USDA honored a number of its employees, for their outstanding achievements, at its "54th Annual Honor Awards Ceremony," which took place on June 5 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, DC.

Sandra Anglade, USDA's Employee Recognition Program Manager with the Office of Human Resources Management and coordinator of the Ceremony, said that USDA honor awards were awarded to 122 recipients, including 56 individuals, 4 teams, and 62 groups.

161 nominations, which included 64 individuals, 5 teams, and 92 groups, had been submitted earlier to the USDA Honor Awards Evaluation Committee. The four-member Committee reviewed those nominations and had then made its recommendations to Secretary Dan Glickman.

"The Committee forwarded to Secretary Glickman 75 percent of the nominations it had received," Anglade said.

Glickman delivered the keynote address and then he and Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger presented the major USDA awards to the employees.

The highest USDA Honor Awards are the Golden and Silver Plow Awards. One group received the Golden Plow Award this year, while three individuals and two groups received Silver Plow Awards. Those recipients have that particular annotation by their respective names in the list that follows.

The 56 Individuals receiving USDA honor awards included:

For Expanding Economic Trade Opportunities for Agricultural Producers and Other Rural Residents: Clark Danford (Food Safety and Inspection Service), Washington, DC; and Gordon Rausser (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service), Berkeley, Calif.;

C. Danford G. Rausser

For Ensuring Food for the Hungry, and a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious, and Accessible Food Supply: Robert Cousins (CSREES), Gainesville, Fla.; Michael Kasperbauer (Agricultural Research Service), Florence, S.C.; Henry Shands (ARS), Washington, DC; James Smith (National Agricultural Statistics Service), Washington, DC; and Patricia Stolfa (FSIS), Washington, DC;

R. Cousins M. Kasperbauer H. Shands J. Smith P. Stolfa

For Promoting Sensible Management of Natural Resources: Richard Brenner (ARS), Gainesville, Fla.; Carrol Calkins (ARS), Wapato, Wash.; Ronald Follett (ARS), Fort Collins, Colo.; Forrest Izuno (CSREES), Belle Glade, Fla.; Clay McCoy (CSREES), Lake Alfred, Fla.; Henry Old Horn (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Crow Agency, Mont.; Robert Schmidt (CSREES), Gainesville, Fla.; Edward Seidensticker (NRCS), Baytown, Texas; Neal Spencer (ARS), Sidney, Mont.; and Margo Wallace (NRCS), Storrs, Conn.;

	R. Brenner C. Calkins R. Follett F. Izuno C. McCoy
	H. Old Horn R. Schmidt E. Seidensticker N. Spencer M. Wallace

For Outstanding Customer Service: Louis Boyd (NRCS), Clarksville, Tenn.; Joni Sue Cook (Forest Service), Elkins, W.Va.; Edward Cooney (Food and Nutrition Service), Alexandria, Va.; Richard Curnow (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), Fort Collins, Colo.; Brenda Curtis-Heiken (Office of Communications), Washington, DC; Michelle Damato (FS), Milwaukee, Wis.; Bonnie Ebel (ARS), Gainesville, Fla.; DeAnna Gerhardt (Rural Housing Service), Garden City, Kan.; Donna Greathouse (NRCS), Marion, Ill.; June Hill (Office of Inspector General), Washington, DC; Charles Hudson (NASS), Denver, Colo.; Ronald Johnson (FNS), Alexandria, Va.; Janina Milaknis (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration), Montreal, Canada; Jo-Anna Nakata (Farm Service Agency), Honolulu, Hawaii; Stella Nash (FNS), Denver, Colo.; and Anne Weiskircher (FS), Columbia, Ky.;

	L. Boyd J. S. Cook E. Cooney R. Curnow B. Curtis-Heiken M. Damato
	B. Ebel D. Gerhardt D. Greathouse J. Hill C. Hudson R. Johnson
J. Milaknis J. Nakata S. Nash A. Weiskircher

For Equal Opportunity: LeAndrea Alsobrook (FSA), Washington, DC; Mary Collet (FS), Madison, Wis.; Thedis Crowe [Silver Plow] (NRCS), Bozeman, Mont.; Darrel Dominick (NRCS), Bangor, Maine; Maureen O’Brien (Office of the General Counsel), Washington, DC; John Phillips (CSREES), Eagle Butte, S.D.; and Stephen Scates (FSA), Springfield, Ill.;

	L. Alsobrook M. Collet T. Crowe D. Dominick M. O'Brien
J. Phillips S. Scates

For Emergency Response and Heroism: Sam Neal [Silver Plow] (FS), Winona, Mo.; Scott Paukner (FSIS), Austin, Minn.; Yudhbir Sharma [Silver Plow] (FSIS), Sacramento, Calif.; Darron Smith (Agricultural Marketing Service), Nashville, N.C.; Kimberly Smith (AMS), Denver, Colo.; and Robert Whinnery (FSA), Hopedale, Ohio;

