Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service

Lewis explores the life and career of Christopher Mark, a mining engineer whose work dramatically improved safety in coal mines. The essay interweaves Mark’s personal journey with broader themes about government service, worker safety, and societal attitudes toward civil servants who solve critical problems yet remain largely invisible.

Lewis begins by introducing the Partnership for Public Service, an organization founded in 2001 by Samuel Heyman to recognize extraordinary achievements by federal employees. The organization created the “Sammies” awards to highlight remarkable accomplishments within government agencies that typically go unnoticed. Lewis notes that attracting talented individuals to government work is challenging because civil servants face public criticism when they fail but receive little recognition when they succeed.

The Partnership for Public Service initially struggled to receive nominations until its director, Max Stier, personally contacted cabinet secretaries to request submissions. Early recipients included Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who solved a 1963 Birmingham church bombing case, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) doctor who helped eradicate polio in India, and an Energy Department official who transformed a nuclear waste site into a park decades ahead of schedule and billions under budget.

Lewis became intrigued by a nomination for Christopher Mark, described as a “former coal miner” who developed industry standards that led to the first year with zero roof fall fatalities in US coal mining history.