McGinnis testifies at a Senate hearing in September.

A fixture in the federal community stepped down last night — in grand style.

After more than 14 years at the helm of the nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government, Patricia McGinnis yesterday passed the baton to interim successor Lynn Jennings, the Council’s executive vice president, at a gala dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington.

As president and CEO of the Council, McGinnis led the council in many initiatives, including: serving as an early advocate for the expansion of electronic government; expanding the Excellence in Government Fellowship program, a leadership development program for senior government managers; promoting Public Service Recognition Week; creating orientation programs for political appointees; and producing town hall meetings across the country between citizens and their government officials to discuss health care, employment and homeland security.

McGinnis also is credited with leading the effort to create the Education Department in 1980 when she worked at the Office of Management and Budget.

On hand for the occasion were about 400 people from throughout the federal community. In addition to recognizing McGinnis, the event marked the Council’s 25^th anniversary by honoring 25 outstanding public servants. Those honored were: Former secretary of State James Baker III; former secretary of State Colin Powell; former Health and Human Services secretary Donna Shalala; former congressman and 9/11 Commission co-chair Lee Hamilton; former Homeland Security secretary Thomas Ridge; Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. John Lewis, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Shirley Jackson, former New Jersey governor and 9/11 Commission co-chairman Thomas Kean, Sen. Richard Lugar, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Wilma Mankiller, former Transportation secretary Norman Mineta, former vice president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, former deputy director of the Peace Corps and former deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration Everett Alvarez, Jr., former Treasury secretary Robert Rubin, former secretary of State George Shultz, former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, former director of OMB and the Congressional Budget Office Alice Rivlin; former deputy secretary of State John Whitehead, former Commerce secretary Peter Peterson, and Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve and current advisor to President-elect Barack Obama.

The Council continues a search for a permanent president and CEO to replace McGinnis. Meanwhile, McGinnis will remain a trustee of the Council and, we hope, will remain an active voice in the federal community.