Diane Braunstein


COMMENTARY:
Once, back when such events were in vogue, I helped lead a troupe of 100 executives on a journey of self-discovery in the rain forests of Central America. It was a very cool trip-and very costly. The logistics alone must have run into the millions, given the planes, jeeps, boats and more planes used to ferry the participants half way around the world, deep into the jungle, and back out again.

Was it worth it? Well, there were thoughtful meetings around the campfire. There were some frank discussions with the CEO. The group bonded – sort of. And one executive had either an epiphany or cardiac arrest when he accidentally bumped into me moments after someone flipped the switch on the generator and plunged the campsite into the inkiest nothingness most of us had ever experienced. Keep reading →


This is the fourth of a series of profiles on the nine standout public servants who received Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) honoring their high-impact contributions to the health, safety and well-being of Americans at a Washington, D.C. gala September 15. The awards, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, are among the most prestigious honors given to America’s civil servants. This profile features the winner of the citizen services medal, Diane Braunstein, associate commissioner for the Office of International Programs at the Social Security Administration.

Imagine that you were diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer or a rare and debilitating chronic disease, have applied for Social Security disability benefits to help make ends meet, and are placed on a long waiting list where the claim lingers without resolution. Keep reading →