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Attachment to FIN 03-03

Security Professionals' Seminar - 2002

2002 OPM Guardian Award

Photo:(Left to right) Mr. John Gallegos, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture; Mr. Clifford Oliver, USDA Personnel Security Division Director; and Mr. Dan Blair, OPM Deputy Director.

GUARDIAN AWARD PRESENTATION - (Left to right) Mr. John Gallegos, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture; Mr. Clifford Oliver, USDA Personnel Security Division Director; and Mr. Dan Blair, OPM Deputy Director.

OPM Deputy Director Dan Blair presented the OPM GUARDIAN AWARD to this year's winner, the US Department of Agriculture's Personnel Security Division.

Mr. Blair noted that President Bush has charged agencies to be "results oriented" and cited USDA's Personnel Security Division for their award-winning, results-oriented achievements.

The engraved plaque on the 2002 OPM GUARDIAN AWARD trophy reads thus:

OPM GUARDIAN AWARD

PRESENTED TO THE

PERSONNEL SECURITY DIVISION

OFFICE OF CRISIS PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR COMMITMENT AND EXCELLENCE

IN SAFEGUARDING THE NATIONAL SECURTITY AND PUBLIC TRUST.

NOVEMBER 2002

Some highlights from Deputy Director Blair's remarks:

As the guardians of the public trust, we must examine the ways we go about the business of security in this new century, if we are to meet the needs of agencies and the American people to the best of our abilities.

Luckily, this self-examination is already in full swing across government.And, at the Office of Personnel Management, we encourage and promote your innovative efforts.

We developed the OPM Guardian Award to recognize those agencies, programs, and professionals that are leading the way in finding original, effective, and efficient solutions to today's Federal security needs.

In this time of our national security emergency, rapid technological change, and shifting agency priorities, the issue of security is of critical importance to Federal agencies.

Accepting the award was Mr. Clifford Oliver, Director of the winning division at the Department of Agriculture.Also in attendance were Mr. John Gallegos, the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration, and Mr. John Surina, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.Both Assistant Secretary Gallegos and Division Director Oliver briefly addressed the Seminar audience following the presentation.

Mr. Blair also recognized the excellence of the achievements of the two runners-up for this prestigious award: the Memphis Inspection Service Operations Support Group of the US Postal Inspection Service; and GSA's Federal Protective Service Region 8 Adjudication and Contract Suitability Program, in Denver.