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2019 Commissioner's Awards

Release Date
Tue, 12/03/2019

Commissioner Mark Morgan with the CBP Honor Guard at the Commissioner's awards ceremony

The 2019 Commissioner’s Awards honor the dedication and professional achievements of employees from across U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  The individuals designated below performed above and beyond the call of duty and demonstrated a special dedication to CBP's mission.

CBP Medal of Honor for Heroism
Awarded to an employee or any individual/citizen supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection who performed an act of extraordinary bravery, gallantry, or valor while on or off duty. The act performed must be: above and beyond the call of duty, present an imminent and personal danger to life, and the individual must have knowledge of the risks involved and voluntarily assume them. This is CBP's highest valor award.
Juan R.  

Invictus
Recognizes employees who have triumphed over personal tragedy.  This award takes its name from the Latin word "invictus" meaning "unconquerable," and is named after a poem written by 19th century British poet William Ernest Henley.  Henley's poem is about holding on to one's dignity despite the obstacles life places before us.

Elizabeth C.

Jose R.

Meritorious Service Award for Valor
Recognizes an employee who demonstrated exceptional courage while on or off duty and displayed valor in a dangerous, life-threatening situation involving efforts to save another person's life or the protection of property.  This includes any act that posed a danger or risk to the employee.

Laurent G.

Cesar A.

  

Customer Service and Professionalism Award
Recognizes an employee for outstanding achievement in customer service and who best exemplifies professionalism in all that he or she does in carrying out CBP's critical homeland security mission.  Examples include:  (1) specific act or achievement, (2) a model of exemplary conduct over an extended period of time, and (3) an exceptional contribution to the organization.  In each case, the employee must have distinguished himself or herself from other employees performing the same or similar circumstances.  In order to make this distinction, careful consideration must be given to what is expected versus what is above and beyond expectations.

Erin S.

John P.
 

Trade and Facilitation Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employees for significant contributions to the advancing of trade and travel programs.  The awardee should be someone who has engaged the trade and travel community – brokers, importers, and/or trade associations – in cooperative efforts that strengthen security, improve compliance, reduce trade and travel risks, and at the same time achieving efficient facilitation.
     
Thomas K.
 		 Caleb K.
 		 Gustavus H.
 
Virginia W.
 		 Michael M.
 		 Dina A.
 
Lesleyanne K.
 		 Adam B.
 		 Louisa S.
 
Joseph C.
 		 Alex C.
 		 Jerry M.
 
Alexandra P.
 		 Jennifer J.
 		 Travis S.
 
Lorrie R.
 		 Jennifer B.
 		 Janelle G.
 
Brian R.
 		 Shireen Y.
 		 Erik G.
 
Samuel B.
 		 Joshua J.
 		 Gary M.
 
David S.
 		 Robert A.
 		 Jennelle C.
 
Randy M.
 		 Alexandra D. K. Tonya P.
 
Seth R.
 		 Michael S.
 		 Emily S.
 
Sarita S.
 		 Fletcher B.
 		 Maryanne C.
 
Sonia E.
 		 Stacy M.
 		 Jay A.
 
Marc M.
 
 		  

Distinguished Service to Safety Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employee's actions or discernment that have honorably improved or advanced the safety culture within the agency.  The award recognizes ideas, programs, and suggestions that stimulate safety actions that have reduced or could reduce outcomes associated with serious injury or death in the execution of CBP's mission.

Paul Q.

German C.
 

Mission Integration Award
Recognizes a team of employees (e.g., all employees eligible) who demonstrated a cross-organizational approach and worked on behalf of the agency and not an individual office to address an issue or implement a solution that addressed a common problem along the border in key areas such as law enforcement, integrity, trade facilitation, border management, customs-trade partnerships, security, and business resumption.  In using a cross-organizational approach, the team employed innovation and teamwork that are the tools of collaboration valued in our organization.  The team illustrated that, when elements from the various corners are brought together to resolve any problem, the collective solution becomes greater than the individual sum of CBP's parts.  The dynamic and cooperative approach reflects the higher path that leads towards greater and more unified CBP solutions, and along the way, shows the direction to integrate our critical resources, our people and knowledge, into unified solutions to achieve the CBP mission that is nothing less than preserving the national security of this nation.
     
John C.
 		 Michael I.
 		 Linda G.
 
Scott F.
 		 Debra D.
 		 Michael C.
 
Alma C.
 		 Phillip B.
 		 Veva C.
 
Ashley S.
 		 Jessica K.
 		 Kristin D.
 
Thomas M.
 		 Rachel W.
 		 Matthew R.
Matthew E.
 		 Steven A.
 		 Robert D.
 
Clint M.
 		 Gilberto V.
 		 Luis C.
 
Peter O.
 		 Daniel T.
 		 Steven G.
 
Steven J.
 		 Greta C.
 		 Jeannine H.
 
Stephen D.
 
 		  

Law Enforcement Officer Award
Recognizes outstanding professional achievement by a law enforcement officer or agent, or a team of officers/agents, who demonstrated unusual courage and best represented CBP through their leadership, initiative, and teamwork.  Examples include results associated with significant law enforcement achievements – e.g., counterterrorism, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.
     
