Partnership unveils the 2024 Service to America Medals® finalists

To kick off Public Service Recognition Week, the Partnership for Public Service announced the finalists for this year’s Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® program. This distinguished list of 25 individual and team honorees was selected from a record-breaking pool of over 530 nominations and reflects the extraordinary efforts of federal employees across dozens of agencies and offices.

Amid growing calls to politicize the nonpartisan civil service, the Partnership is proud to acknowledge the impact of the federal workforce in five areas:  

• Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement – recognizing a federal employee for leading significant and sustained accomplishments throughout a federal career of 20 or more years. 
• Emerging Leaders – recognizing a federal employee under the age of 35 who made an important contribution to the public good. 
• Management Excellence – recognizing a federal employee or team for delivering results through superior leadership and exceptional management skills. 
• Safety, Security and International Affairs – recognizing a federal employee or team in fields such as counterterrorism, civil rights, defense and military affairs, cybersecurity and more. 
• Science, Technology and Environment – recognizing a federal employee or team for a contribution in fields such as medicine, economics, energy, information technology, space, meteorology and resource conservation. 

Honoring our finalists 

Since 2002, the Partnership has honored over 760 public servants whose accomplishments contribute to the health, safety and well-being of our country and have provided people with a call to public service.  

On Thursday, May 9, this year’s nominees gathered at the Partnership headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., to be acknowledged for their tremendous work. White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan delivered special remarks. The finalists also visited the White House later in the day.

Through the Sammies, we seek inspire more young people to federal service and reignite trust in government.  

“You are exemplars of what our government has to offer. What you do affects so many lives in such important ways, yet too often the stories go untold,”

Partnership President and CEO

The Sammies, known as the “Oscars of government service,” includes a rigorous vetting and selection process facilitated by Partnership staff as well as national leaders in the government, business, entertainment, media and nonprofit communities.  

You can read more about this year’s nominees here.

You can also select this year’s People’s Choice Award winner. Vote online for the Sammies finalist you believe has made the most significant contribution to public service.   

Vote for your favorite finalist once per day, and show your support on social media by resharing the Partnership’s posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn using #Sammies2024.

The People’s Choice winner will be announced this summer.

Visit servicetoamericamedals.org to learn more about the Sammies program, the 2024 finalists and the People’s Choice Award.   

Learn how the Sammies propel federal employees’ impact in government and on our country.    

Jessica DeLoach is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of projects aimed at increasing the public's trust in our federal government and strengthening the capacity of federal public affairs officers.

Jordan LaPier works to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of federal employees through the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals program.