USDA honored a number of its employees, for their outstanding achievements, at its 56^th Annual Honor Awards Ceremony, which took place July 8 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 88 recipients, including 29 individuals and 59 groups.

120 nominations, which included 33 individuals and 87 groups, had been submitted earlier to the USDA Honor Awards Evaluation Committee. That group, chaired for the second year in a row by Sherie Hinton Henry, deputy administrator for operations and management in the Rural Development mission area, was composed of Henry and five individuals selected from agriculture, journalism, academia, and the private, non-profit sector. The six-member Committee reviewed those nominations in April and had then made its recommendations to Secretary Ann M. Veneman.

At the ceremony Veneman delivered the keynote address and then presented the major USDA awards to the employees. In her remarks she said that “This past year, particularly following the tragedies of September 11, we saw many examples where USDA employees stepped forward to help their fellow Americans. These honorees, and all those recognized through this awards program, represent just a small fraction of the many dedicated and hard- working employees at USDA.”

Cecilia Matthews, USDA’s Incentive Awards Program Manager with OHRM, said that the highest USDA honor awards are the Plow Awards. One individual and three groups received Plow Awards this year. Those recipients have that particular annotation by their respective names in the lists that follow.

In addition to the 88 USDA honor award presentations, USDA’s awards program noted the Department’s 16 Presidential Rank Award recipients for 2001, the USDA recipients of major awards sponsored by external organizations, and the 456 Departmental employees across the country who have 40 or more years of federal service. Of those, eight have 50 or more years of federal service. In addition, for at least the second year in a row, the USDA employee with the longest years of federal service is reported to be Harold “Bruno” Mangum, currently a program specialist with the Farm Service Agency’s state office in Raleigh, N.C., who has 66 years of federal service, all with USDA.

The 29 Individuals receiving USDA honor awards included:

For Expanding Economic and Trade Opportunities for United States Agricultural Producers: Aubrey Davis (National Agricultural Statistics Service), Concord, N.H.; Owen Ecker (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration), Washington, DC; and Eva Ripollone (Foreign Agricultural Service), Washington, DC; For Promoting Health by Providing Access to Safe, Affordable, and Nutritious Food: George Inglett (Agricultural Research Service), Peoria, Ill.; Gloria McAdam (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and Foodshare of Greater Hartford), Windsor, Conn.; Philipp Simon (ARS), Madison, Wis.; and Donald Thayer (ARS), Wyndmoor, Pa.; For Maintaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural Resources and Environment: Linden Brooks (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Red Bluff, Calif.; Laurence Chandler (ARS), Fargo, N.D.; John Doran (ARS), Lincoln, Neb.; David Doss (NRCS), Annapolis, Md.; Dale Heermann (ARS), Fort Collins, Colo.; Susan Jacobson (CSREES and the University of Florida), Gainesville, Fla.; Patricia Leavenworth (NRCS), Madison, Wis.; Deborah Jean Lodge (Forest Service), Luquillo, Puerto Rico; Michael McElhiney (NRCS), Modesto, Calif.; and Edwin Smith (CSREES and the University of Nevada-Reno), Minden, Nev.; For Enhancing the Capacity of all Rural Residents, Communities, and Businesses to Prosper: Gregory Henderson (Office of Inspector General), Dallas, Texas; Christine Humes (Rural Business-Cooperative Service), Washington, DC; and Kenneth Noonan (NRCS), Lincoln, Neb.; For Operating an Efficient, Effective, and Discrimination-Free Organization: Shirley Gammon (NRCS), Bozeman, Mont.; David Hoff (U.S. Department of Justice, for Farm Service Agency), Urbana, Ill.; Anne Rickman (FSA), Boydton, Va.; Rafael Sanchez (NASS), Washington, DC; and John Surina (Office of the Secretary), Washington, DC; For Heroism and Emergency Response: Rebecca Ann Welch [Plow Award] (FS), Naches, Wash.; and Wallace Young (Food Safety and Inspection Service), San Francisco, Calif.; under subcategory of “Response to Attack on the Pentagon:” James Fortner (FSA), Washington, DC; and Jane Servais (Agricultural Marketing Service), Washington, DC.

