Federal women honored with Good Housekeeping awards

Good government often demands good housekeeping. Who better than the magazine of the same name, then, to bestow awards on some of the finest female government executives in the country.

The third annual Good Housekeeping Awards for Women In Government were presented Wednesday in a ceremony at the Washington headquarters of the National Women's Party. Among the ten recipients were four federal employees, including grand prize winner Shirley Watkins, who took home $25,000 for her efforts as Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS) at the Agriculture Department.

"It is important to honor the often-overlooked women who are truly making a difference in our lives," said Ellen Levine, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping. "Though much of our attention is focused on the national elections, we must salute the public servants who act as much-needed role models and make such an impact on our communities."

The magazine collaborated with the Partnership for Trust in Government and the Center for American Women in Politics to select the winners.

Also recognized, and awarded $2,500 each, were Joan (Jodie) Bernstein, director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Helen Curtis-Brown, fuels compliance manager at the Internal Revenue Service and Air Force Col. Kimberly D. Olson.

Watkins, the first African-American woman to head FNCS, rose from teaching fourth-grade home economics classes to overseeing $40 billion in federal nutrition programs. Her latest accomplishment came with Congressional approval of a pilot school-breakfast plan which she had championed.

Like Watkins, each of the other winners has demonstrated exceptional initiative and a knack for innovation.

Under Bernstein's leadership, the FTC has turned Internet surfing from a potential drain on productivity to a tool for identifying Web scam artists. Her "Surf Days" program directs federal agencies with enforcement powers to periodically scan the Web in search of potentially fradulent sites. Once identified, the sites' operators are warned that the FTC will monitor their future transactions. Since the program began, nearly 70 percent of those notified have either amended or removed their pages within a month.

Curtis-Brown has focused on preventing unscrupulous motor fuel dealers from evading the long arm of the IRS. The dealers, who mix foreign substances with their oil in an attempt to pass it off as already-taxed diesel fuel, also pose a health and safety risk to unsuspecting consumers. By employing cutting-edge "fingerprinting" technology, Curtis-Brown's office has curtailed these tactics dramatically, enhancing the collection of revenue earmarked for national highway improvements.

One of only eight female Air Force pilots to earn the rank of colonel, Olson was a pioneer in the push to open the skies to women. On the ground, the Family Readiness program she established allows troops to concentrate on their duties knowing that a support network exists for their loved ones.

The 10 Women In Government Award recipients are profiled in the July edition of Good Housekeeping.