    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [January 9, 1991]
    [Page 15]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 15]]

    Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Senior Executive Service
    Presidential Rank Awards
    January 9, 1991

        Thank you all and welcome. And I am delighted to be here with such a
    distinguished group of Government officials and, of course, delighted to
    see Secretary Derwinski and Secretary Mosbacher here. Secretary Yeutter
    will probably be along, but he was to be here to salute you as well;
    also the Acting Secretary, Ted Sanders, from the Department of
    Education. Bill Sessions is here; Bruce Gelb; Dick Truly is supposed to
    be--I'm getting in trouble here. [Laughter] And I'll stop there. Many
    senior officials--and of course, the one we all know and for whom I have
    great respect, Connie Newman of OPM.
        But we're here today to congratulate some people whose names may not
    be as well-known as some that I've mentioned here but whose
    accomplishments are recognized by everyone who's had the privilege to
    work alongside of them. And on behalf of our administration, I would
    like to welcome and congratulate the 69 men and women who have been
    selected for this year's Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.
        As you know, this award is the highest honor given to career members
    of the Senior Executive Service. And this year's honorees are an
    impressive bunch, indeed. You come from across the Federal Government,
    representing virtually every part of the executive branch, from the
    Department of Defense to the National Transportation Safety Board.
        But what all of you have in common is outstanding ability and
    unsurpassed devotion and dedication to Government service. The
    dedication, expertise and zeal that you have brought to your work have
    made you invaluable assets to your Agencies and Departments and to the
    Federal Government as a whole. You've also achieved something else.
    You've enhanced the dignity and the stature of public life, of public
    service. And that is an achievement for which you have every reason to
    be proud.
        It's often thought that a career in public service is a thankless
    one. And it's true that the people who put in the long hours and keep
    the Government moving rarely make the front page or the Sunday talk
    shows. That last point, that may be a blessing for all of you.
    [Laughter] But as someone who has devoted a fair amount of my own life
    to parts of government and public service, I know that good government
    simply cannot exist without serious, committed, and hard-working
    individuals willing to devote their career to public service. Your
    integrity and professionalism have helped make our Federal Government a
    model for the rest of the world. And that's why I am so pleased that we
    can take the opportunity to recognize your achievements and honor every
    one of you for such distinguished service to the Nation.
        So, on behalf of your colleagues in the Federal service and on
    behalf of the American people that you serve so well, let me say thanks
    for a job well done. And now I believe we can get on with the business
    at hand, Connie. But I really congratulate you all from the bottom of a
    very, very grateful heart. Thank you so much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 10:05 a.m. in Room 450
                            of the Old Executive Office Building. In his
                            remarks, he referred to Secretary of Veterans
                            Affairs Edward J. Derwinski; Secretary of
                            Commerce Robert A. Mosbacher; Secretary of
                            Agriculture Clayton K. Yeutter; Acting Secretary
                            of Education Ted Sanders; William S. Sessions,
                            Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
                            Bruce S. Gelb, Director of the U.S. Information
                            Agency; Richard H. Truly, Administrator of the
                            National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
                            and Constance Berry Newman, Director of the
                            Office of Personnel Management.