Press Release
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Tel: 202-594-6827
RELEASE: OPM Seeks Agency Nominations for 2022 Presidential Rank Awards
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a call for nominations for the 2022 Presidential Rank Awards (PRAs). A Presidential Rank Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the federal career civil service, and these awards are critical to recognizing the hard work and important contributions of dedicated civil servants in the American federal workforce. The awards – which recognize exceptional performance by members of the career Senior Executive Service (SES) and Senior Career Employees - reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting the federal workforce and recognizing federal employees who serve with distinction.
“I am pleased to announce the call for nominations for this year’s Presidential Rank Awards program,” said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja. “The award recognizes senior executives who see opportunity in every challenge, and who inspire and empower the people who work around them. We are looking for extraordinary leaders who have displayed an earnest commitment to public service, and I have encouraged agencies to draw on all segments of their executive workforce to nominate every deserving individual for this honor. The President bestows the honor of a PRA on behalf of the American people. This is an opportunity for all of us to thank the public servants who use their incredible knowledge and skill to better their country, and OPM is honored to help facilitate it.”
As administrator of the PRAs, OPM develops criteria for agencies to use, makes determinations of eligibility, and convenes meetings of PRA Review Boards to evaluate the nominees. The OPM Director then recommends finalists to the President, who selects the PRA recipients. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 established the Presidential Rank Awards Program to recognize a select group of career senior leaders for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. Last year, 230 winners from 37 federal agencies were selected by the President for PRAs.
The deadline for agencies to submit nominations to OPM is March 25, 2022.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the leader in workforce management for the federal government. Our agency builds, strengthens, and serves a federal workforce of 2.2 million employees with programs like hiring assistance, healthcare and insurance, retirement benefits, and much more. We provide agencies with policies, guidance, and best practices for supporting federal workers, so they can best serve the American people.