GovernmentExecutive.com

The Council for Excellence In Government will close its doors after 25 years, and the majority of its programs will be absorbed by the Partnership for Public Service. I just talked to Lynn Jennings, the interim president at the Council, and Max Stier, the president at the Partnership, and will have a story up with details shortly.

Two Washington-area groups have opened nominations for awards for which federal employees are eligible.

Women in Technology is accepting nominations for its Annual Women in Technology Leadership Awards in five categories: Corporate Leadership, Entrepreneur Leadership, Government Leadership, Women in Technology Champion, and rising Rising Star. Nominations are open until March 13, so if you know a woman in government who's doing great technology work, get typing!

And the Partnership for Public Service is accepting nominations for its Service to America Medals until February 27.

Since I'm working on a big piece about good government non-profits at the moment, I've been particularly attuned to non-profit news lately, and I noted that the Partnership for Public Service announced on Friday that it's bringing on two more big guns. Vince Micone, who chaired the Combined Federal Campaign between 2002 and 2008, will be the Partnership's new Vice President for Development, and Tina Sung, who has a long resume in corporate transformation and in performance management inside government, is the new Vice President for Government Transformation.

There's no question that non-profits are going to get hit very hard by the economic downturn, even ones like the Partnership that have mostly relied on several large donors. Making two big hires in the midst of a downturn is a signal that the Partnership sees itself in relatively good shape. Announcing a new VP for development does indicate a solid acknowledgment of the economic facts, however, and that the Partnership intends to move aggressively to safeguard its financial future. Sung's appointment also suggests that the Partnership sees significant change coming to government, and like everyone else, and like they always have, wants a piece of the action.

Yesterday was a real red-letter day for two of the biggest good-government non-profits. First, Samuel Heyman, who founded the Partnership for Public Service, was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for his work in the good-government movement. According to the official citation:

“As a lawyer, public servant, and philanthropist, Samuel Heyman has acted on his steadfast devotion to our Nation. By encouraging young leaders to answer the call of public service, he has helped promote a vibrant Federal workforce. The United States honors Samuel Heyman for his dedication to improving the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the Federal Government.”

The Partnership folks I talked to at the Council for Excellence in Government's 25th Anniversary celebration later in the evening were very excited about the award, understandably. And speaking of the Council, their celebration made for quite the evening. Your loyal blogger and company spotted former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge sporting a snazzy green tie, and a whole range of representatives from the good-government community.

And just as the presidential transition is proceeding, the Council announced that another part of theirs has fallen into place. Pat McGinnis announced she was stepping down as President and CEO of the Council 6 months ago, so this celebration was also a chance for her to pass the baton, at least temporarily, to her Executive Vice President, Lynn Jennings, who will take on those duties on an interim basis. No word yet on when they'll announce a permanent replacement.