Congratulations: Ben Smith Wins 2014 Arthur S. Flemming Award

I am pleased to announce that Ben Smith, Director of the Office of Tribal Self-Governance, was recently awarded a 2014 Arthur S. Flemming Award by the George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. He accepted his Flemming Award on June 8 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Established by the Downtown Jaycees in 1948, the Flemming Awards honor outstanding federal employees with three to 15 years of federal service for their exceptional contributions to the federal government. Recipients are nominated by their federal agency and then selected from a pool of nominees through a competitive judging process. Mr. Smith was selected from a large group of nominees for his exceptional leadership and management skills.

Under Mr. Smith's direction, the IHS Tribal Self-Governance program has had a significant and positive impact on the health and well-being of tribal communities. The IHS Tribal Self-Governance program is authorized by Title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, otherwise known as Public Law 93-638 (as amended). Under this authority, more than 60 percent of federally recognized Tribes exercise administratively their inherently sovereign powers utilizing federal resources to manage and operate health care programs formerly offered by the IHS, either directly or through tribal organizations and inter-tribal consortia.

Mr. Smith's commitment and dedication to the successful implementation of the Tribal Self-Governance program is helping more than 350 federally recognized Tribes develop innovative solutions tailored to the challenges of their communities. His leadership on policy helps expand the Indian health system, empower Tribes, and strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship between federal and tribal governments.

Congratulations to Ben Smith for being a 2014 recipient of an Arthur S. Flemming Award!

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