Transcripts For CSPAN2 Administration 20240706

Now to discussion of Public Service recruitment and Career Opportunities. Will hear from Energy Deputy secretary david turk and urban Development Deputy secretary adrianne todman. They spoke at an event hosted by the partnership for Public Service in washington, d. C. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] good morning. Please take your seats. The program is about to begin. Good morning, everyone. Im half of our president and ceo, max steiner, myself, and all of us of the partnership let me welcome you to todays event. My name is James Christian blockwood and an executive vice president. The partnership for b Public Service. First, let me start just by saying thank you to all of the Public Servants that we have here in the room, and the more than 500 we have joining us online. As a former Civil Servant myself i know what it means to serve firsthand. Im delighted each of you could join us for this culminating event of Public Service recognition week 2023. Fe this years event will feature an Exciting Panel Discussion on how federal agencies are bringing more young people into government, and the experiences of emerging professionals in the federal workforce. For morean than two decades inspiringnt the next generationo serve has been central to our mission here at thehe partnersh. Have grown larger and more complex, unfortunately public trust in our government, the only institution in my view which has the mandate, authority and resources to tackle those challenges, has frayed. Regaining this trust requires more from our government. But it will not be able to solve problems and meet the needs of the public without a strong civil service. And unfortunately unfortunately our government has a growing talent deficit. Just 7 of federal employees are underage of 30 compared with 20 in the broader labor market. And this age group also saw declining scores in our 2022, best places to work in federal government rankings which measure how Public Servants view their jobs and workplaces. Still we know from our work at the partnership that government is full of rich and rewarding opportunities for young people. Now, this is a part of my remarks where i wanted to share why i reflected in government and reminded of elements to make remarks, to be brief, to be inspirational and to be funny so i thought what i could do and maybe borrow some material from my children. But they get most of their joke from a book titled best kids jokes ever, theyre also seven, five, three. So im not going do that. And then i thought i would say, the reason i joined was pay. I would pause for dramatic effect and wait for the room to laugh and i thought about it and i want to start with pay actually. Thats one of the reasons i joined federal service. Its not to become wealthy nor do i think that any Public Servant should become wealthy off their service. Its a point i wanted to make, you can have a respectible career and one can provide for themselves and over time for their family through federal service. The other point that drew me to Public Service were my parents. I was fortunate, i had a father that served in the u. S. Military and continues to serve as Civil Servant government right now and i have a mother who taught me what it was like to take pride in serving others and importantly, serving your community. So at a very early age i was introduced to the consent of service and this drew me to wanting to join our government. The third reason was, i didnt know what i wanted to do, but i knew i wanted to do something meaningful and have an impact and you can do that through federal service. For my first day at the department of defense, to my last day in Government Service at the Government Accountability office, and every day in between, i truly believe i was able to have an impact on the people around me and the american public. And all along that time, i was also able to be able to see and experience the world like no one can except in federal service. So, if thats not enough, i was going to add that i was able to meet one of the brightest, smartest, most talented, most Beautiful People that i know on this earth, my wife, because of federal service. And if my personal appeal wasnt enough, let me say, this week, we honored some of our emerging leaders finalists in our 2023 service to america medals program. Individuals in a category that are 35 and under and have made incredible contributions to our country. So there was a team that helped the way for release of american prisoners wrongfully detained in russia and venezuela. An individual who helped to save the u. S. Apple industry millions by showing farmers how to use natural predators with damage against crops and a center updating military equipment that hadnt been done since the 1908s and another individual launching a Campaign Working with airlines and airports to prosecute those committing human trafficking. Stories of those only scratch the service what a career in government can offer. At the partnership we try to promote these opportunities in a number of ways. Through go government, a digital onestop shop for people interested in applying for federal employment. Through our call to serve network, a community of about 700 colleges and universities working to recruit the next generation of Public Servants. And through our new federal advisor certificate program, which helps Higher Education professionals gain expertise in the federal hiring process and many other ways that we try to