SEA Mourns Loss of First President, General Counsel G. Jerry Shaw

Written by SEA. Posted in Latest News

Click here to read the April 2007 ACTION article announcing his law firm retirement, and click here to read his September 2010 article looking back on 30 years of SEA.  Updated: Federal News Radio's Mike Causey Pays Tribute to Jerry Shaw's life and legacy - "One of a Kind: Jerry Shaw"

SEA mourns the loss of the Association’s first President and first General Counsel, George Jerome (Jerry) Shaw, Jr., who passed away late last week in the presence of his wife, children, and several grandchildren.

Born in Helena, Montana in 1940, Shaw attended Gonzaga University as a member of ROTC. He served a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1963-1964 as an Army helicopter and Medevac pilot, earning several commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was honorably discharged from the Army as a Captain in 1968, when he enrolled in law school at St. Mary’s University in Texas, graduating in 1970 with a J.D. with Honors. He then accepted a job with the IRS Office of the Chief Counsel, and between 1976-1980 served as Director of the General Legal Services Division.

Shaw was among the small group of IRS executives who founded SEA, taking a leave of absence from the IRS to serve as SEA’s first President in 1980, he remained in the role until 1982, before leaving SEA to enter private law practice as a founder of the law firm Neill, Mullenholz & Shaw (now Shaw, Bransford & Roth P.C.). A short time thereafter he became SEA’s General Counsel, a position he held from 1983-2003.

SEA President Emeritus Carol Bonosaro, speaking at his retirement dinner from the law firm in 2007, cited the breadth of his accomplishments on behalf of SEA, noting that “Jerry’s vision, his work on the Hill, his deep commitment to the career executive service (which) left a lasting legacy of tremendous accomplishment – ...the last move home for Senior Executives relocated during their careers, beneficial provisions enacted in the FERS retirement system legislation, fall back rights for executives caught in a reduction in force, increased agency bonus pools, reimbursement of executives and managers for half of the cost of their professional liability insurance, restoration of the Presidential Rank awards to their original value, and much more...None of this would have happened without him – and the career executive service owes him a major debt.”

Reflecting on Shaw’s legacy today, Bonosaro said “Jerry Shaw was the spark plug who made SEA run. All Senior Executives owe him a debt of gratitude though they may not know it. We lost a hero.”

In addition to his work with SEA, Shaw founded in 1982 the Public Employees Roundtable (PER), a consortium of good government organizations representing civil servants and retirees from all levels of government throughout the country. With member organization and Congressional support, along with the PER he started Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) in 1985.

Shaw was also a founder of the Federal Employees Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) in 1984, a charitable and educational organization that provides assistance to federal employees, their dependents and survivors.

A funeral Mass at St. Edmond's Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (409 King Charles Ave.) will be held at 1:00pm on Monday, June 13, followed by internment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Dagsboro, Delaware (32112 Vines Creek Rd.). In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations in Shaw’s name be made to FEEA via www.feea.org/JerryShaw