[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.