Top senior executives honored at State Department soiree

Recipients of the country's highest civil service award were honored Thursday evening during a black-tie affair at the State Department.

The achievements of the 58 winners of the 2002 Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive included creating a response center for claims after the Sept. 11 attacks, toppling leaders of organized crime, and running the security and counter-terrorism plan for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

One recipient, David "Doc" Cooke, was given the award posthumously for directing the creation of the Defense Department Quality Management Web site, which saved the department nearly $500,000. Cooke, also known as the "Mayor of the Pentagon," died last June from injuries sustained in a car accident.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe delivered the keynote address at the dinner, which was sponsored by the Senior Executives Association.

The Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive is the top honor for members of the career Senior Executive Service and comes with a cash award of 35 percent of an executive's salary. Senior management officials at federal agencies nominate executives for the awards and panels of private citizens choose the winners, who are then approved by the president. The award is limited to only 1 percent of the approximately 7,000 career members of the Senior Executive Service.

Another 293 senior executives were awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, an honor limited to 5 percent of the career SES. Meritorious executives receive 20 percent bonuses.

Click here for a complete list of the 2002 Presidential Rank Award Winners.