Good afternoon, everyone. If we could take our seats and settle.

I'm Jeremy Pelter. I'm the acting Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration and I am so excited to see such a wonderful crowd today, as I welcome you to the 74^th Annual Honor Awards Ceremony of the United States Department of Commerce.

The presentation of colors will be given by the Armed Forces Color Guard and the National Anthem sung by Stacy Hoffman from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Please stand.

Awesome.

[Music]

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

Over the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh say, does that star spangled banner yet wave

Over the land of the free and the home of the brave?

[Music] [Applause]

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen before we're seated, please join me in energetically thanking both the Color Guard and Stacy for their inspirational performances.

[Applause]

Thank you. Please be seated. Oh boy, I wish I could sing.

It is an honor and a privilege to open this special occasion marking the 74^th annual presentation of awards to honor the Department's very finest employees. Along with our Gold and Silver Medal recipients today, we also celebrate the recipient of the Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award.

The gold medal, the highest honorary award granted by the Secretary is granted for distinguished performance characterized by extraordinary notable or prestigious contributions that impact the mission of the Department and or one of our operating units and which reflect favorably upon the Department.

The silver medal, the second highest honorary award granted by the Secretary, is granted for exceptional performance characterized by noteworthy or superlative contributions, which have a direct and lasting impact within the Department.

This year there are 77 Awards being presented, 46 Gold and 31 Silver Medals. These medals represent 500 employees and organizations. Gold and silver medals will be presented in one of the following categories: leadership, personal and professional excellence, scientific and engineering achievement, organizational development, customer service, administrative and or technical support, or heroism.

Now it is my great pleasure to introduce the Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Don Graves. Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in giving him a warm welcome.

[Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves]

Well thank you Acting Assistant Secretary Pelter. It is really great to be here. Thank you for the kind introduction. Thank you for everything that you do as the Acting Assistant Secretary. You take on a massive amount of work and I know that the Secretary and I are very thankful for all of that.

Today we are gathering with family, with friends, with colleagues to recognize the exceptional class of Departmental Honor Award recipients. The honorees represent, as you heard from Jeremy, the very best that the Commerce Department has to offer.

We should not just be proud of all of your work and your achievements but be very proud to call you our colleagues and friends and part of the Department of Commerce family.

The work that you have done and that you do every single day, your dedication, your talent – I think is reflective of what is the best of not just the Commerce department, but the entire Federal workforce.

This is the best department in the U.S government.  So, I think it's a good indication.

[Applause]

The accomplishments of the award winners range from BEA's efforts to enhance economic data to BIS's implementation of export controls on Russia. From EDA's leadership development Grant programs. To NIST’s developments accelerating manufacturing innovation and from ITA’s and OGC's efforts on quality customer service on steel and aluminum exclusions. To a pretty gritty act of heroism by a member of NOAA's team.

We're joined today by senior leaders from many of the bureaus across the Department, who I know are just as excited about all that we are honoring.

Today as the Secretary and I are. So just recognize the leaders that are here. If you wouldn't mind standing as I call your name.

The new Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Vipin Arora.

Our Under Secretary for Industry and Security, Alan Estevez.

[Applause]

The Director of the U.S Census Bureau, Rob Santos. Thanks Rob.

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Castillo.

[Applause]

The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Marisa Lago.

[Applause]

The Director of NIST and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, Laura Lucascio.

[Applause]

The very newest addition to the leadership team, our Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator, Jainey Bavishi.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, April McClain-Delaney.

The person who keeps us all in line and away from doing anything that would cause us problems, our General Counsel Leslie Kiernan. Thank you.

And our Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the USPTO Director, Kathi Vidal.

Now it is my absolute honor and pleasure to introduce a pretty tremendous leader here at the Department. Someone who I think is the single best leader that this Department has ever had. No offense to any of the previous leaders. We are incredibly fortunate to have someone who has a deep sense of purpose, that is tied to the mission of the Department. Someone who has enthusiasm and passion and shows it every single day, and who makes up what I think is a pretty dynamic duo here of brains, talent, and good looks. My good friend, my partner and our leader, Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo

[Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo]

Thank you, thank you. So if Don contributes brain, talents, and good looks, it's not clear what I bring to this partner. Anyway, please give him a hand for outstanding leadership and partnership.

