Stories of Public Service

I am a fed. I can truly say I was born a fed. Through and through, I maintained something John F. Kennedy left for me: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success if liberty."

Although my time in federal service was short, back in the 1980s, it was my mother’s lifetime employment at the Department of Defense that inspired me. She served for 30 years, which put me through college and inspired me to take the Professional and Administrative Career Exam. Eventually, I worked in Chicago with the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service as a quality control specialist. Now I’m retired and was hopeful, after the lengthy application and interview process, to get hired by the Census Bureau and further contribute to my community. Alas, with the turmoil underway at federal agencies, it will be a long time, if ever, for this to come to pass. I am hopeful, after everything gets torn down by the current administration, that one day there will be some rebuilding to do. And I’ll be ready.

I was a probationary revenue officer employee with the IRS in Portland, Oregon, hired in July 2024. I was enthusiastic about the position. I took the oath with great seriousness and pride. I believed strongly that I could make a positive difference for our country. I was let go on Feb. 20, 2025, and told ""Taking into account your performance, your continued employment at the agency is not in the public interest.” While serving as a revenue officer, I have only received positive feedback on my performance. I never had the opportunity to undergo an official performance review. The impact upon me and my family is substantial. I am recovering from sudden cancer surgery and was on medical leave when I was fired. My family relies on me. We are now struggling to figure out next steps. This careless and inhumane action by the current administration is completely without merit or integrity. To tell devoted civil servants without proof that their performance is inadequate is an injustice.

I am a former Department of Agriculture federal employee, working out of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, who was terminated Feb. 18. I was a smuggling interdiction trade and compliance officer. I went to commerce markets to provide outreach on USDA import regulations, to ensure imported products had proper import documentation and to look for prohibited products. Typically products are prohibited or are regulated items requiring certain documentation because of diseases and pests from other countries, such as bird flu, foot and mouth disease, African swine fever, citrus canker, the khapra beetle, invasive fruit flies, federally noxious weeds and more. I am confused because bird flu is a huge concern and risk. There are no words to describe the stress, fear and heartbreak from the past few weeks. In less than two hours my career with USDA came to a stop. I was heartbroken when I realized my career had come to an end and had no warning I would be terminated."

Grateful for Department of State employees for bringing 1,962 Afghan special immigrants to safety in the United States and laying the foundation for saving the lives of thousands more U.S. and Afghan citizens following the collapse of the government of Afghanistan in 2022.

I had 3 years of service and was laid off. The work I do at USFWS is vital to ensuring we have clean drinking water, protection from floods and abundant fisheries. The dataset I helped create is used by half a million people each day. The dataset is a powerful and robust tool for supporting decision making in various fields from habitat assessments, climate resiliency and water quality, to energy and development

Without the feds who is looking out for consumers? Who makes sure our water and air remain at livable standards? Who does this work without an intent to make a profit but for the good of the people.

I worked my first season with the USFS last summer on the OHV (off highway vehicle) trail crew, that is grant funded by the state of Colorado. (That means the Feds spend 0$ to have us employed!) I fell in love with my job. Educating the public, doing fire prevention work, trail maintenance, huge trash pick ups, put out over 5 potential wildfires, worked with other USFS crews such as heritage, fire, mines, wildlife, and so on. Everyday was a day full of hard work, dedication and commitment.

Everyone knows I work and play in the outdoors, but I have never talked about why I guide. It’s not just for the experience, for sure not for the money, but I started this path out of the desire to inspire others to care for and protect our wild places. It’s no question that our public lands are at threat, National Parks, Forest Service, BLM and so much more. I started my guiding career in Zion National Park in 2021 and the crowds we experienced mirrored Disney world. The parks got ran through and staff was barely able to ensure these lands stayed in good condition. It is easy for us to assume that everyone knows how to treat natural places, but people don’t. Park rangers provide education, clean trails, and inspire generations to care for our planet.

I work in local government in the UK and I know the values and dedication that public service requires, especially when it seems like hardly anyone really understands the pressures or the realities and the value of your work. So let me say this: the value of public service will become all too clear, the unknown efforts will be revealed, those that assumed ‘inefficiencies’ will understand what true inefficiencies are, what a true lack of coordination means, how the incredibly complicated machine of America needs its smart and dedicated people of democracy to function. Delivering public services is an honorable thing and you should all feel proud of your service, and now is the time to organize, use your skills, coordinate, plan, show that efficiency isn’t about cuts but bringing ideas, integrity and commitment to the table. They don’t have what you have, they never will, you care and will stand up for people for Americans for everyone, for a well functioning decent, honorable America

Public servants show up every day and make government work for the people of this country, often under a high level of scrutiny. With limited resources and in an environment where we are frequently used as pawns in partisan politics, we cut through the noise and get the job done. Without us, the country simply would not function. I chose a career in public service because serving the American public is an honor. The American taxpayers trust me to be a good steward of the resources they allocate to my agency, and I take that trust seriously. I'm also a problem solver by nature. Public servants are constantly asked to "do more with less," and rather than becoming frustrated by those limitations, I embrace the challenge.

I was raised in a Southern home where my mother instilled in me the importance of serving others—a value that has stayed with me throughout my life. Whether it's by monitoring colleagues, lending an ear, mediating conflicts, or fostering partnerships, I find immense fulfillment in helping others. This sense of service was further nurtured by my high school government and civics teacher, Ms. Mary Lott-Walker, who recognized the “servant-leader” qualities in me and encouraged me to use my influence to create positive change. Inspired by her guidance, I’ve built my career around the five P’s of my leadership philosophy: people-oriented, public-service, problem-solving, productivity, and professionalism. Throughout my career, I’ve always strived to treat every member of the public with courtesy and decency, ensuring that the work I do each day meets the standards of a highly trained, professional public servant. My work at the Social Security Administration has been a true reflection of these principles. And, in the words of the late Secretary of State Colin Powell, “All work is honorable—always do your best because someone is watching.” I remain committed to serving others in every role I take on.