Dee Lee wins ACT/IAC’s prestigious ACT/IAC Mendenhall award

The 2008 Mendenhall award -- all we are missing is... Dee Lee

One of the big parts of the ACT/IAC’s annual Executive Leadership Conference is the awarding of the annual Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership Award, the highest tribute that ACT/IAC can bestow on a member of the government IT community.

The actual award was a funny experience. ACT/IAC had given out all of its awards — read all the winners after the break — and the Mendenhall award is the big one of the evening. The late Mendenhall was a long-time GSA leader. I knew her in passing, but she is still well respected — even years later. And the Mendenhall award is one of the highlights of the Executive Leadership Conference each year. And last year’s winner, Ellen Glover, had very nice words to say about Lee.

Dee Lee has a distinguished 30-year government career serving in a wide range of political and career positions and agencies. Throughout her career, she has led by example, thus serving as a role model, mentor, and source of inspiration to other rising stars among the ranks of government and industry. A “straight shooter,” Dee has engendered the respect of both industry and government colleagues by going “above and beyond” to make a difference to others. She has a passion for government, government acquisition and excellence as illustrated by her government career which includes the positions of director of management and chief acquisition officer for FEMA, assistant commissioner of integrated technology services for GSA’s FAS, and director of defense procurement and acquisition policy at DOD.

And when they called Lee to the stage, everybody was on their feet giving a standing ovation. Fortunately or unfortunately, Lee didn’t know she was the winner, so she had gone to her room to work on a presentation she was giving later on in the week.

They ended up giving out the award to Lee on Tuesday morning.

The photo is of the previous Mendenhall award winners who were at ELC holding Lee’s award.

The full list of Mendenhall award winners are:

Previous winners have included:

• Ellen Glover (2007)
• Renato (Renny) A. DiPentima (2006)
• Marcella Banks (2005)
• Kevin Carroll (2004)
• Howard Ady (2003)
• Sandra Bates (2002)
• Ginny McCormick (2001)

Earlier this eyar at FCW’s 2008 Federal 100 Awards Gala, we gave Lee a special recognition for her outstanding service.

Lee is beyond well respected having served a distinguished government career. After the break, I will post the full ACT/IAC release, but… soon after Lee retired, I wrote FCW’s editorial praising Lee.

As we all know, leadership doesn’t depend solely on one’s title. True leaders are beacons no matter what position they hold, and that has always been the case with Lee. She also is universally liked and respected, which puts her in a small club these days.

Lee is one of those rare people who can build consensus and be forceful at the same time. She listens, yet she manages to keep the ball moving down the field. She has always looked out for what was best for the agency, the government and the citizens of the country for whom she worked.

After that, I got a note from another well-respected fed who has worked in government procurement:

You all know Deidre Lee, or Dee, and I am sure you all know her history as the head of NASA Procurement, where I first met her, then, head of all DOD procurement, then the head of all federal government procurement policy as the Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at OMB, then at GSA as an Assistant Commissioner in the old Federal Technology Service, and last as the Director of Management and Chief Acquisition Officer at FEMA within DHS. Dee has not only been an exceptional leader in all of her jobs, but she has been a great voice for the acquisition community everywhere she has been. She is well-liked and respected by everyone who knows her and by thousands more who have not had the specific pleasure yet of getting to know her. I don’t expect to see another person ever who will have been a leader at NASA, DOD, GSA, DHS, and a political appointee leader of OFPP, with a comet’s trail of successful experiences, and the government, the taxpayers, her employees and co-workers are so much better simply because of Dee.

I couldn’t agree more. She is, in short, simply remarkable.

Get the list of the other ACT/IAC ELC award winners after the break…

More food from ELC — Monday lunch

This was Monday lunch — I lost the card that said what it was, but… chicken.

The food of ELC 2008 — Sunday night, Oct. 26

This is the first of regular posts “profiling” the food on the circuit.

This is from ACT/IAC’s ELC 2008 here at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA.

Caramelized onion and cheese tart with mixed baby greens

Grilled chicken breast and stuffed shrimp, savory corn bread stuffing, roasted tomato coulis, and a lend of seasonal vegetables

IAC’s ELC 2008 — Sunday night: political analyst Charlie Cook

I have mentioned that I’m down at ACT/IAC’s Executive Leadership Conference 2008 through Tuesday. The lead-off speaker tonight was Charlie Cook, a political analyst and the name behind the Cook Political Report.

In general, Cook said that the election was close — until September’s financial crash. The October surprise ended up being a September surprise — and it completely altered the nature of the campaign. At this point, he said, the campaign is 100 percent about the economy.

Cook

Some interesting points and/or quotes.

• The presidential race is over, save a huge event, Cook predicted. “Put a fork in it. This is done,” he said.
• Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was having a difficult time anyway — an unpopular president, an almostunprecedented desire for change, an unpopular war, and then… the economy.
• After September and the economy became the issue, national security — McCain’s cornerstone issue — almost evaporated.
• Going in to September, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) had the lead, but there were still questions — was the lead enough. After the financial mess, that questions has been largely answered… it will be enough.
• This will be a “train wreck” election for Republicans. That happens — to both parties. But this is the second train wreck election in a row for the Republican party. The GOP could lose anywhere from 7-10 Senate seats… and as high as 30 House seats.
• Regarding Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, the nomination gave a “short of B-12 for the old guy,” but in the end, the question being asked is whether the section was a “stroke of genius, or just a stroke.” The Palin appointment also undercut McCain’s “experience” argument.
• All of that being said, the two candidates face very difficult issues come Jan. 20. “Does the winner win? Or does the loser win?” Cook asked.

Cook had other good stories, including one about McCain’s mother, Roberta, who is well in her 90s. When she was 93, she traveled to Paris. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let her rent a car — so she bought a Mercedes so she could tour Europe. She eventually had it shipped to the United States and she picked it up on the East Coast and was driving back to Arizona and, on the trip back, she got a ticket for driving 100-miles-per-hour. That is a strong constitution.

More on the official ELC agenda tomorrow. In addition to sessions, there are keynotes from David Walker, the former comptroller general, and from CNN political analyst Amy Holmes.

I’ll live blog here… and try and post to my Twitter feed too. And I’ll be reporting what has been happening on Federal News Radio’s Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris on Monday afternoon. (I’m rushing to get back to be on Tuesday’s show.)