do that at the partnership. Now to the more informative and important part of our discussion today. Im delighted to be joined by two leaders at the forefront of bringing more people into government. Agent todman in department of housing and urban development. David turke, deputy secretary at the department of energy. Theyre joined by Melissa Sullivan and andrea jones at the hud lab navigating early Career Opportunities in government and how their agencies and leaders have supported their growth. Finally grateful to introduce our moderator, an opinion columnist at the Washington Post and many thanks for her for guiding todays conversation and supporting our efforts to build and celebrate a robust Public Service. While i can end my remarks here, let me just say one more time to the Public Servants in the room thank you for your service and for those who are going to be inspired by our panel. Let me remind you theres no more noble, respectful or honor, career endeavor you can take than federal service. Thank you, and over to you. [applause] thanks so much for that kind introduction. Im delighted to be here. This is an issue near and dear to my heart. I write a lot about the economy, but also about the institutions about the democracy and minor trust, and how do we rebuild that trust and its true for the media, but also for the institutions of government. Im glad to be with the esteemed panel to talk how we rebuild a lot of these institutions through accumulating more of the most valuable resource there is. People. In particular, how we attract or how agencies can do more to attract younger talent into those pipelines. I was thinking we might start just by having each of you talk a little about your entry point into Public Service. How did you come to this job . Were you in the private sector . Have you always been in the Public Sector . Are there things that you know now about Public Service that you wish you had known then . Why dont you start . Well, good morning, everyone. And again, thank you for moderating and thank you to the partnership for the invitation and pulling this together. So prior to this job, i was at the National Association of housing and development officials, which was a National Nonprofit organization built around helping housers and Community Developers build stronger cities and counties and states. But prior to that, i had decades of Public Service opportunities. I first came to washington d. C. As a junior in high school. And fell in love with the landscape here. Its in a Great Program called close up if some of you were familiar with that and i had an opportunity to intern on the hill so my first entry into government was a good oldfashioned internship up on capitol hill and led to my first tour of hud in the 90s and the Housing Authority and now im here. So its been quite the journey. In terms of what would i do differentlily or something i would tell my quiet younger self. I always for this moment, i decided to do something brave and look at my High School Yearbook because we think we remember ourselves when we were young. Until youre faced with the bold, honest truth of things that you were when you were 18 and 19, 17, and so this is only for the brave and you should do this with much caution, but apparently i was going to be a lawyer and, but my one quote in my High School Yearbook was, anything is possible. I decided at that point things would happen and i will learn from it and take opportunities where they come, but i also knew, even then that Public Service was something that i wanted to do. I studied government in college, and back here to washington d. C. And enjoyed my journey. So tough to top that, really, really, cool, adrianne. And a phenomenal colleague. Adrianne is part of a deputy group all over. Thanks, always great for doing this and thanks for the partnership as well for all the work you do day in and day out. So, i grew up in a small town in the midwest. My parents are both teachers and educators and so it was very public spirit, public oriented household as i suspect we get a lot of values from our parents in particular close family Members Around us. I had a chance to come to d. C. In college as an intern and i think a lot of people kind of get their first opportunities, experiences, working at the National Oceanic and atmospheric administration, noaa. I was always interested in Climate Change and issues and more generally, it was an eyeopener especially from a kid who grew up in a small town. We didnt have all sorts of fancy things at my high school or other kind of programs like that. And the thing i was impressed with was the caliber of the people that i was working with. But truly the passion and the commitment so i was working for the national sanctuaies program, people who incredibly interesting people and incredibly passionate making sure were protecting in that instance, our marine resources, and assets in the communities that depended on that. And it was just really cool and interesting. And it goes to our opening speaker, and thank you, very, very helpful. One thing you said there, weve got problems, weve got challenges in society and katherine, you write about this halt time and the government, democracy, if you want to put it that way, this is our mechanism for stepping up and dealing with these challenges, and if its not going to be the u. S. Government and people in the u. S. Government, i dont think its going to get done. Not only on our national issues, but our international issues, ive devoted much of my