S. Neal S. Paukner Y. Sharma D. Smith K. Smith R. Whinnery

For Public Service: Richard Gardner (National Rural Development Partnership), Boise, Idaho; Edwin Granell Alonso (FSA), Lares, Puerto Rico; Jonathan Gressel (Foreign Agricultural Service), Washington, DC; Merrill Marxman (FSA), Bourbonnais, Ill.; Juan Menchaca (APHIS), Pharr, Texas; Robert Montgomery (FSA), Scottsville, Ky.; Janet Oertly (NRCS), Harrisburg, Pa.; Bonny O’Neil (FNS), Alexandra, Va.; Earl Peterson (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture), Tallahassee, Fla.; and William Simpson (FS), Madison, Wis.

	R. Gardner E. Granell Alonso J. Gressel M. Marxman J. Menchaca
	R. Montgomery J. Oertly B. O'Neil E. Peterson W. Simpson

The 4 Teams receiving USDA honor awards included:

For Equal Opportunity: Richard Burke and Thomas McGarr (RHS), Amherst/West Wareham, Mass.;

R. Burke T. McGarr

For Emergency Response and Heroism: Paul Noteboom and Bonnie Jones (FS), Spearfish, S.D.; Jon Ort and Dalton McAfee (CSREES), Raleigh/Greensboro, N.C.; and Drew Goodridge (OIG), Daniel McGrath (Office of Congressional Relations), and Philip Goode (U.S. Capitol Police) (no photo available), Washington, DC.

P. Noteboom B. Jones J. Ort D. McAfee D. Goodridge D. McGrath

The 62 Groups receiving USDA honor awards included:

