The A. Heath Onthank Award was established by the Board of Supervisors in 1966 to honor the memory of Colonel A. Heath Onthank (U.S.A. Ret.), the first Chairman of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission (1957-1962) and guiding force of the county’s career merit system.
The purpose of the Onthank Award is to recognize accomplishments of outstanding worth in advancing and improving public service in the Fairfax County Government and School System.
Who can nominate:
Any person or group can submit a nomination for the award, the highest honor the county awards to its employees. Only individuals may be nominated; no group awards are presented. Nominees must have been employed by the county for at least one year.
Accomplishments nominated for consideration vary widely in form and substance and are evaluated against criteria that give due weight to tangible gains already, potential value and the environment in which the achievement took place.
Eligibility for the Onthank Award includes:
- Merit system employees of the county government, and
- Contracted unified salary scale and food service employees of the Fairfax County Public Schools. (School teachers and instructional assistants are not eligible for this award)
Awardees receive a plaque of commendation and $2,500.
Nominations Open: Monday, March 2
Deadline for nominations: Friday, March 13 by 4:30 p.m.
Award presentation: Tuesday, June 23 at 9:30 a.m. - Board of Supervisors meeting.
Nomination Submission:
1. Download the A. Heath Onthank Award Nomination Form and provide short answers to the application questions.
2. Compose a narrative describing accomplishments - up to three pages.
Please include BOTH the completed nomination form and the written statement of accomplishments in your submission.
Submit A. Heath Onthank Award nominations via email to: HRAwards@fairfaxcounty.gov
or mail to:
Fairfax County Department of Human Resources
Attn: Countywide Awards Manager
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 270
Fairfax, VA 22035-0039.
Nominations will be acknowledged upon receipt.
Selection of the Award:
A committee of citizens appointed by the Board of Supervisors will review the nominations and the supporting documentation and will select the Onthank recipients based on the facts presented in the nominations.
Questions? Call the Department of Human Resources, HRAwards@fairfaxcounty.gov.