Two leaders join the Government Hall of Fame in 2026

Government Executive’s Hall of Fame recognizes public servants whose work has had a lasting impact on federal institutions and the way government serves the American people. In 2026, two leaders are being added to that group for careers marked by measurable contributions to policy, programs or agency operations.

They will be honored along with the Fed 100 winners, on April 30 at the annual “Evening of Honors” gala at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., a ceremony that continues the tradition of recognizing the enduring influence of federal service. 

Meet the Government Hall of Fame Class of 2026: 

Susan Coller Monarez

Monarez has dedicated her career to strengthening health security, managing multibillion-dollar portfolios and shaping national and international policy. She has led initiatives across government, industry and global health systems, launched public-private partnerships and accelerated science-to-market progress.

She has held senior roles at the White House, the National Security Council and multiple federal research agencies, including the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency. She served as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from January to March 2025 and became its first Senate-confirmed director from July to August 2025.

She currently serves as a strategic health technology and funding advisor for the California Department of Public Health and continues to advance public health initiatives and strengthen federal health systems through her work.

William J. Walker 

Walker has built a distinguished career overseeing security, intelligence and law enforcement initiatives across the U.S. federal government and the National Guard. He began his federal career in 1983 as a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, serving in investigative and diplomatic roles of increasing responsibility. He later held senior executive positions, including director of the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Regulatory Control Division at DEA headquarters and senior intelligence officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

In 2014, Walker retired from DEA as deputy assistant administrator and director of the Strategic Intelligence and Warning Division. He also served full-time in the District of Columbia National Guard, rising to brigadier general in 2015 and major general in 2021. In April 2021, he was nominated by the speaker of the House and unanimously elected the 38th sergeant at arms of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first African American to hold that position. In that role, he oversaw protection for members of Congress, their staff and House office buildings, and served as chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police Board.

He currently serves as chief security officer for Allied Universal and as a senior advisor to The Chertoff Group, and continues to contribute to public safety and national security initiatives.

PREVIOUS INDUCTEES

The members of the class of 2026 join those who have already been inducted into the Government Hall of Fame:

• Madeleine Albright
• Thad Allen
• Apollo 11 Astronauts: Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins
• Clara Barton
• Hubert T. Bell
• Marry Frances Berry
• Mary McLeod Bethune
• Lonnie Bunch III
• Ralph Bunche
• George H.W. Bush
• Rachel Carson
• David Chu
• Francis Collins
• David O. “Doc” Cooke
• Ada Deer
• Gene L. Dodaro
• Frederick Douglass
• Tammy Duckworth
• Elizabeth Duke
• Ann E. Dunwoody 
• Anthony Fauci
• Barbara Hackman Franklin
• Carla Hayden
• Robert Gates
• John Glenn
• Virginia Hall
• Alexander Hamilton
• Patricia Roberts Harris
• Oveta Culp Hobby
• Walter Hollis
• Grace Hopper
• Dwight Ink
• Shirley Ann Jackson
• Howard Jenkins Jr.
• Katherine Johnson
• Frank Kameny
• John Koskinen
• John Lewis
• Charles Lyman
• Thurgood Marshall
• Charles McGee
• Norman Mineta
• Patsy Mink
• Constance Berry Newman
• Sean O’Keefe
• Ellen Ochoa
• Douglas Owsley
• Ely S. Parker
• Frances Perkins
• Colin Powell
• Condoleezza Rice
• Elliot Richardson 
• Alice Rivlin
• Gregory L. Robinson
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Donna Shalala
• Susan Solomon
• Elmer Staats
• Kathryn D. Sullivan
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield
• Harriet Tubman
• Ann M. Veneman
• Paul Volcker
• James Webb
• James Lee Witt
• Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsop

SELECTION COMMITTEE

This year’s inductees into the Government Hall of Fame were chosen by a panel made up of former federal officials and government management experts:

• Tanya Ballard Brown, executive editor, Government Executive
• James-Christian Blockwood, president and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration
• Jason Briefel, partner at the law firm Shaw, Bransford & Roth and director of policy and outreach of the Senior Executives Association
• Calvin Byrd, former senior level advisor for physical security at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Doreen Greenwald, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union
• Tom Shoop, former editor at large, Government Executive
• Robert Tobias, former president of the National Treasury Employees Union and distinguished practitioner in residence in Key Executive Leadership Programs at American University