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Awards to Recognize Accomplishments of Inspector General Community

Media Contact

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

Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Journalist Carl Bernstein to Provide Keynote

In the 30th anniversary year of the Inspector General Act, more than 95 individuals and groups will receive awards from the Inspector General community for outstanding accomplishments. The President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE), which are bestowing the awards, will hold the ceremony on October 21, 2008. Carl Bernstein, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist and author, will provide the keynote address, discussing integrity and accountability in government and the important role of Inspectors General over the last 30 years.

The Honorable Clay Johnson III, PCIE and ECIE Chair and Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget, will present the Inspector General (IG) community’s most prestigious awards. Additionally, the Honorable Gregory Friedman, PCIE Vice Chair, and Dr. Christine Boesz, ECIE Vice Chair, will present Awards for Excellence.

This year’s Sentner Award for Dedication and Courage will posthumously honor Paul Converse, Auditor, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), for his dedication and courage in the line of duty. Mr. Converse sustained fatal injuries while working for SIGIR in Baghdad. The award recognizes an individual or a team demonstrating uncommon dedication and courage in the face of adversity. It was named for William “Buddy” Sentner, III, a special agent who was fatally shot in the line of duty.

The 2008 Alexander Hamilton Award goes to Marlane T. Evans, Deputy Inspector General for Audit, Department of Agriculture, in recognition of her outstanding achievement in strengthening and improving USDA food safety efforts. The award acknowledges achievements in improving the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Executive Branch agency operations. It is considered the highest form of recognition that the Inspector General community can bestow.

Other special awards include the following:

  • The Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award goes to the LINK Task Force, Department of Agriculture, for excellence in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting fraud in food stamp benefits in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan area.
  • The Glenn/Roth Exemplary Service Award goes to the Southwest Airlines Oversight Team, Department of Transportation, for conducting outstanding audits and preparing multiple congressional testimonies identifying lapses in Federal Aviation Administration’s air-carrier safety oversight.
  • The Barry R. Snyder PCIE/ECIE Joint Award goes to the Financial Statement Audit Network, a subcommittee of the Federal Audit Executive Council, for its sustained contribution to improving Federal financial management by bringing together representatives from the PCIE/ECIE community.
  • The June Gibbs Brown Career Achievement Award goes to John P. Higgins, Jr., retired Inspector General, Department of Education, in recognition of more than 30 years of Government service marked by extraordinary accomplishments.

In fiscal year 2007, the inspector general community identified potential savings of $11.4 billion as well as program efficiencies and enhancements. It successfully investigated individuals and entities who threatened government integrity and the public trust. Cumulatively, these efforts resulted in: $11.4 billion in potential savings from audit recommendations; $5.1 billion from investigative recoveries and receivables; more than 8,900 successful criminal prosecutions; 6,805 indictments and criminal informations; 1,277 successful civil actions; more than 7,000 audit, inspection, and evaluation reports issued; about 4,300 suspensions or debarments; and nearly 310,000 hotline complaints processed.

The Inspector General Act of 1978 established units within many Federal agencies to combat fraud, waste, abuse, and to improve the economy and efficiency of program operations. The Inspector General community has more than 12,000 audit, investigation, inspection, and other professionals at 64 Federal OIGs.

The PCIE and ECIE are composed primarily of Inspectors General and certain government ethics and law enforcement officials. Inspectors General in the PCIE are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The respective Agency head appoints ECIE Inspectors General.

The ceremony will take place at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 13th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, at 10:00 am. The public is invited; there is no charge to attend.

For more information on the IG community, visit http://www.ignet.gov. For additional information on the awards, the ceremony, or to arrange interviews, please contact Dee Ellison, Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services; 202-619-1028; dee.ellison@oig.hhs.gov.