career on Climate Change. If we as federal government, the people in the federal government dont lead, then its not going to get done and the world will be a much shall much different place for it. Its just inspiring and its cool and you know, we have to pay enough so that you can make a living and support your family as the president talks about the dignity of the job. But its really that bigger fulfillment of doing something beyond yourself and working with other incredibly talented folks and thats been my experience. What i would tell my earlier self is, like, dont get so stressed out. Dont get so worked up over things. Be open to opportunities and i think in particular, a job that may look really cool on paper, if youre working with its not a job worth taking. So the people you work with, i work for a phenomenal secretary, secretary granholm who is the same in private as you get in public, one of those kinds of people. People i work with at department of energy, incredibly passionate and incredibly Team Oriented and be really careful who you work for, work with and who works for you. Like that makes all the difference in the world. Hello, everyone, my name is andrea jones. Im with the department of housing and urban development. I am the hud synergy innovations founder, but to answer your question about the journey to Public Service, it actually started in new york. I was a city of new york employee for several years. And upon moving down here, i became a government contractor. And i worked for fema, for nsa, a number of different agencies, but through that i figured out what the real, the real opportunities in the government and so thats when i turned to hud and applied and say can i make something happen there . And then can i direct the contractors because i was on the other side direct them in a way we can make things happen so this allowed me to get the opportunity to do that. And would i say to my younger self . I would say you are enough. Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves about, you know, how we show up and what we do, but sometimes you are enough and you need to step into your fullness so you have yourselves to give to Public Service. And i will add to that, passion. When youre showing up as yourself, and then also, keep your eyes open for different opportunities. It may be a little bit more work. It may be a lot of work, but those opportunities, once you take advantage of them, that goes with you for the rest of your career. And youve built upon that for your future self to do the Amazing Things that theyre going to do. Hi, everyone, im a press officer for the epa and ive had that role for four years. I came into federal service from the campaign side. Im born and raised miami, im first generation latino, im a queer woman and i found a place in government where i can be all of my identities, im also a Military Spouse and enjoyed Public Service. I came from the campaign side and it was a rather paid internships for one of the best senators i know, senator jack reed and i worked in the senate on Veterans Affair committee and two terms of amer Corps Service which led me back to service at epa. I definitely echo my colleagues sentiment be kind to yourself knowing youre enough. And my younger self, especially being first generation to be successful and i had a narrow version and tried to take everything, it builds character, but it would have been a lot smoother and easier if i would have leaned on mentors and those who come before me and learned from flair wisdom and mistakes rather than trying to take everything on myself. So id love to talk a little about what the obstacles are right now to recruiting younger talent and to what extent they might be different from the obstacles around recruiting mid career or more senior workers . So, why dont we start again with adrianne . You know, one of the things that im very proud of that were doing at hud is being very intentional in trying to get new talent and younger individuals interested in Public Service and particularly Public Service at our department. We recruited and landed about 40 interns last year. I told the team, weve got to up that number so we made a goal of 50 interns this year and now weve exceeded that goal and theres over 100 interns that actually will be joining us at hud. And im very happy thank you for that. [applause] and half of those interns are in partnership with the partnership and we also have a whole cadre of our president ial management fellows, so we really, really believe in leaning in and trying to encourage individuals to join us at hud. I think where theres probably room to improve, and you know, we talk about this often as deputies, is trying to make access into the federal government, something that feels a little bit seamless and more like private sector access. Can you say more about what you mean about that . Sure, in applying for a job in the federal government. Some would say its a very difficult thing to do. And i think that as deputies weve had honest conversations about ways to improve that, particularly folks who are more Digital Natives may not be used to the clunkier style of ways that we gain talent in the federal government. But as the good news is that the mighty deputies and our president s Management Council are working to try to find ways to improve that with the leadership over at opm and at omb. I also think that to the point you made earlier, encouraging folks to have trust in government and they will actually be able to make a difference. Im