Maria Roach receives her award from John Boreman, as David Potter looks on.

Director’s Award as presented to Northeast Observer Program Staff, in March 2006.

This month, seven federal employees from the Northeast Observer Program were awarded a group Bronze Medal for managing the exponential growth of that program between 2002 and 2004.

The Ffiles will be profiling that achievement, and those of other NEFSC Bronze medalists, in the coming weeks. This one, however, presented a dilemma. How could the Center recognize the work of about a dozen contract employees who were also integral to the effort and its success?

“The contracting staff was certainly an equal part of it,” said David Potter, who leads the Northeast Observer Program. However, contract employees are not eligible for Bronze Medals. Potter decided to nominate the deserving group for the NEFSC Director’s Award. The award is given whenever the director wishes to provide special recognition to persons who have made significant contributions to furthering the NEFSC mission and the Center’s successful operation. Any person is eligible.

On Tuesday afternoon, before an assembled crowd of co-workers, nine of the eleven contract employees were on hand to receive the awards inscribed “in recognition of outstanding performance in support of the development and growth of the Fishery Sampling Branch’s Northeast Observer Program from 2002 to 2004.” In presenting the awards, NEFSC director said, “We are proud of the work you have done to build the program.”

For more on the awards and the Northeast Observer Program, visit their website.

Posted March 31, 2006