Last call for Rising Star nominations

When an agency or key contractor hires a top executive, that gets plenty of press. Ditto when those senior officials steer a key project to success, change roles, get their team out of trouble or decide to tackle a major problem.

Far less covered, however, is the next generation of leaders in the federal IT community -- those who are coming up through the ranks and doing the great work that doesn’t include a turn at the podium.

FCW’s Rising Star Awards are an opportunity to address that inequity -- to recognize some of the individuals who are early in their careers and are bringing amazing energy and ideas to the table. This year’s deadline for nominations is fast approaching, and we need your input to be sure we find the best possible candidates for our judges to consider.

Nominees can come from government, the private sector, academia or the nonprofit world. The only restrictions are that they be actively involved in the community and in the first 10 years of their federal IT careers. (That’s not just millennials, mind you -- a 60-year-old who has embarked on a second career is every bit as eligible.)

What makes for a winner? In many ways, we rely on the same criteria we use for the Federal 100 awards. We are seeking people whose leadership, innovation and all-around extra effort are having a powerful and positive impact on federal IT.

Here are some simple guidelines to keep in mind:

• This is an individual award. Teams are important, but that’s what the GCN Awards are for.
• Winners go above and beyond, whatever their level or rank. A fancy job title is not required, and doing one’s job well is not enough.
• Impact matters. The judges need to know not only what a nominee did but also what all that work accomplished.
• The award is for work done in the previous year. Future leadership potential is important, too, but one must have had clear accomplishments in the past 12 months.
• You can nominate more than one person. Do so early and often.

So gather your information and supporting nominators, and submit those nominations by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 2. Go to FCW.com/2015risingstars to learn more.  Then let us know where to find the leaders of tomorrow -- and the rising stars of today.