The massive building, which fills a full city block between 18th and 19th streets, is two short blocks from Pennsylvania Avenue. Shouts of protestors marching in front of the White House are carried on the March wind. Granted, Bibb is one of thousands of Washington bureaucrats. But, get beyond the governmental gobbledygook, and you'll discover a good man doing a good job in an arena where many contend that mediocrity is the norm. The federal government grinds slowly like a massive, antiquated roadster that spits and sputters but continues to inch ahead.
Political roadblocks are inevitable.
But Bibb has learned that patience, indeed, is a virtue. He bides his time until he can circumvent the various roadblocks through diplomacy, negotiation and consensus-building. In Washington circles, Bibb has a reputation as an effective and respected member of the Senior Executive Service, the federal government's elite corps of top executives. In fact, Bibb's work for the federal government garnered him the President's Distinguished Executive Award for 1997. Presented in April during a ceremony at the U.S. State Department, it is the top award any career civil servant can receive for career achievement.