2016

PRESIDENTIAL RANK

AWARDS WINNERS*

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 established the Presidential Rank Awards 

Program to recognize a select group of career members of the Senior Executive 

Service (SES) for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. 

Later, the Rank Award statute was amended to extend eligibility to senior career 

employees with a sustained record of exceptional professional, technical, and/or 

scientific achievement recognized on a national or international level.

*This is not a comprehensive list and only includes winners agreeing to public recognition, as of December 15, 2017
DISTINGUISHED EXECUTIVE WINNERS 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF 

DEFENSE 

Darlene J. Costello 

Audrey Y. Davis 

Paul S. Koffsky

Elaine R. Simmons 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

Robert E. Corsi, Jr. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

Lloyd C. Caldwell, Jr. 

Krystyna M. Kolesar 

Levator Norsworthy, Jr. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 

Brian W. Callender 

Robert D. Hogue 

Donald F. McCormack, Jr. 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 Karen O. Henneberger 

Mark W. Henneberger 

Robert B. Raines 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

Peter Tsirigotis 

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION 

Michael Gelber 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Laura W. Cheever 

Michael R. Taylor 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF THE 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Joanne M. Chiedi 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Dominick Braccio 

Robert P. Griffin

Troy Miller 
(Distinguished Executive Winners Continued) 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Gregory J. Gould 

Noreen Walsh 

William H. Werkheiser 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Joyce R. Branda 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE 

ADMINISTRATION 

Stephen G. Jurczyk 

Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. 

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY 

BOARD 

John W. DeLisi 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Michael R. Johnson 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Vann H. Van Diepen 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Silvana Gina Garza 

Janet G. McCubbin 
MERITORIOUS EXECUTIVE WINNERS 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Stuart A. Bender 

Chavonda Jacobs-Young 

Thomas L. Tidwell 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Praveen Dixit 

Nathan K. Kelley 

Louis W. Uccellini 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF 

DEFENSE 

Jerilyn B. Busch 

Judd Carpenter 

Aaron P. Gillison 

Martin R. Gross 

Donald L. Mullinax 

John Gary Pennett 

Michael D. Scott 

Dyke D. Weatherington 

Susan A. Yarwood 

Jennifer N. Zakriski 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

Jeffrey C. Allen

Devin L. Cate 

Mark A. Correll 

Todd A. Fore 

Jorge F. Gonzalez 

Lawrence S. Kingsley 

Jeffery R. Shelton

Daniel R. Sitterly 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

Richard G. Kidd, IV 

Robert L. Moore 

Diane M. Randon 

Karl F. Schneider 

Anthony J. Stamilio 

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 

Steven C. Cade 

William J. Deligne 

Steffanie B. Easter

Michael R. Gutermuth 

William H. Luebke 

Brian J. Persons 

Banahalli R. Ratna 

James H. Smerchansky 

Patrick M. Sullivan 
(Meritorious Executive Winners Continued) 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Claudia R. Andrews 

Rita R. Franklin 

Jehanne E. Gillo 

John W. Herczeg 

Mark L. Holecek 

Johnny O. Moore 

Kenneth B. Sheely 

Kevin W. Smith 

Eric S. Snider 

Michael A. Thompson 

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 

Erville L. Koehler 

Joanna Rosato 

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF THE 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Robert C. Erickson, Jr. 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Daniel J. Barry 

Deepak Bhargava 

David J. Horowitz 

Karen Jackson 

George G. Mills, Jr. 

Jean D. Moody-Williams 

Jenny Parker 

Patrick A. Shirdon 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Nicholas Colucci 

Linda Jacksta 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Thomas O. Melius 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Shannon B. Brown 

Kristen M. Mahoney 

William R. Majure 
(Meritorious Executive Winners Continued) 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE 

ADMINISTRATION 

Thomas A. Edwards 

Lauri N. Hansen 

Colleen N. Hartman 

Brian K. Kelly 

Cathy H. Mangum 

Brenda Manuel 

A. Sherri McGee

Alan H. Phillips 

Piers Sellers 

Jaiwon Shin 

Patrick C. Stoliker 

Sumara Thompson-King 

Edgar G. Waggoner 

Bobby J. Watkins 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 

Ruby D. Burrell 

Theresa L. Gruber 

DEPARMENT OF STATE 

Paul B. Dean 

Alan Kent Evans 

Thomas B. Heinemann 

Daniel Alan Reifsnyder 

Mark A. Simonoff

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Daphne Y. Jefferson

DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 

Eric A. Froman 

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR 

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Mauricio P. Vera 
DISTINGUISHED SENIOR PROFESSIONAL WINNERS 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Thomas J. Sawyer 

MERITORIOUS SENIOR PROFESSIONAL WINNERS 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

Jeffrey G. Arnold Augustus W. Fountain, III 

Rickey E. Smith 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Michelle I. Picard DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 

Ronald S. Ross Jerry R. Meyer 

David A. Stenger 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF 

DEFENSE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE 

William E. Moxley ADMINISTRATION 

Catherine W. Warner John C. Mather 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

Ravinder Chona MANAGEMENT 

Stephen W. Schneider Christine S. Hunter