[Applause]

So, this is like the Oscars of the Department of Commerce. I would have worn a gown had I known how exciting this would be. But in all seriousness, thank you to Stacy and the honor guard. I think that was a beautiful rendition, but also a reminder of how important it is what we do here.

We're not here for ourselves, we're here in service to the country. Out of a sense of duty, at a time that the country needs everybody's talent. On the field to move us forward, so meaningful, and I want to thank the Color Guard for being part of this huge thank you.

To Jeremy, who's the Master of Ceremonies. For this, it's a tall order. The guy's amazing every time I see him in the hallway. I make sure he's happy, because he has to do so much work for all of us. And you do a beautiful job.

And thank you to all of you. This is the first time I have been in this Auditorium where it's a full house and it's a beautiful sight. It is a beautiful, beautiful site of hundreds of hard-working, civil servants.

This keeps coming in and out, but y'all can hear me at any event. It's great and it's great. Thank you. I can hold it. This is even better. These things are always about as tall as I am.

And it's a great thing to be here, so I just want to underscore what the Deputy Secretary said, which is this is a special place. Commerce is a special place.

It's the only thing that we do together, to fish, to space, to tariffs, to export controls, to export promotion, local place based economic development. All on the same day.

Like in any given day, you're a colleague somewhere are working on that we're at the tip of the spear of the country's China strategy.

Everything we do is designed to improve America's ability to compete. We're protecting America. We're protecting our IP and our technology.

We're helping Ukraine fight that fight, and we are really in the thick of that every time you read a story about another downed piece of technology of the Russian army. It's down in part because of the work of BIS, because they don't have spare parts to fix it and that's why it's not working.

On and on and on and on, and it's because you show up every day. Day in and day out. This isn't a job. I mean yeah, it's a job. We all need a job. You got to pay the mortgage and pay the bills. But you're not here because you need a job. You can walk out of here right now and go get another job. Maybe working less and make more. You're here because you're Patriots.

Because the country needs you, and because you have passion and you have expertise. Expertise in trade, in technology, in science.

I think we are one of the few agencies that has several Nobel prize-winning scientists.

And those of you who are getting awards today, you are at the top of the top.

So as the leader here, I just want to say in the past 2 years it really has been an honor of a lifetime for me to work with you. I hope, I hope I can live up to what you need in a leader and lead you and guide you and support you and the work that you do.

because the country needs us to perform and to deliver.

And to those of you receiving the Ron Brown Awards and the Bravery Award and the Gold and Silver Awards, take a moment to pat yourself on the back in a real way. Like I really mean that there's tens of thousands of people here by and large.

Everybody shows up, works hard, and goes above and beyond. I haven't met an employee here who doesn't go above and beyond, nights, weekends.

You guys meet the mission, but the fact that you're getting this award puts you truly at the top. And so don't brush it off. Don't brush it off. Take that moment to be proud of yourselves and know this is the important point that you're getting the award. Because all of your colleagues see you, admire you, and believe in you.

That is a big deal. And so, I want to thank you for that because in that you know, I pursue public service and admire you guys. Because it is humble, dignified, and honorable.

And most of the folks getting these awards, you don't want the fanfare, but you have to know, when you put your head on the pillow at night, people are watching you. They're inspired by you and they're trying to live up to what you are doing. So, thank you for what you do. Don and I are grateful for you very proud of you, and congratulations.

[Applause]

[Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration Jeremy Pelter]

Thank you, ma’am, and thank you sir.

I'd like to point out that the Secretary immediately abandoned her notes. Which is not only an impressive thing to do, probably drives her staff a little crazy, but it also means that all of those words just came from her heart and from her passion and that's a big deal.

So, thank you for your dedication to our Department. Thank you for your inspiring words.

Before we move on, one last round of applause for the Deputy Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce.

