacy among students and provides teachers with the training and curriculum design needed to promote public health sciences.

Agency Award

Amy Cutting

Department of Homeland Security

Amy Cutting

Led an inter-agency team of Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy partners to develop the Counter Unmanned Aircraft System to detect, identify, and defeat illicit unmanned aircrafts from a moving maritime platform.

Agency Award

Dairy Revenue Protection Team

USDA

Michael Ciliege
Megan Heyns
Staci Wilson
Cody Lovercamp
Thomas Worth

Dairy Revenue Protection Team

Implemented a new crop insurance program for dairy producers, including innovative technological solutions that significantly cut the development time and staff oversight needed to run the program. Their new methodology enhances productivity, improves economic growth, and increases the agricultural trade of milk products.

Agency Award

Data Visualization and Business Analytics

Treasury

Ica Tassi
Cynthia Bartin
Angela Bryant
Melissa Hayes

Data Visualization and Business Analytics

Improved IRS’ data driven decision making by embedding visual data modeling into human resource re-engineering, predictive workload selection, and forensic issue corrective action. Their work saves time and allows analysts to focus on resolving taxpayer issues.

Agency Award

Chris Decker

Environmental Protection Agency

Chris Decker

Implemented Smartsheet as an easily accessible tool to improve collaboration and project tracking for the R4 Water Division. Mr. Decker’s effective use of Smartsheet has spread to other branches and he has helped coach other users and managed licenses for the division.

Agency Award

Petty Officer First Class Bradley Denn

Department of Defense

Petty Officer First Class Bradley Denn

Developed a virtual reality prototype for close air support training. This cheaper and safer training method is expected to enhance both tactical training and operator experience.

Agency Award

“Destination Unknown” Team

DOD

Adam Yang
Austin Duncan
William Bradley
Jerrod Moore
Charles Baumann

“Destination Unknown” Team

Published a graphic novel series called Destination Unknown to improve the creative thinking of warfighters and generate discussion on important military topics. Their work fosters intellectual curiosity and inspires other forms of writing and artistry designed to improve thinking about warfare.

Agency Award

Mary Louise Dirrigl

Department of Education

Mary Louise Dirrigl

Demonstrated exceptional public service while taking on additional responsibilities during a critical vacancy at the Department of Education. Ms. Dirrigl’s work, including management of grants, program workflow, and performance, contributed to achieving mission-critical organizational goals.

Agency Award

Douglas MacIntyre

Department of Energy

Douglas MacIntyre

Led the Office of Petroleum Reserves’ mission-critical work, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Naval Petroleum Reserves, and Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve programs. His work achieved success by championing excellence in operations, budget, engineering, security, environmental, contracting, human capital, and information technology.

Agency Award

Dr. Randolph Duverna

Department of Agriculture

Dr. Randolph Duverna

Proved that U.S. poultry exports did not contain a banned substance, negating positive test results. Dr. Duverna’s data informed USDA decisions, and led to the development of a long-term sampling program, ensuring the Department could address domestic and international stakeholders’ concerns.

Agency Award

Dr. Vince Edwards

Department of Agriculture

Dr. Vince Edwards

Developed a nonwoven cotton gauze that is 33% lighter and 63% more absorbent than standard gauzes made of bleached processed cotton. Dr. Edward’s product also triggers blood clotting more quickly, sheds fewer fibers, and releases small amounts of hydrogen peroxide to help mobilize wound-healing cells at the injury site.

Agency Award

Electronic Clearance Team

Treasury

Iris Lehrich
Edwin Staples
Thomas Gray

Electronic Clearance Team

Replaced the paper-based IRM review process with an online tool that automates and centralizes this process. Their work cuts down on administrative time and burden, saving taxpayer dollars and enabling the IRS to implement process changes more quickly.

Agency Award

Nefertari Farrell

Department of Homeland Security

Nefertari Farrell

Modernized records management practices at CISA’s Office of Biometric Identity Management. Ms. Farrell’s leadership resulted in the conversion of 1000+ cubic feet of paper documents to digital, the reduction of a backlog of 68,000 electronic records, and the retirement of 30,000+ files.

