On June 1, 2022, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) held its annual awards ceremony. During the program, award recipients were announced in the following categories: William B. Kelly Award, Excellence in Service Award, Linda Enoch Award, Superior Achievement Award, Team Award, Way to Go Award, Distinguished Career Service Award, and the Ambassador’s Award.
Recognizing staff achievements and showing appreciation to those who give it their all each day is critical to USTR’s success. This was especially important during the pandemic, when we were unable to see our colleagues in person or around the office.
In addition to the annual awards ceremony, we make extra strides to frequently acknowledge successes with performance awards (monetary and non-monetary), press releases, and public announcements.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Katherine Tai noted that during her time as United States Trade Representative, she wants to place a special emphasis on nurturing, promoting, and advancing this agency as an institution and highlighting the exceptional work of its people.
As a smaller agency, there are more opportunities to get to know colleagues across different offices. Ambassador Tai recognized that while the pandemic challenged our ability to create those opportunities, USTR staff continued to produce outstanding work and our mission-driven community exceled.
With strong staff participation, we are applying greater focus on inclusive growth, diversity and equity. Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Council is hosting one-on-one meetings and office seminars to gather ideas on how we can be a more diverse and inclusive workplace through both in person and virtual settings.
USTR tallied a number of impressive accomplishments over the last fiscal year that is entirely due to the hard work and collaboration of USTR staff with their counterparts across the federal government.
Knowing that the work is only going to increase in the coming months, Ambassador Tai strongly urged USTR staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
As Ambassador Tai stated, “Our work can feel all-consuming on occasion, and it is important for your mental health and overall well-being that you step away. I want USTR to be a supportive workplace, where you can feel comfortable stepping away to address personal challenges – or just to rest and recharge.”
USTR is pleased to announce the 2022 award recipients:
William B. Kelly Award - This award recognizes an employee who demonstrates the highest standard of professional excellence in the trade field and demonstrates sustained contributions and leadership in advancing USTR’s goals, an exemplary degree of initiative and creativity, and great respect from peers and superiors.
Phil Chen, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Office of Innovation and Intellectual Property
Excellence in Service Award - The Excellence in Service Award recognizes an employee who has made an extraordinary contribution in an administrative services and mission support position.
Deborah Tidwell, Human Capital Specialist in the Office of Human Capital and Services
Linda Enoch Award - The Linda Enoch Award recognizes dedicated service and excellence in administrative management, including the qualities of professionalism, initiative, creativity, and respect of peers.
Tameka Cooper, Financial Assistant for the Budget and Finance Office
Superior Achievement Award - The Superior Achievement Award recognizes employees for special efforts significantly above and beyond the requirements for their position.
Amanda Mayhew, Joe Johnson, Victor Aqueche, Linda Chambers, Jamesa Moone, Thomas Fine, Erin Nicholson, Scott Pietan, Carrie Esko, Liz Kosobucki, Silvia Savich, Jennifer Carton, Michael Rogers, Brenna Dougan, and John Corrigan
Team Award - In addition to honoring several USTR colleagues for their outstanding individual work, we also honor teams or groups that displayed either exemplary teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, continuous readiness, thoughtful leadership, remarkable collaboration, distinctive competencies, or commendable organizational skills that were of importance and value to USTR’s mission.
USTR Facilities Team: Milton Holt, Brian Cochran, and Leroy Jackson
USTR IT Team: Drauthon Antoine, Yatrik Desai, Calvin Jackson, Jon Johnson, and Kendall Sneed
Vietnam Currency and Timber Section 301 Investigation and Resolution Team: Michael Gagain, David Lyons, Kimberly Reynolds, Joe Johnson, Amanda Mayhew, Sarah Short, Osvaldo Gomez-Martinez, Sarah Ellerman, Dylan Daniels, Laurie-Ann Agama, and Andrew Medley
Successful Conclusion of GAO Investigation of USTR Exclusions Process Team: Philip Butler, Karen Lezny, Kari Heerman, and Sidney Musser
Solar Safeguard Proceedings Team: Michael Gagain, Will Martyn, Victor Mroczka, Amy Kreps
USMCA Labor Rapid Response Mechanism Team: Andrew Tardiff, Mark Eskenazi, Deborah Birnbaum, Thomas Au, Micah Myers, Katy Mastman, Brenna Dougan, Claudia Calderon, Donna Chung, Brandie Sasser, Mariana Juan, Katherine Cedillos, Sidney Musser, Andrew Medley, Carlos Romero, Dan O’Brien
Steel and Aluminum Section 232 Team: Catherine Gibson, Samantha Yoon, Daniel Matthews, John Corrigan, Ben LeRoy, Erin Rogers, Patrick Childress, and Katy Sater
Way to Go Award - The Way-to-Go Award is an award that gives peers the chance to recognize each other for outstanding efforts and contributions resulting in significant benefits to USTR, and for going above and beyond the requirements of their own job to help other colleagues, demonstrating exemplary teamwork or customer service.
Tameka Cooper, Christina Olson, Jake Ewerdt, Olya Lutchyn, Jennifer Stradtman, Arthur Tsao, Liz Kosobucki, Renee Hatcher, Brittany Hendricks, and Tommy Wolfe
Distinguished Career Service Award - The Distinguished Career Service Award recognizes recent USTR retiree(s) whose career reflect long and exceptional devotion to duty and exemplifies significant contributions to the economy, efficiency, uniquely important projects, recognized expertise in some phase of USTR’s technical, professional or administrative work or other improvement in USTR operations.
Jonathan McHale, former Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Digital Trade
Ambassador’s Award - The Ambassador’s Award is given in recognition of extraordinary efforts of an executive employee who demonstrated excellence, leadership, tenacity, or a set of specific actions that goes significantly beyond the requirements of their position and makes notable contributions in advancing U.S. trade interests.
Julie Callahan, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs
