It's that time of year again.
May 4-10 is Public Service Recognition Week across the country, a time to honor the men and women who serve the country in federal, state and local government.
Government agencies from Vermont to the Virgin Islands are participating in this week's events, which got started Monday with a "Breakfast of Champions" to honor the winners of the Public Service Excellence Awards sponsored by Public Employees Roundtable, a coalition of employee groups.
Today, Vice President Al Gore will recognize 287 members of the federal government's Senior Executive Service who will receive the prestigious Presidential Rank Awards.
The Distinguished and Meritorious Executive awards are presented annually to top federal executives for sustained exceptional performance resulting in less expensive, better service to the public. The "Distinguished Executive" Presidential Rank Award will be presented to 63 individuals. Each will receive $20,000. Another 224 "meritorious" executives will receive checks for $10,000.
This year's ceremony will be held at DAR Constitution Hall in downtown Washington.
At noon on Thursday, Members of Congress and government agency dignitaries will kick off a three-day extravaganza of exhibits, demonstrations and entertainment on the National Mall.
Navy SEALS will perform diving demonstrations, the FBI will show children how fingerprints are taken, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will give mock citizenship tests and the Agriculture Department will quiz people on chocolate. Smokey the Bear and McGruff the Crime Dog plan to make appearances and NASA will exhibit a 30-foot-tall inflated model of the space shuttle. In all, about 100 government agencies will have exhibits between 3rd and 4th streets and Independence and Madison Avenues.
Friday is Student's Day on the Mall. Secretary of Education Richard Riley has invited nearly 1,000 Washington-area schools to tour the government exhibits.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, the American Society of Public Administration will hold its annual conference this week. ASPA will conduct sessions focusing on how agencies can build partnerships with other governmental agencies and will pay tribute to members who are recipients of Federal Employee of the Year Awards.
Federal Employee of the Year luncheons are also scheduled in the 26 Federal Executive Board cities, honoring the work of individuals in all federal agencies in their regions. The Seattle Federal Executive Board will honor 715 federal employees nominated for employee of the year Wednesday. The Chicago Federal Executive Board will honor its recipient Friday.
Public Service Recognition Week concludes Sunday with military exhibits on the Mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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