[Applause]

It is now my privilege to recognize the recipients of the Gold and Silver Medals by bureau. I will read the bureau name in the award category, followed by the team, organization or individual name.

Recipients, please stand for a round of applause when I read your team, organization, or individual name. And please do be seated when the applause has concluded.

We have a very full house with so many wonderful awards and that's why we want to make sure that we have time for everyone to be recognized today.

To start, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gold Medal for Customer Service, the Housing Services Methodology Team.

Please stand.

[Applause]

Gold medal for Customer Service, the Trade in Value-Added Statistics Team.

[Applause]

The Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gold Medal for Customer Service, the International Investment Statistics Team

[Applause]

The Bureau of Economic Analysis, Silver Medal for Customer Service, the Inflation Adjusted Statistics Team

[Applause]

Thank you, team BEA.

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence,
Cynthia Velasco.

[Applause]

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Steve Huerta.

[Applause]

He was in the top row in the back if you didn't catch him.

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Russian Ukrainian Export Controls Team.

[Applause]

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Russian Ukrainian Conflict Response Team.

[Applause]

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Hundred Day Report Team.

[Applause]

The Bureau of Industry and Security, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Kenneth Soo.

Where's Ken? Thank you, BIS.

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Post-secondary Employment Outcomes Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Disclosure Avoidance System Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Post Enumeration Survey Statistics Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Population Estimates Team.

[Applause]

Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Scientific Engineering Achievement, the Experimental ACS Estimates and Methodology Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Organizational Development, the Data Scientist Classification Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Gold Medal for Customer Service, the Strategic Redistricting Data Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Leadership, the Records Digitalization Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the State Population and Congressional Data Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Post Enumeration Survey Innovation Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Island Area's Response Processing Team.

[Applause]

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Redistricting Data Program Team.

[Applause]

Rob, I think you put something in the water over there at the Suitland Federal Center.

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, The Demographic Data Map Viewer Team.

Thank you.

The U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the e-Health Program Team.

[Applause]

U.S Census Bureau, Silver Medal for Customer Service, Haya El Nasser.

Thank you, to the U.S Census Bureau.

The Economic Development Administration, Gold Medal for Leadership, Mara Quintero Campbell.

[Applause]

The Economic Development Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the ARPA Funds Team.

[Applause]

The Economic Development Administration, Silver Medal for Leadership, the Strategic Leadership Grants Team.

[Applause]

Thank you, Team EDA.

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Pandemic Travel Restrictions Team.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Southwest Network, the Middle East and Africa Region, and the CS United Arab Emirates.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Enforcement and Compliance and the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance from the Office of the General Counsel.

[Applause]

Teamwork.

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Global Markets and Industry and Analysis.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence. the U.S.- EU Steel and Aluminum Team.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Organizational Development, Enforcement and Compliance and the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance from the Office of the General Counsel.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Gold Medal for Heroism, the Ukraine-U.S Commercial Interest Team.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Silver Medal for Leadership, Christina Sharkey.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Travel and Tourism Data Visualization Team.

[Applause]

The International Trade Administration, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the AIM Team.

[Applause]

Thank you, to the International Trade Administration.

It's okay, yeah. Extra claps are okay.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Leadership, Barbara Goldstein.

[Applause]

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Leadership, the Open Security Controls Assessment Language Team.

You guys got good seats.

[Applause]

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Leadership, the Cell Characterization Standards Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Tornado Hazard Maps and Methodology Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Phish Scale Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Rydberg Atom Technologies Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Public Safety Communications Lab Network Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Quantum Mechanics Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, Jun Ye.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, Paul Butler.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, The Alkali Silica Reaction Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Cardiac Measurements and Standards Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the DNA Sequencing Team.

[Applause]

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the PNT Infrastructure and Services Team.

[Applause]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Ultra-Thin Neutron Detector Team.

[Applause]

There are so many dad jokes welling up inside of me, but I'm going to resist.

