BLM Employees to be Honored

May 28, 2008

From: James Caswell
Sent: 05/28/2008 07:26 AM EDT
Subject: BLM Employees to be Honored May 28.

Please join us on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, when Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will honor four BLM employees at a ceremony in the South Interior Building Auditorium at 2:00 p.m.

Thomas P. Lonnie, BLM-Alaska State Director, will receive the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award. Each year this award recognizes a small group of career Senior Executives and Senior Professionals for exceptional long-term accomplishments. Winners of this prestigious award are strong leaders, professionals, and scientists who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry, and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service. There are two categories of rank awards: Distinguished and Meritorious. Award winners are chosen through a rigorous selection process. They are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by boards of private citizens, and approved by the President. The evaluation criteria focus on leadership and results. All recipients receive a framed certificate signed by the President. The Secretary's Executive Leadership Award, an annual career SES performance honor, was established by the Interior Department's Executive Resources Board to recognize superior accomplishment of performance objectives and excellence in leadership.

Elaine Zielinski, BLM-Arizona State Director, will receive the Gold award.

Henri R. Bisson, BLM Deputy Director, and

Linda S. C. Rundell, BLM-New Mexico State Director, will receive the Silver award.

Career SES members are recommended for the Secretary's Executive Leadership Award with the concurrence of the appropriate assistant secretary. Final selections are made by the Executive Resources Board. Criteria for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards include extraordinary accomplishment of the performance elements that comprise the SES member's annual performance plan and demonstration of excellence in leading change, driving results, leading people, business acumen, and building coalitions and communication.