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Awards Recognize Accomplishments of the Inspector General Community

Media Contact

media@oig.hhs.gov
202-619-0088

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James B. Comey to Provide Keynote Address

Washington, DC—More than 85 individuals and groups will be recognized on Tuesday, October 21, 2014, for their outstanding accomplishments at the 17th annual inspector general community awards ceremony. The Honorable James B. Comey, Director, FBI, will provide the keynote address at the ceremony hosted by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).

The Honorable Beth Cobert, CIGIE Executive Chairperson, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will present the inspector general (IG) community’s most prestigious awards. Additionally, the Honorable Phyllis K. Fong, CIGIE Chairperson, and Ms. Lynne McFarland, CIGIE Vice Chairperson, will present Awards for Excellence to recognize auditors, investigators, inspectors, attorneys, and other employees in the Federal IG community.

This year’s Alexander Hamilton Award will be presented to the U. S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Witness Security Program Review Team in recognition of the team’s significant contributions to national security and public safety during an audit of the Department of Justice’s handling of known or suspected terrorists admitted into the Federal Witness Security Program. The award highlights achievements in improving the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Executive Branch agency operations and is the highest award bestowed by the inspector general community.

The 2014 Sentner Award for Dedication and Courage will honor the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction’s Jeffrey Millslagle in recognition of his courage, uncommon selflessness, and dedication to duty during an insurgency attack on the Herat Consulate in Afghanistan in September 2013. The award recognizes an individual or a team demonstrating uncommon dedication and courage in the face of adversity and was named for William “Buddy” Sentner, III, a special agent at the Department of Justice OIG who was fatally shot in the line of duty in 2006.

Additional examples of recipients who will be honored at Tuesday’s awards ceremony include:

  • The Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award to the U.S. Department of Transportation OIG’s Toyota Investigative Prosecutive Team in recognition of exceptional achievement in the investigation and deferred prosecution of the Toyota Motor Company.
  • The Glenn/Roth Exemplary Service Award to the Death Master File Audit Team, Social Security Administration OIG, in recognition of completing nine significant audits identifying deficiencies in SSA’s death information processing.
  • The Barry R. Snyder Joint Award to the Boston Marathon Bombing Team, consisting of OIG personnel from the Intelligence Community, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, in recognition of their collaborative work in conducting a joint independent review of the U.S. Government’s sharing and handling of information leading up to the Boston Marathon Bombing.
  • The June Gibbs Brown Career Achievement Award to Michael S. Barcus, Supervisory Criminal Investigator (retired May 2014), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) OIG, in recognition of outstanding leadership and dedicated service to furthering the mission of DOL OIG’s Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations.
  • The Award for Individual Accomplishment goes to Timothy Menke, Senior Advisor for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) OIG, in recognition of longstanding leadership, dedication, and contributions towards the success of HHS OIG Investigations and the CIGIE law enforcement community.

In fiscal year 2013, the IG community identified potential savings of over $51.8 billion as well as program efficiencies and enhancements. OIGs successfully investigated individuals and entities who threatened government integrity and the public trust. Cumulatively, these efforts resulted in $37 billion in potential savings from audit recommendations; $14.8 billion in potential savings from investigative recoveries and receivables; over 6,700 indictments and criminal informations; over 6,700 successful prosecutions; over 5,800 suspensions and debarments; and over 619,000 hotline complaints processed.

The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, established OIGs within Federal agencies to combat fraud, waste, and abuse and to improve the economy and efficiency of program operations. The IG community has nearly 14,000 audit, investigation, inspection, and other professionals.

The CIGIE is composed of Inspectors General and government ethics and law enforcement officials. The awards ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2014, at the Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheatre, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004.

For more information on the IG community, visit http://www.ignet.gov. For additional information on the awards or the ceremony, please contact Mark Jones, CIGIE Executive Director, at (202) 292-2600.