Thank you, NIST

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Leadership, the West Coast

Operational Forecast System Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement the River Forecast Center Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement the Hurricane Sail Drone Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement the Next Generation Gulf of Mexico HAB Forecast System Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Customer Service, the Weather Forecast Office Miami, Florida.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gold Medal for Customer Service, the Weather Forecast Office Paducah, Kentucky, the Weather Forecast Office Louisville, Kentucky, and the Weather Forecast Office St. Louis, Missouri.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Leadership, the Remote Sensing Space System Regulations Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Fisheries Survey Team.

Thank you.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the Air Quality Model Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the GOES-R Program Office and the Office of Satellite and Product Operations.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the AROS Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement, the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report Team.

[Applause]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Medal for Heroism, Michael Lind.

[Applause]

Thank you, NOAA.

[Applause]

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Silver Medal for Personal and

Professional Excellence, Brian Larkin.

[Applause]

The Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Jeremy Licht.

[Applause]

Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Russia Ukraine Legal Response Team.

[Applause]

Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework Team.

[Applause]

Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Silver Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, Kathryn Nickerson.

[Applause]

Office of the Secretary, Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, Silver Medal for Leadership, the Enterprise Grant Progress Tracking Team.

[Applause]

Thank you, to NTIA and the Office of the Secretary.

[Applause]

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Gold Medal for Leadership, the Patent Data and Document Management Contracts Team.

[Applause]

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Gold Medal for Personal and Professional Excellence, the Post Issuance Review Proceedings Team.

[Applause]

The U.S.  Patent and Trademark Office, Gold Medal for Organizational Development, the International Cooperative Patent Classification System Team.

[Applause]

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Silver Medal for Customer Service, the PE2E Search Team

[Applause]

This concludes the presentation of metals to our Honor Awards recipients. Quite a list of impressive achievements and just a glimpse of what the Department has accomplished over the past year.

A sincere and tremendous thank you to all of our recipients.

[Applause]

Now we would like to recognize a special Department of Commerce employee, Ilona Shtrom, from the International Trade Administration for Recognition of Bravery. Ms. Shtrom demonstrated bravery and courage while serving as a Senior Commercial Officer in Ukraine during Russia's illegal war, showing strength, resolve, and leadership under very difficult conditions for a long period of time. She volunteered to go back into Ukraine a number of times to help U.S. companies providing exemplary service to the nation. Ms. Shtrom, if you're in the audience please stand.

Thank you.

[Applause]

We have a final award to give out today and it is one of our most treasured at the Department. It is my distinct pleasure to present the Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award.

This award honors the extraordinary leadership, legacy and memory of the former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown who saw public service as an opportunity to make an amazing contribution to the future of our country and to give of one's self for a larger and greater purpose.

Simply said he saw public service as an opportunity to do good. He challenged employees to innovate, to be creative, and to take risks that could make life better for the American people.

The award was created to recognize the Department's top individual or small team Gold Medal recipient who exhibits extraordinary resourcefulness, who develops novel unique and cutting-edge solutions, who takes calculated risks that result in creative answers and improved customer service, and who embodies secretary Brown's vision and legacy.

The envelope please.

Dr Holloway, Dr Gordon, Dr Simons, Dr Artusio-Glimpse, Dr. Prajapati, the Rydberg Atom Technologies Team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

[Applause]

Through groundbreaking experiments seminal publications and patents the team laid the groundwork for the use of Rydberg Atom Technologies, as exquisitely sensitive and accurate electromagnetic field center sensors.

[Applause]

[Applause]

[Applause]

[Applause]

To the Ron Brown Team, our Heroism Award and again for all of the awardees today, one more large, large round of applause.

I now ask Stacy Hoffman to return to the stage for the conclusion of our 74th Annual Honors Awards Ceremony.

Thank you everyone for sharing in our happy occasion. Please join us in the lobby for a brief reception after the ceremony.

There will be some opportunities for photographs during the reception. It's a gorgeous layout there.

Thank you so much.

[Applause]

[Music]

God bless America, land that I love

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with the light from above.

From the mountains to the prairies

To the oceans white with foam

God bless America, my home sweet home.

God bless America, land that I love

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with the light from above.

From the mountains to the prairies

To the oceans white with foam

God bless America, my home sweet home.

[Applause]