so happy that theyre here, but also some of our younger talent at hud are making a difference and theyre models of the possible. We try to lift them up of things that folks that want to come into Public Service, if they dream it, they can actually do it and theyll have the authority to make decisions and make it work. How realistic is that promise . It pretty real. I will say, you know, i remember being 22 years old, working on capitol hill, helping to write laws. Wow. Right . Think about that. When i, my first tour at hud, i was also had the opportunity to create brand new programs and had a seat at the table. So, i think that provided that their is Senior Leadership and management that believes in nurturing and caring the Decision Making prow wes of entering into the federal system, its very possible. So, first of all, on the Positive Side the missions are phenomenal. The missions of our department, department of energy, literally trying to save the planet in terms of Climate Change and ruling out the clean energy tools and Congress Gave us 100 billion and a whole bunch of different programs that its our staff designing those programs and incredibly, well and intentional kind of ways, in addition to tax incentives and everything. So its a pretty significant draw. I think what we have to do is first of all, lower the entries to barrier, make it easier for everybody. And i really mean everybody, not just the people who go to fancy schools and have the family connections and other kinds of things, but for everybody to have the opportunities, internships is a big part of it and having all sorts of ways to expose kids for opportunities and i didnt know what it was for x, y and z, it took an internship and meet with people, people are incredibly, incredibly friendly, ive got to say. Civil servants in particular, those who feel passionate about what theyre doing are more than willing to spend time with a 18yearold kid who has come and asked for informational interview and advice going forward. Theres a bunch we can do to lower that entry to barrier. Secondly we spent time not only in our department, but adrianne and others, i think what we have to have is a significant amount of mobility once you become once you get into the government. Have opportunities to excel. Have opportunities to be promoted. I dont think our government does as good a job as it needs to do to have opportunities from one part of a department to another part of a department. Let alone from one department to another department. The biggest issues we deal with are between departments and among departments. Weve worked on a number of things between our two departments. It would be better if we worked at doe and we had that ability. So that entrepreneurs. Some of the best entrepreneurs that ive seen are Civil Servants in the government. Social pursuant to notice who try to do good things not just in terms of making money, which is perfectly okay as well along this issue, doing good things for broader society, also. And then the last piece, which i think is important, i dont think we do as good a job on, is good to be in government, out of government, in government, going to the ngo, back in government. And i dont think we have a system fit for purpose from people who want to try a bunch of Different Things and get different perspectives. The government will certainly benefit from that and there are a number of things we can improve on that front, too, i think. Andrea . Yes, what i would say, i think the first thing we need to do is look at the people that we already have. We do some amazing work, the government as a whole, takely hud. We do some amazing work and sometimes we have to be the advocates to say, you know, you can be a part of this amazing work. There are opportunities here and then just to educate them on what the federal government does. The federal service does. How it shows up in their neighborhood. And right now, especially with this particular age group, theyre led by their heart. And thats where what federal service is, people who are led by their heart and people that go the extra mile and say how can i help you. In fact, even in the innovation lab. The one that i developed, thats the very thing that we do. A couple of things that we do, we make sure that we reach out across the United States. The other thing we do is in the fellows programs we give opportunities to people no matter what grade they are. Its not like you have to be an upper level grade. Once you come in, if you say you want to advance this innovation challenge and you have something to bring to the table. We want you. So, if i was going to encourage a young person if they want to, you know, where to look for a good job in federal service, i would say absolutely. Look at federal service and get a mentor. You can get a mentor before you join. In fact, i would recommend it. We have linkedin. People are accessible to say, hey, can i have a 20 minute discussion about federal service . And i think what they will find is that its bigger and grander than what they ever imagined and the partnerships with different agencies. Even across hud, and with each other, to create that, you know, hud is trying to be intentional about creating their sense of belonging. So no one gets lost. So, thats what i would say. Epa has been doing a great job of meeting the next generation where they are and theres no where better so than our administrator himself, michael reagan. Hes the product of an hbcu, he started his career at epa and now