Finalists have been announced for this year’s Service to America Medals, or Sammies, including a new category for work in response to the Coronavirus.
Nominees in the new COVID-19 Response category “include the creation of federal programs to increase COVID-19 testing in underserved communities and participation by these communities in coronavirus vaccine trials; groundbreaking research that led to the development and emergency approval of highly effective vaccines in record time; and the repatriation of more than 100,000 Americans who were stranded in countries all over the world when borders were closed and airports shut down,” said the good-government group Partnership for Public Service, the primary sponsor of the awards.
Finalists also were announced in the categories of career achievement; emerging leaders; science and environment; safety, security and international affairs; management excellence; and federal employee of the year.
Accomplishments in those categories include “leading a first-of-its-kind government team that worked with technology companies to combat misinformation that threatened the integrity of the 2020 census; successfully leading federal assistance for the 2020-21 presidential transition in the midst of the pandemic and a disputed election; overseeing the landing of a rover on Mars, a successful U.S. flight to the International Space Station and planning to put the first woman and first person of color on the Moon; and launching a program that provides housing assistance and social services to young people aging out of foster care to prevent them from becoming homeless,” the announcement said.
Detailed information is at https://servicetoamericamedals.org. Winners will be announced the fall.
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