Senior Executives Association Annual Awards Program

Honoring Meritorious Federal Executive Service

Nomination Period: March 1, 2024 - June 15, 2024

For more than 40 years the Senior Executives Association (SEA) has been the leading voice for career leaders – whether in front of Congress, the Administration, or across the Executive Branch – advocating for smart government solutions to the challenges facing today’s leaders. 

The SEA is proud to recognize outstanding federal service, characterized by exemplary executive leadership and outstanding professional performance on a major project with agency or department-wide impact that clearly exceeds expectations.   

The Senior Executives Association’s Annual Awards (SEAAA) honors federal employees (SES, SL/ST, and their equivalents) whose achievements embody SEA’s mission-driven with an unwavering commitment to serve our nation’s top priorities.  

Outstanding Senior Executive/Professional of the Year Award (OSEP Award)   

Recipients of this award are recognized for outstanding overall contribution and fundamental advancement in their particular field and functional responsibility for the previous calendar year. 

Spirit of Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA Award)  

Recipients of this award are recognized for outstanding work in diversity, equity and inclusion to include efforts combating sexual harassment in the workplace, and making their functional area or agency more inclusive and diverse for the previous calendar year. 

Senior Executive/Professional Lifetime Achievement Award (SELA Award)  

Recipients of this award are recognized for sustained excellence over the career of the employee; reserved for employees that are eligible for and/or pending retirement.  

Nominations 

All entries must be submitted HERE and require the following: 

1. Narrative not to exceed 500 words 
2. Certificate language (summary) not to exceed 50 words 
3. Cover letter from the agency head or other authorized representative 

 Agencies should ensure the following:  

1. Vet candidates internally and submit one noteworthy candidate per award category;  
2. Verify the last rating of record is at the fully successful level or above;  
3. Include a certification of action/narrative by an SES, SL/ST or equivalent in the nominee’s chain of command;   
4. Nominees have no adverse actions within the past five years; and,   
5. Nominees have not been a recipient of a Presidential Rank Award (distinguished/meritorious) within the last five years 

Rating Criteria 

Selection Committee members will evaluate each nomination as a whole and as submitted based upon the nominator’s recommendation, narrative and detail of performance.  

Outstanding Senior Executive/Professional of the Year Award (OSEP Award) 

1. Revised an existing procedure or principle that significantly improved operations 
2. Created a new principle or procedure that meaningfully improved operations 
3. Provided outstanding leadership to a major project that had broad impact upon the agency and/or developed a program or project that led to a key innovation within the agency 

Spirit of Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award (DEIA Award) 

1. Created a leading-edge program/ process to enhance agency diversity/ equity/inclusion 
2. Led internal and external efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at a senior level and across government 
3. Acted as a champion and role model in furthering a federal workforce focused on equity, diversity and inclusion  

Senior Executive/Professional Lifetime Achievement Award (SELA Award) 

1. Sustained period of exemplary service to the federal government and nation as an executive/professional  
2. Led an array of innovative programs or projects that had demonstrative/ wide-spread results over an extended period  
3. Recognized throughout government and industry over time as a model executive/professional operating within the highest standards of the federal workforce 

Timeline 

• Announcement Date: March 1. 2024 
• Submission Closing Date: June 15, 2024
• Judging Period: After closing date of award and prior to October of award year 
• Award Announcement: By October 15, 2024 

 Award Certificate/Notification 

Award recipients will receive the following: 

• Embossed certificate signed by SEA President and Chairman of the SEA Board of Directors   
• Announcement on the SEA website that will be provided to a variety of federal news networks  
• Letter sent to agency head who forwarded the nomination 
• Offered a complimentary SEA membership for one year 

Guidelines 

Award nominees are limited to current U.S. federal employees at the SES, SL/ST or equivalent levels. 

Award recipients are limited to receipt of one SEAAA in a five-year period.  

SEAAA are strictly reserved for performance by SES, SL/ST or equivalent employees who exceed expectations leading projects, tasks, missions that have agency or department-wide implications/ results.  

Qualified nominations: nominators must follow the attached SEAAA Nomination Form; significant variance from this form may result in the nomination being denied review by the Selection Committee. 

As determined by a majority vote of the SEA Board of Directors, and prior to awarding an SEAAA, recipients found to have committed any action bringing discredit upon the SEA or federal workforce will be disqualified as a recipient.  

Recipients of SEAAA must be eligible to receive the award. Selection of an SEAAA does not guarantee actual receipt; especially in cases where it is determined after the fact that the intended recipient is ineligible to receive the award. 

Judging/Selection 

A team of three SEA Board members will serve on a selection committee to review the annual nominations. Members of the Distinguished Executive Advisory Network (DEAN) may also be asked to augment the committee. 

Questions 

Please contact us directly by email at [email protected]. 

To learn about the SEA Awards 2023 Awardees, please click here.