The Distinguished Service Awards Program was launched by the Training Officers Consortium in 1955 to stimulate improved government-sponsored training programs through recognition of individuals making significant contributions to the Federal training community in the field of human resource development (training, education, and development).

The 2008 Distinguished Service Awards Program was held on June 10, 2008, at the Fort Leslie J. McNair Officers' Club, 4th and P Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C. This year’s awards werel given to two deserving teams in the categories of Leadership Development and Return on Investment.

In addition, the Spencer Logan Award will be presented to a very distinguished and accomplished registrant of TOC, Mr. E. Vern Castle.

Mr. Castle served with distinction in the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Government from 1961 through 2000. From May 2000 to the present, Mr. Castle has continued to be involved with training and volunteer work. Highlights of his career include:

* U.S. Air Force: Senior Personnel Specialist
* DIA: Military Attaché Department: Training Manager; and Chief, Training Division
* National Institute of Transition Planning, Inc: Training Coordinator
* Lynchburg General Hospital: Volunteer

Mr. Castle also has served in an outstanding manner on the TOC Executive Board in several capacities for the past eleven years: Administrator; Chair, Site Selection; TOC Executive Board Retreat Coordinator; and Liaison between the Institute Chair and hotel management during the Annual Institutes. He has guided the Executive Board in a most professional and intellectual manner and is truly deserving of TOC's most prestigious Spencer Logan Award.

Another aspect of the event is the Scholarship Program. For the first time, TOC will present a scholarship gift to the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Foundation. This gift will provide financial assistance to two outstanding incoming freshmen who have graduated from a Washington, DC public high school, and are interested in earning a degree at UDC.

Awards are given in the following categories:

Leadership Development – presented to an individual or team or agency that has made significant accomplishments in leadership development. Leadership development can encompass any number of developmental processes including: individual development planning, executive, management and/or supervisory development, 360 degree assessment and feedback, succession planning, mentoring, and coaching.

Innovation – presented to an individual, team or agency for a creative new approach, training program, or developmental activity that employs non-traditional methods and tools to achieve desired performance outcomes.

Human Capital Management/President's Management Agenda – presented to an individual, team or agency for training and development programs that measurably support and advance an agency's Human Capital Plan and strategic mission, goals and objectives.

Change Management – presented to an individual, team or agency that has made significant accomplishments through training or facilitating a program or agency through a change management process. This could include adjusting to new politically appointed or career Civil Service agency leadership with new agendas, a new set of regulations, a new business process or technology system, or a new organizational structure.

IT Training – presented to an individual, team or agency that has made significant accomplishments in delivering a program of IT training. IT Training could include training for end users on agency-specific systems or COTS (commercial off the shelf) products. It could also include training for professionals (IT, scientists, engineers, etc.) with advanced IT needs.

Learning Management Systems – presented to an individual, team or agency that has developed an innovative, effective, and user-friendly technology system for managing tracking or delivering training and other learning activities.

Return on Investment (ROI) – presented to an individual, team or agency for excellence in demonstrating ROI impact of workplace performance improvement initiatives.

Spencer Logan Award - The Spencer Logan Leadership Award is given to a senior trainer who has throughout his or her career, made innovations in the field of U.S. Government human resources development. Awardees have initiated actions which had impact beyond their own organizations, have contributed substantially to TOC, and through their ethics, dedication and leadership, serve as role models for the training community.

Spencer Logan was a Training Manager at the Department of Army at the Pentagon in the 1960s, and an active TOCer until his death. He was an African American whose first love was working with the Army Interns. Every intern had a special bond with him. Spencer Logan finished the last years of his federal career at the National Institutes of Health, and he represented the best of what human resource development is all about. He was a role model, mentor, career coach and counselor to all who came in contact with him regardless of race, color or gender.