Agency Award

Shawn Farrington

Department of Defense

Shawn Farrington

Modernized analytic resources by enabling enhanced data collection and developing cross-departmental collaboration tools, resulting in more efficient use of data across DoD and cost savings of $220,000 per year.

Agency Award

Al Fleming

Health and Human Services

Al Fleming

Developed the Human Capital Priority Areas Initiative, a program that enhanced the VA’s ability to attract, recruit, and retain a high performing workforce in order to provide excellent service to veterans. Mr. Fleming's work positioned the VA for future success by identifying new opportunities and supporting the Agency's efforts to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

Agency Award

Douglas Grenier

National Archives and Records Administration

Douglas Grenier

Handled a variety of administrative duties and built strong relationships with customers to sustain operations while understaffed. Mr. Grenier’s efforts allowed the WNRC to receive, store, and service upwards of 140,000 cubic feet of new materials for various agencies.

Agency Award

Tamara Griffin

Environmental Protection Agency

Tamara Griffin

Developed the Leave Bank Program automation, along with a new training, website, and FAQs to help management understand the process. Agency employees can now transfer leave in a more effective and efficient manner.

Agency Award

Terry Hobbs

Department of Homeland Security

Terry Hobbs

Reduced chemical stockpiles across the country through coordination with state, local, and private stakeholders. Ms. Hobbs’ work helped the United States to fulfil international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, providing a more secure nation, and a more prepared first responder community.

Agency Award

Ed Howard

Health and Human Services

Ed Howard

Improved the systems and processes that manage up to $36 billion of Medicare Part D payments per month. Mr. Howard enhanced and automated the payment system to enable flexible operations and ensure timely, accurate monthly payments.

Agency Award

Kevin Howell

Department of Veterans Affairs

Kevin Howell

Partnered with community, city, state, and federal organizations throughout Illinois to disseminate VA benefits information and assist veterans with claims. His work has benefitted homeless veterans and veterans facing potential incarceration.

Agency Award

USDA Hyperlocal Media Team

USDA

Dirk Fillpot
Rob Shankman
Todd Barrett

USDA Hyperlocal Media Team

Deployed a GIS-based media tool that allows federal and state agencies to alert all media of emergencies in precise geographic areas. The team was so successful that their software has been adopted by law enforcement, emergency response agencies, seven Cabinet departments, and ten states.

Agency Award

Rodney Jones

Department of Homeland Security

Rodney Jones

Increased information sharing among Secret Service agents in the field with the development of an interactive tool that provides real-time location of personnel and team assets. Mr. Jones' work has improved the protective operations of the U.S. Secret Service, resulting in greater mission readiness and enhanced inter-agency capability and partnership.

Agency Award

Lieutenant Thomas G. Kai

Department of Homeland Security

Lieutenant Thomas G. Kai

Improved mission support for the Coast Guard’s patrol boat fleet. Lieutenant Kai’s efforts disrupted drug trade operations, improved search and rescue missions, and increased port security operations throughout the nation.

Agency Award

Christin Khan

Department of Commerce

Christin Khan

Led a data science competition that challenged the global computer science community to develop a machine learning algorithm for identifying endangered North Atlantic right whales. Ms. Khan’s challenge resulted in an innovative machine learning workflow that significantly advances data collection procedures for right whale assessments.

Agency Award

Aaron Kite-Powell

Health and Human Services

Aaron Kite-Powell

Improved the use of public health analytic and programming tools through collaboration with state and local public health jurisdictions, public health partners, and the CDC. Mr. Powell empowered public health partners to use complex data through user-friendly tools, reducing the likelihood of contagious outbreaks in the future and advancing their capacity to monitor and track potential public health threats.

Agency Award

Cate Kortzeborn

Health and Human Services

Cate Kortzeborn

Streamlined Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) processing and trained staff across the nation to ensure consistency, accuracy, and timeliness. As a result of their efforts, processing staff enhanced their capability to identify, implement, and evaluate changes in order to meet their commitment to public transparency.

Agency Award

Marietta LaDue

Health and Human Services

Marietta LaDue

Modernized health systems and care delivery in order to improve health outcomes of rural and urban Alaskan Natives and Native Americans. Ms.LaDue’s work has resulted in robust safety protocols to protect patients and promote safer pain management strategies.