				A. Davis	O. Ecker	E. Ripollone
G. Inglett	G. McAdam	P. Simon	D. Thayer	L. Brooks	L. Chandler	J. Doran
D. Doss	D. Heermann	S. Jacobson	P. Leavenworth	D.J. Lodge	M. McElhiney	E. Smith
G. Henderson	C. Humes	K. Noonan	S. Gammon	D. Hoff	A. Rickman	R. Sanchez
	J. Surina	R. A. Welch	W. Young	J. Fortner	J. Servais

The 59 Groups--which include over 1,700 Group members--receiving USDA honor awards included:

For Expanding Economic and Trade Opportunities for United States Agricultural Producers: the European Union Agricultural Specialists [Plow Award] (FAS), Washington, DC, Melinda Sallyards, Group Leader; the Farmers Market Team (AMS), Washington, DC, Nichole Holley, Group Leader; the Food and Agricultural Policy Report Team (Economic Research Service), Washington, DC, Mary Bohman, Group Leader; the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (CSREES and the University of Missouri), Columbia, Mo., Abner Womack, Group Leader; the GreenSeeker Sprayer Research Team (CSREES and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station), Stillwater, Okla., John Solie, Group Leader; the White Wheat Commercialization Team (ARS), Manhattan, Kan., Donald Koeltzow, Group Leader; the Marketing Assistance Project Team (CSREES), Washington, DC, Timothy Grosser, Group Leader; the Multistate Project Northeastern-501 (CSREES), Biglerville, Pa., John Halbrendt, Group Leader; and the Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), Raleigh, N.C., Daniel Fieselmann, Group Leader; For Promoting Health by Providing Access to Safe, Affordable, and Nutritious Food: the Bil Mar Foods, Incorporated, Investigation and Prosecution Team (OIG), East Lansing, Mich., Thomas Ackerman, Group Leader; the Fellows Working Group (FSIS), Washington, DC, Tamar Lasky and Laurie Lindsay, Group Leaders; the Food Safety and Inspection Service/Food and Drug Administration Joint Enforcement Group (FSIS), Washington, DC, Carlos Torres-Lopez and Paul Wolseley, Group Leaders; the Grapevine Biotechnology Research Group (CSREES and the University of Florida), Apopka, Fla., Dennis Gray, Group Leader; the Particle Film Research Team (ARS), Kearneysville, W.Va., Michael Glenn and Gary Puterka, Group Leaders; the Pathogen Detection and Enforcement Response Group (FSIS), Washington, DC, James Sullivan and Acey Smith, Group Leaders; the Prime Vendor Pilot Team (Food and Nutrition Service), Alexandria, Va., David Seger, Group Leader; and the Seniors Farmers Market Team (FNS), Alexandria, Va., Diane Kriviski, Group Leader; For Maintaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural Resources and Environment: the 2002 Olympic Planning Team [Plow Award] (FS), Salt Lake City, Utah, John Hoagland, Group Leader; the Animal Disease Emergency Response Team (OIG), Chicago, Ill., Edward Krivus, Group Leader; the Deschutes National Forest Conservation Camp Team (FS), Bend, Ore., Lynn Roby, Group Leader; the Monarch Consortium Leaders (ARS), Ames, Iowa, Richard Hellmich, Group Leader; the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee Forest Supervisors (FS), Wenatchee and Mount Lake Terrace, Wash., Sonny O’Neal and John Phipps, Group Leaders; the National Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Steering Committee (NRCS), Davis, Okla., Bob Drake (National Cattlemen’s Beef Association), Group Leader; the Poultry Waste Management Education Team (CSREES and Poultry Waste Management Education), Stillwater, Okla., Doug Hamilton, Group Leader; and the Storm Recovery Team (FS), Grand Marais, Minn., Dennis Neitzke, Group Leader; For Enhancing the Capacity of all Rural Residents, Communities, and Businesses to Prosper: the Community Facilities Team (Rural Housing Service), Washington, DC, Chadwick Parker, Group Leader; the Kentucky Rural Housing Service Working Group (RHS), Lexington, Ky., Denver Parks, Group Leader; the Money 2000 