DOT's Secretary Awards ceremony recognizes service above and beyond

Yesterday we held DOT's 42nd annual Secretary Awards ceremony. This is our moment to recognize members of the DOT family who have risen above and beyond the call of duty over the last year, to help this Department succeed during a year of political and economic transition.

The awards we presented are well-deserved, and I want to thank these folks for their outstanding contributions to DOT and for their commitment to public service.

I am enormously proud to count them as colleagues. And I am reminded every day that without their expertise and work ethic, we could not have achieved so much for the American people in so short a time.

And we have, indeed, achieved much:

• We have obligated more than 60% of our recovery funds, resulting in more than 9,400 transportation-related projects that employ tens of thousands of men and women.
• We’re on the cusp of an $8 billion investment in high-speed and inter-city passenger rail service that will connect some of our most vital metropolitan regions in new, more sustainable ways and open the door to new economic opportunities.
• We executed the most successful short-term economic stimulus initiative in DOT history—the Car Allowance Rebate System.
• We’re implementing the nation’s first interagency Livable Communities Initiative to measurably enhance the quality of life for families, workers, and communities across America.
• We’ve proposed--in concert with EPA--aggressive new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty cars and trucks to substantially reduce our dependence on oil and improve air quality.
• We have done all of this while continuing to advance our highest priority--safety.

Working together, we’re putting transportation in the forefront of the American agenda.

Finally, I don't want to miss this opportunity to thank, one more time, a man who has done so much for this Department and for me, Vice Admiral Tom Barrett.

His wisdom and guidance during the transition were a tremendous help to me personally, and to many of the new members of our team. No one who has worked at the Department over the last several years should be surprised that Admiral Barrett is the recipient of this year’s Gold Medal for outstanding service to DOT and to the U.S. government.

Admiral Barrett also played a key role by leading the formation of our TIGER Team, which brought together experts across the Department to manage and oversee our Recovery Act activities.

On behalf of everyone at DOT, I want to thank Admiral Barrett for his years of service to the Department in various capacities, and for his decades of service to our country as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.

And congratulations to all award recipients. Thank you for all you do for the Department and for the American people.

Comments

[Jonna VanDyk]

This is great but I'd recommend you list the employees who were recognized and a two sentence description of their accomplishment. This blog is a great communications tool.

[Michael E. Bailey]

This is great and it is a huge moral booster to the people who work at DOT. It si something more agencies at all levels of government should be doing. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.