Portsmouth, VA -- U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda M. Springer announced a 12-member panel of distinguished business executives, educators, and civic and community leaders from across Virginia will gather in Portsmouth, VA, today to consider nominations for the 2007 Presidential Rank Award.

Members of the board will review the accomplishments of nominees - career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), and Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST) communities - for the 2007 Presidential Rank Award. The nominations must be approved by the agency head before forwarding them to OPM for final board review.

"This distinguished group of citizens will ensure the very best federal civil servants are considered for this prestigious recognition," said Springer. "It is a high honor to be named a Presidential Rank Awards winner, and I am confident the work of this panel will result in the most deserving public servants receiving this award."

The Presidential Rank Award is the highest professional honor for career SES members and Senior Career Employees for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. Members of these communities manage many of the nation's most vital programs in defense, intelligence, the environment, energy, agriculture and others, and awardees receive a cash award of 20 percent of their base salary. Up to five percent of the career SES and SL/ST community may receive this rank.

This panel is the third of four to meet to consider nominees for the 2007 Presidential Rank Award. At the conclusion of the panels, Director Springer will send her recommendations to President George W. Bush, who will make the final selections and announce the award recipients later this year.

Members of the 2007 Presidential Rank Award - Meritorious Review Board for the Portsmouth area are:

• The Honorable Charles Brown, SuffolkCity Councilman, Suffolk
• Dana Dickens, president and CEO, Hampton Roads Partnership, Norfolk
• Linda Fletcher, senior field service account manager, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Virginia Beach
• Betty Jo Gwaltney, executive director, Portsmouth Partnership
• Ed Harvey, vice president, Alion Science and Technology, Norfolk
• Melanie Hoy, vice president, J. Hoy Inc., Norfolk
• Philip Infantino, attorney, Pender and Coward PC, Suffolk
• Suzy Kelly, CEO, Jo-Kell Inc., Chesapeake
• Ben Loyola, president, Loyola Enterprises, Virginia Beach
• Debbie Ritter, former Chesapeake Councilwoman, Chesapeake
• Tina Sinnen, Circuit Court Clerk, City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach
• Douglas Weller, planning and analysis manager, Portsmouth Police Department, Portsmouth