For 25 years, the Service to America Medals® program has honored outstanding, nonpartisan career civil servants who keep our nation safe, strong and prosperous.
Known as the “Sammies,” the program has recognized more than 800 federal employees whose dedication make our lives better and inspires the next generation of public servants.
This year, the Partnership for Public Service recognized four new honorees—three individuals and one team—across four distinct categories. To mark 25 years of the awards, we are looking back at the legacy of past winners.
Meet some of the remarkable Sammies honorees whose daily, often unnoticed work has helped keep Americans safer:
Leading the historic seaborne evacuation of Lower Manhattan on 9/11
Kenneth Concepcion: 2002 Safety, Security and International Affairs Medalist
Amid the chaos of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Kenneth Concepcion of the U.S. Coast Guard directed the safe and orderly seaborne evacuation of 70,000 confused and terrified people from Lower Manhattan as well as coordinated the arrival of vessels carrying firefighters, emergency personnel, medical supplies and doctors responding to the catastrophe.
Deploying data to halt the worst oil spill in American history
Paul A. Hsieh: 2011 Federal Employee of the Year medalist
During the worst oil spill in American history, Paul Hsieh of the U.S. Geological Survey provided critical scientific information in the summer of 2010 to convince federal officials that the containment cap on a ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico would hold and was not leaking, helping end the environmental disaster that lasted 86 days.
Leading global humanitarian response to the Ebola outbreak
Mia Beers: 2015 Safety, Security and International Affairs Medalist
As the Ebola disease raged through West Africa in 2014 and created a humanitarian crisis, Mia Beers of the U.S. Agency for International Development coordinated thousands of U.S. personnel in four counties to help turn the tide and stop deadly disease from spreading.
Coordinating global aid to support Ukraine
Laura K. Cooper and the Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Policy Team: 2023 Federal Employee of the Year medalist
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Laura Cooper and her Department of Defense team coordinated a massive effort by dozens of nations to supply anti-aircraft systems, armored personnel carriers and other war supplies as well as ambulances, medical kits and winter clothing to the Ukrainian military and the civilian population.
Rapidly halting a sophisticated cyber threat
Gharun Lacy: 2026 Service to America Medals honoree
In June 2023, what appeared to be a routine anomaly inside the State Department’s email systems was quickly identified as a sophisticated cyber intrusion that had the potential to escalate into a global threat. At the center of the response was Gharun Lacy, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department’s Directorate for Cyber and Technology Security, who, along with his team, unraveled the attack and shut it down in just 10 days—far faster than the months or even years such breaches often persist undetected.
As we mark our 25th anniversary, the Partnership’s mission remains focused on building a better government and a stronger democracy. Honoring extraordinary civil servants is central to that work. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire the next generation of public service leaders who will protect our communities and ensure a safer future for all.
To learn more about the Sammies and read the inspiring stories of our honorees, visit servicetoamericamedals.org.