The timing of last week’s celebration of the Sammies, an annual Partnership for Public Service (PPS) award recognizing outstanding service and innovation among the federal workforce, came smack in the middle of our ongoing government shutdown.  The annual celebration recognizing some of the best and brightest in government was an ironic counterpoint to the political standoff over the budget.

The nominees represented a broad swath of the federal workforce and came from a variety of government sectors and backgrounds.  What united each award winner was their passion for federal service and their commitment to innovation and the improvement of outcomes.

The Sammies helped to put a face on the numerous examples of passion and excellence within the federal workforce—and the cost of not having those workers back on the job doing what they do best.  Four of the nine winners were furloughed by their agencies, including Kevin T. Geiss, who was honored for saving the air force a billion dollars in fuel costs in 2012. Kevin, like hundreds of thousands of his colleagues, only wants to return to work.  

Read more about Kevin’s story here.