Roger W. Jones Award for executive leadership bestowed

Two government officials have been recognized for their commitment to public service and superior leadership by American University’s School of Public Affairs.

Margaret Gilligan, associate administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration, and Dr. John A. Montgomery, director of research at the Department of the Navy’s Naval Research Laboratory, received the annual Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership on Oct. 24.

Founded in 1978, the award honors public servants whose government careers are marked by extraordinary effectiveness in organizational development and a strong commitment to training and educating managers and executives. Some of the recent winners include officials from the Internal Revenue Service, the Defense Department and the Energy Department.

Gilligan and Montgomery were recognized for their “superior leadership resulting in outstanding achievements that improve the quality of everyday life for all Americans,” said William LeoGrande, dean of American University’s School of Public Affairs.

“They epitomize dedication to public service, and we challenge our students to strive to emulate these two outstanding individuals as they embark on their future careers,” he added.

Gilligan has been FAA’s associate administrator since 2009 and leads the organization responsible for setting, overseeing and enforcing safety standards for all elements of the aviation industry. She has also served as the government co-chair of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, which works to decrease the risk of accidents.

Montgomery joined NRL in 1968 and has overseen development of numerous life- and cost-saving systems for military and commercial applications. He is a five-time Presidential Rank awardee and a long-time member of the Senior Executive Service, and has been awarded numerous honors for his leadership at NRL.