Hoyer Congratulates Fifth District Resident Edward Sisco for Being Named a Finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal

WASHINGTON, DC – Marking Public Service Recognition week, which was last week, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) honored Fifth District resident Edward Sisco for being named a finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to American Medal. Each year, the Partnership for Public Service recognizes federal employees for their service and dedication to our nation. Edward was chosen as a finalist in the Emerging Leaders category. Congressman Hoyer submitted the following statement into the Congressional Record today to honor all public servants and recognize Edward's achievement:

"Madam Speaker, I'm proud to represent more than 62,000 federal employees in Maryland's Fifth District and to have long been an advocate for recognizing and celebrating the many contributions that federal civilian workers make to our country. That's why I am always very excited to participate in marking Public Service Recognition Week, which is held each May. It is a moment to thank federal employees for their patriotism, their service, and the many essential roles they play in creating and delivering opportunities for the American people.

"Each year, the Partnership for Public Service reviews hundreds of nominations submitted by federal workers and the Americans they serve of outstanding federal civilian employees for recognition in a number of categories. During Public Service Recognition Week, the organization unveils the list of finalists in each category, and it has named twenty-nine finalists this year. The winners, including Federal Employee of the Year, will be announced in the autumn. These Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, named in memory of the founder of the Partnership for Public Service and a champion for those serving in government, are affectionately known as the ‘Sammies,' and they are considered to be the government-service equivalent of the Academy Awards.

"I am proud to share with my colleagues that one of this year's finalists in the ‘Emerging Leaders' category is Edward Sisco from Maryland's Fifth District. A research chemist at the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Ed has already made an enormous impact even at only thirty-two years old. He developed a novel procedure for testing potentially toxic substances faster than thought possible, which has yielded tremendous benefits in forensic analysis and protection for law enforcement and forensic chemists testing drugs seized in raids. The Thermal Desorption Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (TD-DART-MS) technique that he pioneered is already being deployed and is having a major impact on criminal justice and laboratory safety.

"Ed and many of his colleagues at NIST are among the thousands of outstanding federal employees who call Maryland's Fifth District home, and I am proud to join in recognizing his work and his being chosen as a Service to America Medal finalist. I wish him all the best of luck in the competition, and I look forward to learning the winners in his category and all the others, as well as Federal Employee of the Year, this fall. While these awards recognize special contributions to our country that go above and beyond, I hope all of us who serve in the House will remember the contributions and hard work that 2.1 million federal employees perform every day in every state and in single one of our districts. Each and every one of them deserves our recognition and our gratitude."