U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Public Affairs

NEWS RELEASE

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE DEPUTY DIRECTOR WINS PRESIDENTIAL AWARD

Walter D. Cruickshank, Ph.D., deputy director of the Minerals Management Service, has been awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Award.

“We are all very proud of Walter’s work for MMS and the Department of the Interior,” said Johnnie Burton, director of MMS. “I consider myself fortunate to have him as my deputy director.” 

            Winners of this prestigious award have a long-term track record as strong leaders who consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service. They are nominated by their agency head, evaluated by boards of private citizens and approved by the president of the United States. The evaluation criteria focus on leadership and results.

A 15-year employee of MMS, Cruickshank has played a key role in the development and implementation of President Bush’s National Energy Policy within the Department of the Interior. Another key career accomplishment was the initiation of the royalty-in-kind program at MMS. Under the royalty-in-kind program, MMS is testing the effectiveness of taking royalties “in kind” as an alternative to the traditional cash payment for collecting mineral royalties.

Cruickshank has been the deputy director of MMS since April 2002. In this capacity, he is the chief operating officer and top policy advisor for MMS Director Johnnie Burton.

Cruickshank, a native of Princeton (N.J.) Township, received a bachelor’s degree in geological sciences from Cornell University (1981) and a Ph.D. in mineral economics from Pennsylvania State University (1985).

The son of Dr. and Mrs. Philip A. Cruickshank of Princeton Township, he resides in Maryland with his wife and two children.

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and American Indian leases. These revenues totaled over $6 billion in 2002 and nearly $127 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

-MMS-

MMS Internet website address: http://www.mms.gov