the first black man to lead the agency the so we do a lot of outreach and improvement for affinity groups, different minorities, different ethnicities, and speaking why they belong in the government rit large and explaining as my colleagues mentioned the benefits of federal service and specifically where they sit at epa. Weve been successful in events and continue to have them like the administrator and others who started their career and now is leading the agency. So the question i had asked is what the obstacles are and i will note two things that were not explicitly mentioned that i thought were going to come up. One is pay, in the pay differential relative to the private sector, and the other is, well, actually three. Pay and remote work, remote hybrid work, you know, how flexible places are, and as well as sort of the reputational aspect of the job. And there has been more hostility towards Public Service in recent years. Im wondering if those things didnt come up because theyre not an issue or they didnt come up because theyre kind of beyond your control. So theyre not what you focus on. I think that as it comes to pay, at the end of the day, youre going to have individuals who want to go to wall street and thats what they want, right . They want to invest their time is really money. They want to retire when theyre 31 and thats okay, thats okay. I do think though there are other people who that might not be a priority for them. That they want to make a good living. You heard speak to that, pay your mortgage, pay your bills, still create a passion for change as my colleagues mentioned. As relates to telework and remote work, i think we as a country, as a global community, were still trying to figure that out. I mean, we had an intern in our office last year who said one of the reasons that he wanted to intern at hud is that we wanted it to be an inperson experience for him and at his age, he needed that. He needed that opportunity to really collaborate with folks who are probably in seats and places that he aspired to. So, these are all tricky things, none of which are exclusive to joining the Public Sector. I do think its something that is given the experience weve had the past couple of years. David i dont know if you want to on the pay issue, i guess it depends on what you think you need or want out of life. Ive been in the government. I actually worked in congress for eight years. I did a clerkship and also, now in the executive branch so ive worked in all three branches and ive always felt like i could earn enough to do what i needed to do for my family. Now, weve got our oldest daughter going to college right now, next year, so, that is front of mind. [laughter] and theres definitely more we could be doing and should be doing to be competitive on that and it would be great to have the congressional support and make sure we do that and be as competitive as possible along those lines. I guess it depends how big of a house you need to have or want to have. I remember when the security detail came over to my house to make sure i wasnt bugged or whatever they do, and they said, oh, dave, its probably going to take about three hours so they came to our house, we live in kensington, maryland. And it took them about 30 minutes. [laughter] not that extensive of a survey that they did, but thats great. And no worries on that piece. The other two parts that i think are incredibly important here is we are, i think, everyone, private sector, Public Sector is trying to figure out what is the workplace to the future. What does it hold . How to be intentional and create environments where people want to be in the office so they can develop those relationships, make sure that were not only daytoday, achieving our missions, but giving back to the organization. Giving back especially to the young people who are coming into an organization. Its incredibly tough to come into an organization fully remote and not have that personal connection and not have that kind of sense 6 teamwork along those lines. And then in terms of the reputation difference, i guess it depends on your values along those lines. I remember earlier in my career, i worked for the state department for a couple of times, the first time i sat behind a placard that said the United States and i was representing my government and all of you in an International Conference and i felt an immense amount of time and i felt nervous, too, not to screw up and not Say Something that wouldnt be appropriate or whatnot. But it was a sense of pride to represent our government. Our government has not always done everything great, but were a force in the world to strive and do better. I cant say the same about other governments around the world and an immense amount of pride. If i could compare experiences that ive had, as opposed to google or an app that kids are playing around with or whatnot, i would say representing the u. S. Government at a National Meeting that had real consequence, is from my value and i think that values that are shared from a lot of people, more valuable. And we should recognize that. Thats why its important to have things like the partnership that really elevates that, other kinds of things to elevate those terrific careers. Andrea and andrea . Yeah, i would also add, pays issue is not an issue. You can make a good living at an agency and theres opportunities. Youre not stuck in a pay grade or an amount for 10 years. Do you get increases and you have opportunities to go to the next level. So i just want