For Expanding Economic Trade Opportunities for Agricultural Producers and Other Rural Residents: the Agricultural Export Services Division (FAS), Washington, DC, Daniel Berman, Group Leader; the Farm Typology Group (Economic Research Service), Washington, DC, Robert Hoppe, Group Leader; the Federal Milk Marketing Order Reform (AMS), Washington, DC, Richard McKee, Group Leader; the Master Marketer Program Team (CSREES), College Station, Texas, Roland Smith, Group Leader; the Tilletia Controversa Kuhn Pest Risk Assessment Task Force (ARS), Wyndmoor, Pa., Wilda Martinez, Group Leader; the Tri-National Dispute Resolution Delegates (AMS), Washington, DC, Kenneth Clayton, Group Leader; and the Wheat Export Resolution Team (APHIS), Riverdale, Md., Alan Green, Group Leader; For Ensuring Food for the Hungry, and a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious, and Accessible Food Supply: the Community Nutrition Education Program--Pontotoc Unit (CSREES), Ada, Okla., Lani Huckeby, Group Leader; the Food Stamp Program Access Improvement Team (FNS), Alexandria, Va., Patricia Seward and Arthur Foley, Group Leaders; the Hong Kong H5N1 Avian Influenza Research Group [Silver Plow] (ARS), Athens, Ga., David Swayne, Group Leader; the Listeria Outbreak Working Group (CSREES), Ithaca, N.Y., Martin Wiedmann, Group Leader; the New North Florida Cooperative Pilot Project (AMS), Washington, DC, Daniel Schofer, Group Leader; the Nutrition Promotion (Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), Washington, DC, Carole Davis, Group Leader; the Retail Food Safety and Enforcement Group (FSIS), Washington, DC, Scott Safian, Group Leader; and the Small and Very Small Plant Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Implementation Group (FSIS), Washington, DC, Mary Cutshall and Dorothy Stringfellow, Group Leaders; For Promoting Sensible Management of Natural Resources: the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (FSA), Washington, DC, Parks Shackelford, Group Leader; the East St. Louis Interior Flood Control/Ecosystem Restoration (NRCS), Edwardsville, Ill., Leslie Michael, Group Leader; the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem Restoration Team (FS), Auburn, Ala., Charles McMahon, Group Leader; the Neuse Education Team (CSREES), Raleigh, N.C., Mitchell Woodward, Group Leader; the Russian River Watershed Group (NRCS), Ukiah, Calif., Thomas Schott, Group Leader; the Sustainable Agricultural Research Program (ARS), Beltsville, Md., James Anderson, Group Leader; and the Wilson Flowage Partnership (FS), Medford, Wis., Susanne Adams, Group Leader; For Outstanding Customer Service: the Centralized Servicing Center Field Assistance Desk (RHS), St. Louis, Mo., Beryl Gillard, Group Leader; the Closing the Los Angeles Area Marketplace Pathway (APHIS), Inglewood, Calif., Diana Hoffman, Group Leader; the Congressional Support Services (RHS), St. Louis, Mo., Beryl Gillard, Group Leader; the Continuity of Operations Plan (Office of the Secretary), Washington, DC, Herbert Dickerson and Elaine Plotkin, Group Leaders; the Direct Premium Remittance System Contact Representative Team (Office of the Chief Financial Officer), New Orleans, La., Carvin Ladner, Group Leader; the Empowerment Programs Division (Office of Community Development), Washington, DC, Richard Wetherill, Group Leader; the Fiscal Services Branch, Budget Division (FSIS), Washington, DC, Barbara McNiff, Group Leader; the Florida Exotic Fruit Fly Detection and Eradication Programs (APHIS), Gainesville, Fla., Michael Shannon, Group Leader; the Halifax County Office (FSA), Halifax, N.C., Francis McLaughlin, Group Leader; the Iowa Rural Development Childcare Initiatives Group (RHS), Des Moines, Iowa, Ellen King Huntoon, Group Leader; the Plan of Work Review Team (CSREES), Washington, DC, Ralph Otto, Group Leader; the President’s Foreign Food Aid Initiative Group (FAS), Washington, DC, Grant Pettrie, Group Leader; the Rural Home Loan Partnership Group (RHS), Washington, DC, Eileen Fitzgerald, Group Leader; the Russia Food Assistance Group (FAS), Washington, DC, Asif Chaudhry, Group Leader; the USDA Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee (OSEC/OIG), Washington, DC, Deborah Matz and Joyce Fleischman, Group Leaders; the Voluntary Dispute Intervention Program (FSIS), Washington, DC, Ronald Hicks, Group Leader; and the Y2K Millennium Rollover Team (Office of the Chief Information Officer), Washington, DC, Ann Reed and Ira Hobbs, Group Leaders; For Equal Opportunity: the Branching Out to the Youth of America Team (FS), Asheville, N.C., Rodney Kindlund, Group Leader; the Centralized Servicing Center Welfare to Work Partners (RHS), St. Louis, Mo., William Scaggs, Group Leader; the Fruit and Vegetable Programs (AMS), Washington, DC., Ronald Cioffi, Group Leader; and the Western Regional Research Center Staff (ARS), Albany, Calif., James Seiber, Group Leader; For Emergency Response and Heroism: the Black Hills National Forest Snugget Crew [Golden Plow] (FS), Rapid City, S.D., Phillip Grumstrup, Group Leader; the Bioterrorism Incident Response Team (FSIS), Washington, DC, Fred Williams, Group Leader; the Emergency Management System (APHIS), Washington, DC, Bobby Acord, Group Leader; the Hurricane Recovery Team (FAS), Washington, DC, Howard Anderson, Group Leader; the North Carolina Hurricane Floyd Emergency Response Management Team (NRCS), Raleigh, N.C., Mary Kollstedt, Group Leader; the Rural Response Action Team Project (CSREES), St. Paul, Minn., Robert Byrnes, Group Leader; and the USDA Manhattan Service Center Group (RHS), Manhattan, Kan., Beverly Howard, Group Leader; For Public Service: the Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development Council (NRCS), Rutledge, Tenn., David Lietzke, Group Leader; the Cotton Programs (AMS), Washington, DC, Mary Atienza, Group Leader; the Dog Fighting Investigation Group (APHIS), Elgin, Texas, Jacqueline Freeman, Group Leader; the Fredericksburg Area Office (FSA), Fredericksburg, Va., John Carter, Group Leader; the George Washington Carver Recognition Team (Departmental Administration), Washington, DC, Priscilla Carey, Group Leader; the Introduction to Water Quality Training Development Team (NRCS), Indianapolis, Ind., Robert Hummel, Group Leader; the Lincoln Multicultural Middle School Adopt-A-School Program [Silver Plow], (FSIS), Washington, DC, Francisco Apodaca and Gerry Flores, Group Leaders; the Operation Gemini Task Force Group (OIG), New York, N.Y., Gary O'Brien, Group Leader; the Partnership for Change--Texas Colonias Initiative Team (FNS), Dallas, Texas, Judy Barron, Group Leader; the Resource Planning Guidebook Technical Team (NRCS), Champaign, Ill., William Lewis, Group Leader; the Secretary’s Hispanic Advisory Council Adopt-A- School Program Workgroup (FSIS), Washington, DC, Francisco Apodaca, Group Leader; and the Technical Team (NRCS), Naperville, Ill., Kent Sims, Group Leader.

In addition to the 122 USDA honor award presentations, USDA’s awards highlight included its 15 Presidential Rank Award recipients for 1999 (the December 1999 issue of the USDA News carried a story on those 15 employees), the USDA recipients of major awards sponsored by external organizations, and the 320 Departmental employees across the country who have 40 or more years of federal service. 

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