and Investing For Your Future Project Teams (CSREES and Rutgers Cooperative Extension), Newton, N.J., Barbara O’Neill, Group Leader; the Rural Policy Research Institute (CSREES and the University of Missouri), Columbia, Mo., Charles Fluharty, Group Leader; and Team West Virginia (RHS), Morgantown, W.Va., Dianne Crysler, Group Leader; For Operating an Efficient, Effective, and Discrimination-Free Organization: the Pigford Team [Plow Award] (ERS), Washington, DC, Ronald Trostle, Group Leader; the Apalachicola National Forest and Liberty Wilderness Crossroads Camp Partnership (FS), Bristol, Fla., Andrew Colaninno, Group Leader; the Automated Staffing and Application Program (FS), Boise, Idaho, Joy Thomas, Group Leader; the Civil Rights Division (Office of the General Counsel), Washington, DC, Arlean Leland, Group Leader; the Compliance Team (AMS), Washington, DC, Barbara Schulke, Group Leader; the Domestic Electronic Bid Entry System Development Team (AMS), Kansas City, Mo., DeWayne Kalberg (FSA), Group Leader; the Electronic Data Interchange Project Team (RHS), St. Louis, Mo., Donna Chism, Group Leader; El Servicio Noticiero (ARS), Beltsville, Md., Sandy Miller Hays, Group Leader; the Flood Hazard Determination Group (RHS), St. Louis, Mo., Thomas Morris, Group Leader; the Foundation Financial Information System Implementation Team (Office of the Chief Financial Officer), Washington, DC, Wendy Snow, Group Leader; the Information Technology Security Audit Team (OIG), Mission, Kan., Steven Eckland, Group Leader; the Integrated Accountability System (NRCS), Washington, DC, Pearlie Reed, Group Leader; the Ouachita National Forest Engineering and Contracting Team (FS), Hot Springs, Ark., Beverly Allen and Gary Baber, Group Leaders; and the Training and Development Center Developmental Team (AMS), Washington, DC, Robert Huttenlocker, Group Leader; For Heroism and Emergency Response: Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the United Kingdom (APHIS), Riverdale, Md., Joseph Annelli, Group Leader; the Klamath Basin Emergency Watershed Protection Program (NRCS), Portland, Ore., Robert Graham, Group Leader; the Life Saving Effort (FSIS), Lawrence, Kan., and Rogers, Ark., Michael Cook and Stanley Johnson, Group Leaders; and the Pinecrest Fish Celebration Event Organizers (FS), Pinecrest, Calif., David Martin, Group Leader; under subcategory of “Response to Attack on the World Trade Center, Twin Towers:” the Alaska Area Type 1 Incident Management Team (FS), Anchorage, Alaska, Joseph Stam (State of Alaska), Group Leader; the Disaster Food Stamp Program Team (FNS), Boston Mass., Frances Zorn, Group Leader; the Northwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team 2 (FS), Portland, Ore., Mike Lohrey, Group Leader; the Northwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team 3 (FS) Redmond, Ore., Joe Stutler, Group Leader; the Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team (FS), Flagstaff, Ariz., Van Bateman, Group Leader; the Terrorist Attacks Incident Response and Consequence Management Group (OIG), New York, N.Y., Ellen Quackenbush, Group Leader; and the Wildlife Services World Trade Center Disaster Response Team (APHIS), Castleton, N.Y., Richard Chipman, Group Leader; under subcategory of “Response to Attack on the Pentagon:” the California Interagency Incident Management Team (FS), Bakersfield, Calif., Steve Gage (Kern County Fire Department), Group Leader; under subcategory of “Department of Agriculture Emergency Operations Center:” the Homeland Security Emergency Support Team (Departmental Administration), Washington, DC, Clifford Oliver, Group Leader; and the USDA Crisis Response Group (DA), Washington, DC, Clifford Oliver, Group Leader; under subcategory of “Homeland Emergency Response:” the Terrorism Response Group (DA), Washington, DC, Priscilla Carey, Group Leader. •