More than a third of DHS Winners Receive “Distinguished” Rank, The Most Prestigious Award for Career Civil Servants
WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas recognized 30 members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workforce who received the 2023 Presidential Rank Award (PRA) for exceptional service.
“I am incredibly proud of the 30 DHS executives who have been selected to receive this year’s Presidential Rank Award. The award speaks to these senior executives’ extraordinary dedication to mission and exceptional work as public servants,” said Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “Our leaders across the Department set the example of selfless commitment and service to the department, our nation, and the American people. They are an inspiration to the more than 260,000 employees across DHS. Congratulations to all of the award recipients and thank you for all you do.”
The Presidential Rank Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the federal career civil service. These awards recognize the hard work and important contributions of dedicated civil servants in the U.S. federal workforce. This year, the President selected 232 winners from 31 federal agencies for their exceptional leadership, accomplishments, and service over an extended period of time. These individuals are all members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST) corps. Last year, 29 members of the DHS workforce received the prestigious award.
DHS employees selected by President Biden to receive the prestigious awards include:
FY2023 Distinguished Rank Recipients
These individuals are recognized for sustained extraordinary accomplishment. Only one percent of the career SES or SL/ST receive this rank.
- Randolph Alles, Management Directorate
- Staci Barrera, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Kenneth Bible, Management Directorate
- Elizabeth Cappello, Management Directorate
- Albert Curry, Jr, U.S. Coast Guard
- Jeffrey Dorko, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Nina Ferraro, Management Directorate
- Tae Johnson, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Sonya Proctor, Transportation Security Administration
- Jason Schwabel, Transportation Security Administration
- Robert Vente, Transportation Security Administration
FY2023 Meritorious Rank Recipients
The Meritorious Rank Award is presented to leaders for sustained accomplishments and is awarded to only five percent of career SES members and Senior-Level (SL) employees and Scientific and Professional (ST) corps.
- Sidney Aki, Customs and Border Protection
- Daniel Bible, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Jeffrey Bobich, Management Directorate
- Jeffrey Caine, Customs and Border Protection
- Jose Fabre, Customs and Border Protection
- Rachelle Henderson, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Thomas Huse, U.S. Secret Service
- Brian Lambert, U.S. Secret Service
- Bryan Lemons, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
- Richard Legault, Science and Technology Directorate [Meritorious Senior Professional Award]
- Tammy Meckley, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Connie Nolan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Ronald Rosenberg, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Diane Sahakian, Customs and Border Protection
- Adrian Sevier, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Neal Swartz, Office of the General Counsel
- Douglas Thigpen, U.S. Secret Service
- David Torres, U.S. Secret Service
- Herbert Wolfe, Office of Health Security
Read the full announcement from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) here. The complete list of the Presidential Rank Awards may be found on OPM’s website.
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