Agency Award

Leslie Bourgeois

Department of Energy

Leslie Bourgeois

Provided expertise and management to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office to ensure the office maintains operational excellence and proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Her leadership enhanced mission results and accountable stewardship of government resources.

Agency Award

Kelly Littleton

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Kelly Littleton

Implemented the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Meta information system as the standard database for project management functions across all flight and support programs. Ms. Littleton’s efforts are expected to reduce annual government costs by more than $200,000 by eliminating the need for management of multiple databases, reducing server storage requirements, converting to paperless processes, and saving hundreds of hours by automation of reporting each year.

Agency Award

Lynette Wright

Department of Energy

Lynette Wright

Led 15 DOE process improvement project teams, identifying 27 processes and 280 data elements across 23 functional areas and regional offices for improvement. Her work helped the DOE to shift from low value to high value work, resulting in more than $1 million in cost savings.

Agency Award

Deanna Marks

Department of Commerce

Deanna Marks

Provided exceptional customer service and partnership during the 2018 Kilauea Volcano eruption on Hawaii Island by providing 150+ succinct, accurate weather briefings to FEMA and local Emergency Managers. Deanna’s leadership embodies the goals of building a weather ready nation and enhancing our standing in the emergency management community, and will continue to help build, adapt, and evolve NOAA and National Weather Service products and services in Hawaii.

Agency Award

James McCollum

Department of the Treasury

James McCollum

Implemented multiple initiatives improving the lifespan of production equipment, advising senior leadership, and cross-training core electricians. Mr. McCollum’s ability to analyze data, create visual management tools, and articulate requirements to non-technical personnel maximize resources across the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Agency Award

Michael Nowak

Department of Energy

Michael Nowak

Maximized efficiency of the National Energy Technology Laboratory by supporting external research opportunities to transform the nation’s energy system. Dr. Nowak’s work helps to ensure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies while also enhancing public transparency and fairness.

Agency Award

Dr. Kathleen Monaco

Department of the Treasury

Dr. Kathleen Monaco

Enhanced currency access to the blind and visually impaired community by improving the ability to quickly and easily identify paper currency through raised tactile design features. As a result, these design features will be integrated into all future banknote designs.

Agency Award

Melissa Mosley

Department of Defense

Melissa Mosley

Improved data accuracy by identifying and implementing process improvements and changing requirements to more accurately reflect the required data in reports. Her work expedited the review process and improved accounting for public sector transactions.

Agency Award

Nationwide Training Team

USDA

Andrew Tobin
Erin Auger
Donald Lobeda
Sarah Nechamen
Danielle Barrett

Nationwide Training Team

Developed a new model for USDA ethics training, providing timely in-person training to USDA employees across the country on the most pressing and evolving ethics questions and issues. In the first year of this initiative, USDA’s Office of Ethics staff conducted over 117 group training sessions and created new "Ethics One-Pagers" for easier access to ethics guidelines.

Agency Award

Operation Stampede

USDA

Engel Tamayo
Steven Flick
Alex Chirinos
Korey Jake Dang
Dorinda Lyght

Operation Stampede

Dismantled a sprawling criminal enterprise and bolstered the integrity of an essential nutrition assistance program for low-income families in need. As a result of the investigation, the government issued 28 indictments and recovered over $21 million in fines and restitution.

Agency Award

Casey Oravetz

Department of Commerce

Casey Oravetz

Led a multi-year operation which uncovered a scheme that was illegally harvesting and selling 130,000+ pounds of protected striped bass from Atlantic federal waters. Special Agent Oravetz’s efforts will protect the Mid-Atlantic striped bass fishery for future generations and serves as a model for innovative ways to collect and present evidence.

Agency Award

Organic Oversight and Enforcement Team

USDA

Betsy Rakola
Gustavo Ferreira
Rebecca Claypool
Graham Davis
Matthew Farmer

Organic Oversight and Enforcement Team

Used evidence-based measures and new analytical techniques to develop innovative and highly successful programs identifying, investigating, and ultimately preventing fraud in the international organic food markets. As a result, over 1,000 new organic farms were certified.

