Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the recipients of the 2024 Presidential Rank Awards (PRA) conferred by President Joe Biden. The PRAs are one of the most prestigious awards in the career civil service, recognizing the important contributions of public servants across the federal government.   

 “This year’s honorees are representative of the patriotic and hard-working public servants across the federal government who work day in and day out to make life better for all Americans,” said White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. “The President, the Vice President, and everyone across the Biden-Harris Administration are grateful for their service.” 

The President selected 236 winners from 30 federal agencies for their exceptional leadership, accomplishments, and service over an extended period of time. These individuals are all members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST) corps.  

“Each day, thousands of dedicated federal employees work tirelessly to address our nation's most urgent challenges and drive innovation that positively impacts millions of lives,” said OPM Acting Director Rob Shriver. “The Presidential Rank Awards recognize those who demonstrate outstanding leadership, unwavering integrity, and an enduring commitment to public service. Congratulations to this year’s honorees—your exceptional contributions make our government stronger and our communities safer, and your dedication is an inspiration to us all.” 

This year’s recipients are leaders across government, including:  

• A senior executive at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who has implemented numerous complex law enforcement programs for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This senior official has applied cutting-edge technology and built key partnerships to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. 
• A senior executive at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and a board-certified physician, used digital technologies to enhance care for veterans and their caregivers. This executive has been instrumental in leading VA’s electronic health record modernization, a massive transformation effort affecting the entire VA health care system, which covers about 433,000 employees. 
• A senior leader at the Department of Energy (DOE) launched Energy Earthshots, which brought together DOE’s resources to tackle major energy challenges, resulting in significant advances in cost-effective climate solutions and driving progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050. This executive established the Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure, enabling the deployment of multibillion-dollar infrastructure funding to modernize the U.S. energy grid, strengthen domestic supply chains, and support large-scale clean energy demonstrations, with a focus on engaging underserved and energy transition communities. 
• A senior executive at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) led Operation Apollo, a vital initiative to combat the U.S. Fentanyl epidemic, and modernized traveler processing at U.S. Ports of Entry through the implementation of innovative technologies like Non-Intrusive Technology, Simplified Arrival, and CBP One™. This executive has also been a key figure in fostering government-wide collaborations and private-sector partnerships to enhance border security, support asylum seekers, and modernize critical border infrastructure. 
• A senior executive at NASA overseeing 18,000 employees and a $25 billion budget, driving key missions such as the launch of the James Webb Telescope and Artemis I. Under this leadership, NASA achieved a record 1,022 spacecraft launches in 2022 and over 90 launches in 2023, surpassing the total launches of the first 52 years of space exploration.  This individual also leads NASA 2040, a strategic initiative to secure NASA’s future in science, aeronautics, and space exploration. 

As administrator of the PRAs, OPM develops the criteria for agencies, makes determinations of eligibility, and convenes meetings of PRA Review Boards to evaluate the nominees. The OPM Director 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. The complete list of the Presidential Rank Award may be found on OPM's website.  

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