2009 Rising Stars: A moment in the sun

Perhaps the only thing more gratifying than recognition from your peers is recognition from your role models and mentors. Such is the rightful pride that comes with the designation of Rising Star.

The 1105 Government Information Group, publisher of Federal Computer Week and other publications that cover the government information technology community, announced the winners of the 2009 Rising Star awards last week.

Now in its fourth year, the awards program honors up-and-coming employees in the public and private sectors who have made an early — and substantive — mark in the government IT world. The program is an opportunity for agencies and contractors to give their unsung heroes a moment in the spotlight, as a reward to them and as an example to others. Such employees often do good work behind the scenes by supporting essential programs or spearheading new initiatives without ever receiving the public recognition they deserve.

Supervisors or co-workers nominate individuals for the awards, and a distinguished panel of judges chooses the winners. This year’s judges selected 28 individuals from more than 160 nominations.

The winners will be spotlighted next month in the print and online editions of Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News and Washington Technology. They will also be recognized at the GCN Awards Gala Oct. 22.

2009 Rising Star award winners

Maj. Samuel Abbott-McCune
U.S. Military Academy

John Araujo
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Christina Bapst
Homeland Security Department

Kristine Beck
Vangent

Maj. Heather W. Blackwell
Air Force

Louis Carrion
General Dynamics

Alma Cole
U.S. Customs and Border Protection

John Collier
Ball Aerospace and Technologies

Don Gunnell
Navy Department

Jeremy Ryan Hiers
Army Department

Anthony Hoang
Homeland Security Department

Marwan M. Jamal
National Defense University

Goldy Kamali
FedScoop

Lt. Joseph John Kattar
Air Force

Jason Khan
Touchstone Consulting Group

Zhenia Klevitsky
SE Solutions

Robert Lech
Citizant

Ephraim S. Lo
Serco

Elizabeth Sherry Maloney
Palladian Partners

Vanessa Leigh Manchester
Iris Partners

Ryan McCullough
Govplace

Mary Beth Murphy
Internal Revenue Service

Steven Posnack
Health and Human Services Department

Richard J. Renomeron
Turner Consulting Group

Joseph Arthur Rhodes
Army Department

Harold R. Schliesske
Army Department

Emily Scott
IBM

Genen Soo-Hoo
New York Police Department