Agency Award

Heather Pajak

OMB CFOC

Chief Financial Officers Council

Heather Pajak

Collaborated with individuals from 12 government agencies to create innovative ways to identify and prevent improper payments made by the Federal Government. Her work has identified $74+ billion of potential savings for the American taxpayer.

Council Award

Phillip Paradice

Department of Commerce

Phillip Paradice

Supported economic recovery efforts to invest and disburse $587M in disaster supplemental program funds across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. As a result, communities have seen infrastructure expansion, business incubation, economic impact analysis, and access to a statewide revolving loan fund.

Agency Award

Amy Peeples

Health and Human Services

Amy Peeples

Implemented creative wave-hiring techniques and supervised the execution of the opioid overdose spend plan, which saw a $363 million appropriations increase. Ms. Peeples’ successful management resulted in 100% fund obligation and the rapid hiring of 109 staff to fight the current opioid public health emergency, a 14% increase in hiring over the previous year.

Agency Award

Larry Pike

Department of the Treasury

Larry Pike

Designed the Quality Hold and Release database that authorizes currency to be shipped to the Federal Reserve Board based on acceptability criteria. As a result of his work, BEP has consistently delivered their currency order on time and maintained public trust in our financial system.

Agency Award

Susan Raymie

DOD CAOC

Chief Acquisition Officers Council

Susan Raymie

Accelerated cloud-based geospatial information technologies, data processing, and 2D/3D terrain database generation. Ms. Raymie’s work ensures that the Federal Government, industry, and academia have incentivized forums for innovation and technology development.

Council Award

Mark Riddle

National Archives and Records Administration

Mark Riddle

Created a Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) oversight program to standardize oversight practices within the CUI program, ensuring consistent and replicable oversight actions by agencies. Mr. Riddle delivered essential national training both in person as well as on YouTube and a blog.

Agency Award

Mindy Riley

Health and Human Services

Mindy Riley

Enhanced user experience for the Quality Payment Program’s IT systems. Ms. Riley’s work streamlines the data submission process and gives clinicians the tools and data they need to improve the quality of care.

Agency Award

Beth Ripley

Department of Veterans Affairs

Beth Ripley

Developed scalable 3D printing solutions that enable healthcare staff to share best practices, resources, and subject matter expertise across disciplines and hospitals. Ms. Ripley’s innovative work allows VA’s medical providers to customize and tailor solutions to unique, individual patient needs.

Agency Award

Raymond Rubilotta

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Raymond Rubilotta

Implemented a variety of initiatives, finding ways to save money while being more energy efficient. Mr. Rubilotta’s work identified $3.2 million of efficiencies and subsequent installation of geothermal systems, which is projected to save approximately $20 million over the life of the systems.

Agency Award

Shawn Ryan

Environmental Protection Agency

Shawn Ryan

Developed the RAPTOR database tool used to plan and manage EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program. Mr. Ryan’s work contributes to daily coordination within HSRP and communication of scientific products and impact to customers and stakeholders.

Agency Award

Maria Sanchez

Small Business Administration

Maria Sanchez

Improved the department’s processes and procedures in the areas of Budget, Travel Credit Card, and Accountable Property Management.

Agency Award

Noel Sanqui

Department of Defense

Noel Sanqui

Transformed a labor-intensive training process into easy-to-understand, visual desk guides. Mr. Sanqui’s work saved time and improved accounting functions, reducing Active Document Listing by 54% and unmatched disbursements by 90%.

Agency Award

Alexis Sarshuri

Department of Justice

Alexis Sarshuri

Implemented a data tracking mechanism to coordinate cases for the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act across FBI field offices, divisions, and units. Ms. Sarshuri’s efforts have led to increased transparency for the American public.

Agency Award

Cassondra Searight

Department of Agriculture

Cassondra Searight

Developed an innovative outreach initiative designed to meet the needs of farmers who have limited resources, are historically underserved, or are new to the industry. Ms. Searight used her collaborative platform to clarify complex policy from numerous technical areas so that producers could understand and make educated decisions.

