2010 Call to Service Recipient
Saskia van Gendt is the 2010 Call to Service Recipient
Exploring “The Peaceful Transfer of Power”
October 14, 2022 | 46 minutes
n the latest episode of "Profiles in Public Service," we hear from Guatam Raghavan, the director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel for the Biden administration and a former team lead for Biden presidential transition. Raghavan identifies the key takeaways from his experience working on the Biden presidential transition and discusses the process of recruiting nearly 4,000 presidential appointees for positions across the government. Raghavan also discusses his own journey into public service, and why anyone passionate about making a positive difference should consider applying to work in the government. Valerie Smith Boyd, the director of the Partnership's Center for Presidential Transition, and David Marchick, author of "The Peaceful Transfer of Power: An Oral History of Presidential Transitions," join Raghavan to discuss the challenges the Biden transition team faced in 2020-2021, and the importance of the peaceful transfer of power for our democracy.
A Deep Dive into Ocean Science and Scientific Integrity
September 30, 2022 | 46 minutes
In the latest episode of "Profiles in Public Service," we hear from 2022 Service to America Medals® finalist Craig McLean, who spent four decades at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration improving our nation's understanding of ocean activity in relation to global warming, severe weather and marine life. Ben Friedman, the agency's longest serving deputy under secretary for operations, joins McLean to discuss NOAA's commitment to scientific integrity and the importance of environmental careers in the federal government.
Keeping Promises to the 9/11 Community
September 9, 2022 | 37 minutes
2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® finalist Rupa Bhattacharyya revitalized the federal program responsible for awarding claims to victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, including the families of those who were on site or responded that day, as well as people who lived, worked or went to school near the attack sites.
Collaborating with Communities to Improve Health Equity
August 26, 2022 | 44 minutes
In 2021, Service to America Medals® finalist Suma Nair launched a major federal initiative to ensure that community-based health centers could access lifesaving resources to adequately respond to COVID-19. Ian Munar from International Community Health Services in Seattle, Washington, and Noah Nesin, the chief medical officer at Penobscot Community Health Care in Penobscot, Maine, witnessed the tremendous impact that Nair’s program at the Health Resources and Services Administration had on the people they serve, many of whom face barriers to accessing personalized health care services. These three public servants discuss their experiences working in community health care, and why collaboration between federal and local leaders is critical to improving health equity in America.
Using affinity groups to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce
While the federal workforce became more diverse in terms of gender, race and ethnicity from the end of the Obama administration to the end of the Trump administration, agencies can still do more to recruit and retain people from underrepresented communities. Affinity groups are one resource that agencies can use to meet this imperative.
Introducing our Agency Performance Dashboard: A new tool to build government transparency and accountability
The Partnership for Public Service’s new Agency Performance Dashboard provides digestible insights on 24 federal agencies, including workforce trends such as demographics, employee engagement, employee education and organizational finances. Each dashboard offers one of the most comprehensive looks at agency trends, performances and workforce data available to the public in one place; its content will...
Rapid Reinforcements
Certain challenges – such as national emergencies, large-scale attrition, new mission requirements and the need for new talent – require federal agencies to rapidly grow their workforce. With support from the Democracy Fund, the Partnership for Public Service identified the most effective and widely applicable strategies for surge hiring.
Talent Acquisition Quick Tips
Amid the response to COVID-19, federal agencies are moving quickly to fill the jobs needed to address new and emerging challenges. In Spring 2020, the Partnership hosted two recruiting and hiring sessions to support agencies as they sought to rapidly fill mission critical roles. This guide captures strategies and insights shared by experts at those...