Hey @macdoc,
I don't think anyone has ever been in love with the Actions Panel UI, but as Peter says it would take a LOT of work to change it at this point.
I suggest you make your own action pallet(s). Start with a few frequently used items and then expand from there.
I also suggest you look carefully at @DanThomas' magnificent KMFAM macro:
MACRO: [KMFAM] Favorite Actions and Macros
KMFAM allows the use of multiple mnemonic keywords for any given action, so finding things is pretty easy.
-Chris