Agency Award

Gregory Segal

Health and Human Services

Gregory Segal

Coordinated across government to implement 98 process improvements to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight’s payment process system. Mr. Segal supervised the payments of over $50 billion and the collection of $2 billion in user fees with zero major audit findings.

Agency Award

Shared Stewardship Team

USDA

Doug Crandall
Alan Ager
Hutch Brown
Erin Connelly
John Phipps

Shared Stewardship Team

Strengthened the ability to resolve cross-boundary issues of wildfire risk and watershed health by engaging stakeholders and managing risk at larger scales than ever before. This work marks an increase in the Forest Service’s analytical capacity and creates opportunities for enhanced data-supported decision making to combat growing risks.

Agency Award

Gopal Singh

Health and Human Services

Gopal Singh

Produced 100+ publications on health equity and population health to help inform HHS and HRSA on how to reduce health care disparities in the United States. Dr. Singh’s work analyzed major health inequality trends and will help to reduce disparities in life expectancy and infant mortality.

Agency Award

Dave Sollberger

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Dave Sollberger

Led the effort of uncovering thousands of falsified documents, performed testing to determine cause, and worked with other agencies to ensure other national assets were not compromised. Mr. Sollberger’s efforts resulted in the resolution of criminal charges and alleged civil claims against a supplier as well as an agreement to pay $46 million to the US government and other commercial customers.

Agency Award

Randy Tabor

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Randy Tabor

Developed a decision package providing options to address FY20 budget shortfalls for mission support services, including budgeting, revenue collection, and performance reporting. Mr. Tabor’s accessible, responsive, and empathetic attitudes towards those he is working with resulted in a positive customer experience and stakeholder confidence.

Agency Award

James Tipton

Department of Defense

James Tipton

Leveraged advanced software processes to establish a modular software concept and maximize ground-based and operational testing. This software has already saved $1 million and will save $10 million annually, in addition to enhancing operational efficiency.

Agency Award

SSgt Michael Tsoi

Department of Defense

SSgt Michael Tsoi

Provided DoD and Federal senior leaders with a clear understanding of our adversary’s ability to track US and Allied assets. His work saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and had direct influence on US Navy Operations.

Agency Award

Verification Toolkit Team

USDA

Edward Harper
Kevin Maskornick
Whitney Peters
Timothy Wepplo
Janis Johnson

Verification Toolkit Team

Developed a Verification Toolkit to help households and school districts improve outcomes in the annual process of verifying applications for National School Lunch and Breakfast Program benefits. Their work ensures that households who apply for these benefits are approved at the correct benefit level, helps program operators reduce their administrative burden, and enhances program integrity.

Agency Award

Wood Innovations Team

USDA

Steve Marshall
Melissa Jenkins
Steve Koehn
Larry Swan
Jim Archuleta

Wood Innovations Team

Revolutionized the US building sector by introducing mass timber products through the efforts of the Wood Innovations Program. As a result, US building codes were adjusted, reducing cost and time for builders while increasing sustainability.

Agency Award

Gears of Government Awards

Hall of Winners

Providing Value Based Incentives to Align Safety Net Providers with ONC Health IT Standards of Care

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Service Area Need Assessment Methodology Team

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Air Force Sustainment Center Innovation Team

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Defense Personal Property (DPS) Team

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Digital Aviation Readiness Technology, Engine (DART-E) Team

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High Level Radioactive Waste Interpretation Policy Change Team

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Robotics Process Automation (RPA) Program Team

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Kobayashi Maru, Space and Missile Systems Center

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CMS Patients over Paperwork Initiative

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One MSHA Enforcement Initiative Application Development Team

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National Performance Metrics Dashboard Team

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The National Diabetes Prevention Program Customer Service Center

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Bureau of Primary Health Care Online and In-Person Onboarding Program

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Benefit Coordination & Recovery Center Re-competition & Call Center Modernization

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Tax Exempt Organization Search Implementation Team

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Tax Reform Information Technology Implementation Project

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United States Transportation Command Cyber Governance Team

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OGC/ORD - Successful CRADA Technology Transfer Team

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FEMA Region 3, Substantial Damage Determination Team

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