Homeland Security Medal Recipients
This medal recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to homeland security (including border and transportation security, emergency preparedness and response, intelligence, and law enforcement) and is accompanied by a $3,000 award.
Don Burke and Sean P. Dennehy—2009 Recipients
Position: Intellipedia Doyen (Burke) and Intellipedia and Enterprise 2.0 Evangelist (Dennehy)
Agency: Central Intelligence Agency
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Promoted information sharing across the intelligence community through the development and implementation of “Intellipedia,” a Wikipedia-like clearinghouse of intelligence expertise.
Dr. Eddie Bernard—2008 Recipient
Position: Director, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Location: Seattle, Washington
Achievement: Created a tsunami detection system that has dramatically increased warning times and decreased the risk of catastrophic loss of life.
Tracy Mustin—2007 Recipient
Position: Director, Office of Second Line of Defense
Agency: National Nuclear Security Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Led initiative to put radiological and nuclear detectors at seaports, airports and border crossings across the globe, providing vital defenses against nuclear terrorism.
Ambassador Nancy Powell—2006 Recipient
Position: National Intelligence Officer for Southeast Asia
Agency: National Intelligence Council
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Led key diplomatic efforts to organize international preparations for an avian flu pandemic.
Steven Bice—2005 Recipient
Position: Director, Emergency Operations
Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Achievement: Developed two of the country’s most effective emergency preparedness organizations in the public health field.
Brad Gair—2004 Recipient
Position: Federal Coordinating Officer
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Location: New York, New York
Achievement: Oversaw the federal government’s recovery efforts in New York after 9/11 and supervised other FEMA rebuilding work in the wake of multiple natural disasters.
Paul Polski—2003 Recipient
Position: Program Director
Agency: Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Paul Polski spent 12 years heading an 80-person task force at a Federal Aviation Administration counterterrorism lab in southern New Jersey that developed innovative products to detect concealed weapons before they can be brought onto commercial aircraft and others that may allow planes to survive a terrorist attack.
Kenneth Concepcion—2002 Recipient
Position: Chief of U.S. Flag Deepdraft Vessels and Plan Review
Agency: U.S. Coast Guard
Location: Staten Island, New York
Achievement: Directed the safe and orderly seaborne evacuation of 70,000 confused and frightened people from Lower Manhattan amidst the chaos of the September 11 attacks.
The Service to America Medals are presented annually by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence in our federal civil service.
