Photo by Mr. T in DC.

It’s easy to complain about the District’s government, and we’ve certainly all had a run-in with a bureaucrat that clearly seemed to hate their job something fierce. But there’s always that one city employee that is courteous, helpful and even goes out of their way to help. It could be fielding press calls, explaining some of the District’s more puzzling bureaucratic obstacles, saving a life or simply providing exemplary service when it’s most needed.

For them, there’s the Cafritz Awards for Distinguished D.C. Government Employees. Sponsored by the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, the five annual awards come with a $7,500 prize, a commemorative plate and a certificate. The awards have been handed out yearly since 2000.

Last year’s winners included Johnetta Brower-Bond, the director of the Office of Pay and Retirement Services in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer; Soumya Dey, a Supervisory Civil Engineer in the Department of Transportation; Sakina Khan, a Senior Economic Planner in the Office of Planning; Tracie Martin, a specialist in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; Gordon McDonald, the Deputy Chief Financial Officer in the Office of Budget and Planning; and Marc Williams, a Recreation Assistant in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Got a nominee in mind? (I know I do.) Nominate them here. The deadline for entries is November 18.