For the first time, the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service will be hosting a virtual event due the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Anthony Fauci ––director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force––will be awarded the top honor, “Federal Employee of the Year,” for his over 50 years of public health service and leadership during the pandemic.

Actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani will host the ceremony, which will include remarks from former presidents George W. Bush and Obama. Additionally, top public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and Veterans Health Administration, as well as the Veterans Affairs Department secretary will be “distinguished participants,” said the Partnership.

“Dr. Fauci and the 2020 Service to America Medal honorees represent the many exceptional federal employees who have proudly and passionately dedicated their lives to making a difference for our country and our world,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership, in a statement. “They have broken down barriers, pioneered new frontiers of medicine, protected our nation from cybersecurity threats and helped our nation during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We honor and thank them tonight for their service.”

A selection committee composed of leaders from government, business, charities, academia, entertainment and the media chose the six winners from among 27 finalists out of more than 350 nominations.¹⁾

Dr. Ira Pastan, of the NIH’s National Cancer Institute, will receive the Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Medal for discovering a class of drugs to treat a rare and dangerous form of cancer called hairy cell leukemia, among other achievements during his 60-year career at NIH. Last year, the career achievement award was renamed the Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement Medal to honor Volcker’s career in public service.

Other winners are: CDC’s Dr. Vikram Krishnasamy (emerging leader’s medal); VA's Dr. Neil Evans, Kathleen Frisbee and Dr. Kevin Galpin (management excellence medal); National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Donna Dodson (safety, security and international affairs medal); and VA’s Dr. Beth Ripley (science and environment award).