to make sure that they know that if you come into Public Service, youre not stuck where you are. There are opportunities not only within your own agency, but other agencies as well. And where can you go when you can move from one place to another and not miss a paycheck . I think thats a benefit, right . Because not only you can get a promotion, but you can make sure that you have some continuity. Especially if you have kids in the house, thats very, very important to most people and then i would also say, sometimes, you can do something, maybe, to push forward the mission, that may be on the side that gives you fulfillment. So sometimes youre making the money, but youre not fulfilled. So were looking at quality of life and improving the quality of life for others and even yourself. Definitely consider working for the federal government because it does just that. Solutions to the challenges you mentioned are definitely above my pay grade, but i will say i have benefitted from remote flexabilities. Because of the nature of my work press officer, fortunately a lot of what i do is electronically interacting so i do have the ability to be fully remote and ive been fully remote for the last few years since covid began and thats issing something that i enjoy. While my situation may be unique, and those flexabilities exist within agencies and departments. Questions for andrea and melissa. Do you have a lot of friend who work in the private sector and if so, how do they think about your job and the kind of work that you do. Or how do you talk to them about your work . So, i will say yes, i have a lot of friend in the private space. Theyre in awe. Theyre like, youre doing good work. And i can see, especially when i talk about the ilab and the program that i run, realize oh, my god, youre lighting up. Ive never seen someone light up like that talking about the work they do. Thats because im thinking about the impact, impact on my colleagues and impact of the people we serve. When you have the opportunity to do something you feel is worthy and impactful and even when you look at the fellow in the cohorts, its nondiscriminatory. Meaning you can be at hud for three months and your application is accepted and you can be put on a team you never dreamed of. And ive had that comment made to me 27 years in the ilab and also who have been in the federal government for three months. The opportunity is there and again what you said about the federal sector. I think what is awesome is that when you have when you know people in the private sector, you have the opportunity to collaborate, because have them saying, how can we help you do what you do better . Is there anything that so, i think that they look for partnership because they know that they see, this they see the federal government showing up where they are, whether its disaster, whether its roads, and i think that theyre looking for partnership. Sometimes theyre looking for a job, that is very true, but sometimes theyre also looking for partnership. How can i help you do what you do . And i want to be a part of that because they want to feel that Public Service feeling that i contributed to the lives of others. Most of my network are in Public Service as well so either serving in the military or in the federal government or in other capacities, so there definitely is that spirit of service and shared values that weve mentioned. I do come from a family of entrepreneurs so im on the opposite end of risk when it comes to being in the federal government and having that security and stability that doesnt come naturally with becoming an entrepreneur. So having those values and also being able to do something larger than yourself as my colleagues mentioned, its having really, really special. Another question about the general theme of the panel, actually, specifically for adrianne and dave, is the bigger problem recruiting talent or retaining talent . Or are they equally difficult and do they have the same or Different Solutions . You want to start this . [laughter] thanks, dave. So, you know, i think that they both can be challenging, but those challenges also present opportunities. So, you know, weve discussed some of the channels to entry. Retention can become difficult. You know, i always say that folks show up for the job and stay for the culture. And so, one of the things that as deputy secretary of hud ive been really focused on is making sure that theres rich engagement and that folks feel from the first day theyre stepping in that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Weve started out a Pilot Program in our local offices that is an on boarding, thats not just your typical, you know, given your Social Security card and your birth certificate. Its much more about teaching folks about hud. We tend to get in our silos and really in any organization and we tend to get in our silos of any organization. And it allows them to learn not just about their space, but the space about the entire department and often an opportunity to meet who their peers are across the country because it gets to some of the things that theyre saying, maybe i can do Health Care Financing and other part of hud and something that many people dont know that hud does, but we do. So i think that it is theyre both challenging, but they have but they provide rich opportunities to those of us who are charged with both aspects of it to make a change. Are we perfect yet . No, but i think that were making strides, wouldnt you say . Yeah, i think so. And just