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Three County Employees Receive Prestigious Award

June 22, 2010
OPA 120/10

News Highlights Three Fairfax County employees are recipients of the 2009 Onthank Award, the highest county honor for employees. The award was established by the Board of Supervisors to honor the memory of Col. A. Heath Onthank, the first chairman of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission (1957-1962).

More Information (Click for High-Res Version) The Board of Supervisors honored the 2009 Onthank award winners.  Presenting the award were (back row) the Board of Supervisors, (front row, left to right) Kerrie Wilson, chair, Onthank Award Committee; Tom Garnett, commissioner, Civil Service Commission; Sharon Bulova, chair, Board of Supervisors; 2009 awardees Grace P. Starbird, Len Wales and Steve Aitcheson; and Anthony H. Griffin, county executive.

Three employees have been selected to receive the Onthank Award, the highest honor Fairfax County bestows on its employees. The awards were presented today at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

2009 awardees:

• Steve Aitcheson, director, Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. 
• Len Wales, county debt manager, Department of Management and Budget. 
• Grace P. Starbird, retired, Area Agency on Aging, Department of Family Services.

The Onthank Award was established by the Board of Supervisors in 1966 to honor the memory of Col. A. Heath Onthank, the first chairman of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission (1957-1962) and guiding force of the county’s career merit system.

The award recognizes accomplishments of outstanding worth by an individual county employee, in advancing and improving public service in Fairfax County Government and the school system.

Eligibility for the Onthank Award is open to merit system employees of county government and contracted, unified salary scale and food service employees of Fairfax County Public Schools. School teachers and instructional assistants are not eligible for this award.

Since its inception, 310 employees have received the Onthank Award. Recipients have included managers, public safety employees, administrative assistants, human services personnel, custodians, librarians, school bus drivers, building inspectors and others from agencies throughout county government and the school system. Nominations come from residents, fellow employees, civic groups, and business and professional organizations.