Jeffery B.
 		 Steve H.
 		 Jose G.
 
Melvin G.
 		 Samuel P.
 		 Miguel B.
 
Dennis V.
 		 William S.
 		 Cleon A.
 
Daniel W.
 		 Morgan H.
 		 Lee R.
 
Michael M.
 		 Eric D.
 		 Sibio B.
 
Roymi N.
 		 Jeffrey S.
 		 Victor G.
 
Gabriel S.
 		 Ivan P.
 		 Will M.
 
Eric V.
 		 Bobby M.
 		  

Diana Dean and Jose Melendez-Perez Anti-terrorism Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employees who demonstrated vigilance and outstanding accomplishments to the CBP anti-terrorism mission.  Examples include detecting, identifying, and intercepting potential terrorists, smuggling of weapons of mass destruction, and other terrorist tools of destruction; and identifying and dismantling key financial operations that support individuals or organizations involved in threats or acts of terrorism.  This award is named in honor of Diana Dean and Jose Melendez-Perez. Dean, then a U.S. Customs inspector in Port Angeles, Washington, on Dec. 14, 1999, stopped a suspicious-looking traveler who was an al-Qaeda operative who had stashed timers and more than 200 pounds of highly volatile bomb-making material in the trunk of a rental car and was planning to mark the millennium by bombing the Los Angeles International Airport.  José Meléndez-Perez, then a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service inspector, was conducting secondary screenings at Orlando International Airport on Aug. 4, 2001, when he prevented the would-be 20th 9/11 hijacker, Mohamed al-Kahtani, from gaining admittance to the United States.  Because he rejected Kahtani, United Airlines Flight 93 was short-handed on Sept. 11, 2001 – a fact several members of the 9/11 Commission say helped ensure that the flight did not reach its intended target – the U.S. Capitol.  Officers Dean and Melendez-Perez demonstrated vigilance and exemplary service to the nation, which saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives.
     
Joseph A.
 		 Mitchell A.
 		 Paul B.
 
James B.
 		 Jeffrey H.
 		 Kevin H.
 
Robert H.
 		 Robert L.
 		 Philip M.
 
Doraid N.
 		 Maria P.
 		 Ronald R.
 
Charles S.
 		 Ahmed S.
 		 David S.
 
Marvin S.
 		 Jessica W.
 		 Chris B.
 
Adam D.
 		 Jeffery S.
 		 Scott S.
 
Kevin R.
 		 Lucas S.
 		 Xavier R.
 
Stan L.
 		 Christopher K.
 		  

CBP Ambassador Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employees who exhibited exceptional cooperation and dedication in working with CBP stakeholders by promoting current and proposed CBP programs; assisting stakeholders in addressing concerns; assisting in building and maintaining partnerships between CBP and state and local governments; and/or improving CBP's visibility through international cooperation, inter-governmental and intra-government outreach and advocacy, and/or community outreach.

Scott S.

Jennifer S.
 

Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employees who championed CBP's commitment to a bias-free work environment; particularly, those efforts which exemplify the principle of equal opportunity and recognize the diversity of our workforce/customers.
     
Lorenzo B.
 		 Timothy B.
 		 Jackie C.
 
Melissa C.
 		 Jessica H.
 		 Amber R.
 
Bryon S.
 		 Oscar Z.
 		 David M.
 
Russell V. Karen C.
 		 Linda G.
 
Mayra G.
 		 Barbara H.
 		 Lisa J.
 
Gerald M.
 		 Dianna S.
 
 

Unsung Heroes Award
Recognizes a support staff employee (at the GS-9 level or below) for superior performance and outstanding support efforts.

Niesha B.

Kristin K.
 

Excellence in Mission Support Award
Recognizes an employee or team of employees who achieved mission support reforms or innovations that significantly improved efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of CBP's mission support operations.  This includes initiatives in the areas of finance, information technology, human resources, asset management, training, equal employment opportunity, and policy and planning.
     
Kevin A.
 		 Colleen M.
 		 Craig S.
 
Benjamin T.
 		 Nubia B.
 

Best Practices, Efficiency, and Innovation Award
Recognizes exceptional accomplishments of an employee or team of employees who developed innovative ideas and/or processes, including technology, which improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and cost of CBP operations.  This award focuses on the efforts of employees and how they worked to overcome a significant challenge while ensuring that related operational or mission-support activities were uninterrupted.  An example of improving efficiency is creating and implementing a successful pilot initiative within an office that focuses on reducing costs; streamlining processes; eliminating duplication; enhancing transparency; and/or improving customer service.
     
Mario R.
 		 Eric B.
 		 Andre G.
 
Nicholas L.
 		 Stephen H.
 		 Christopher A.
 
Shawn B.
 		 David B.
 		  

Special Recognition Award
Recognizes efforts and accomplishments for an employee or a team of employees not covered by the other award category, including those who have overcome adversity to achieve success.

Jill D.

Jacqueline R.
 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Last Modified: Sep 28, 2022