Senior executives honored with Presidential Rank awards

The view from the patio deck atop the State Department is always a point of inspiration for social gatherings in Washington. But it was the crowd who gathered there May 6 that was the main source of inspiration as the government’s leading dignitaries came to recognize this year’s recipients of the 25^th annual Presidential Distinguished Ranks Awards.

Considered the nation’s highest civil service awards, the Presidential Ranks of Distinguished Executive and Distinguished Professional Ranks recognize an elite group of accomplished senior executives, scientists and professionals serving the federal government.

This nearly 80 individuals honored this year collectively saved the federal government over $49 billion, according to Carol A. Bonsoro, president of the Senior Executive Association Professional Development League, which sponsors the banquet.

This year’s banquet attracted a distinguished guest list of public servants, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who delivered the keynote address, as well as deputy secretaries from the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and the directors of the National Security Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and many others.