to give a couple of examples of what were doing, theyre both issues, which is both a copout answer, but its actually true as well. So, on the recruitment side, we, with all of this new funding that congress has given us to work on the clean energy transition, we actually created something called the Clean Energy Corps and we had a single portal, if you want to work on the department of energy on these clean energy efforts. You sign up for the Clean Energy Corps and you fill out one application and check off im interested in this and this and this and goes into a pool and ended up getting tens of thousands of applications and shows the drawing power of the mission and working in this moment in time in the federal government, certainly on clean energy issues. Weve hired over 500 people and all the people hiring has one group that they can look to, kind the resumes, find quality candidates and make it quicker and easier and shorter in terms of how long it takes to make it through the federal hiring process. So you just reduce those entries to barrier and theres a number of different ways and example throughout the federal government that we just need to learn from and replicate and expand. On the recruitment side, i think were making some progress here, but i think we need to do a lot better. My wife teases me that sometimes if you look at my resume, ive switched jobs every two, three, or four years, and im not sure we do as good of a job of allow that, encourage that, have the procedures and mechanisms for folks. I often tell people when they come to me, including younger colleagues, like ive got this opportunity, should i go do it . The answer usually is yes. Although not every opportunity is a good opportunity. But i think the thing that you need to be looking out for is, if you feel too comfortable in your job, that probably means you need an additional challenge, right . You should always have a good nervousness, a good excitement, a good like holy crap, am i really up for this . And relying on the fact that you are up for it, you should challenge yourself and be comfortable challenging yourself along those lines and i think thats the way to recruit people, we have active managers, we have procedures, mechanisms in place if someone is kicking butt and do great work here, but they sort of need a challenge and they need an opportunity and intentional and have the policies and procedures. Im not sure we do as good of a job overall in the government that we need to do so people can grow and have an opportunity here, here, here, and take that next step in their career. Melissa, you mentioned earlier that one aspect of working for the federal government that you really appreciated that you can bring your whole self and you know, these different aspects of your identity to the job, i think a lot of people would who dont have exposure to your cultural, your Workplace Culture may find that surprising in the sense that i think the perception of government is that it skews older, the work force, and that some of the values that you talked about are things that are more valued by a younger work force. Could you talk a little about first of all, whats the compositional makeup of the people you work with, are they mostly your age, more senior, later in their career . How much does that matter and how do you convince, you know, people from different generations who have different values or different, how do i put this, different expectations about how people exist in the workplace to be more flexible, more adaptable . Absolutely. So i am one of the younger individuals in my office and epa on the whole, i believe is the third oldest work force of the federal government which comes with challenges talking about retirement and filling those back ranks, so its a challenge that were very much aware of and actively working to combat. So to answer your question, in terms of how do you create an inclusive culture, a culture of diversity that values different Life Experiences and identities, it comes from the top. As i mentioned earlier, administrator michael reagan, hes in his 40s, he has a family. As i mentioned a product of an hbcu so he brings a vibrancy and energy to that position which again, leadership comes from the top down. So instilling those values and making it a priority for everyone to feel accepted at epa, and we do that through a number of ways, and employment infinity groups and throughout the year. And for example, may is Asian Pacific islander, next year is different affinity mixers, events, Historical Community based learning events where we speak and people who are part of those communities and those identities share with the work force and its something that i believe the work force really values in learning from others and making people feel included. Last year, and well do it again next month for pride month, we raised the pride flag and that was the first time that that had happened at epa and i believe in the federal government and that was a really big deal making people like me, and those a part of the community to feel accepted and especially when you think about the government and as my colleagues mentioned hasnt always been the best for certain communities. In the 30s, there was the lavender scare, thats who identified as queer and gay and lesbian were purged from government roles and to come full circle to have federal agencies celebrating the community is a huge deal in terms of inclusion, diversity and acceptance. Can i just add to that just a little bit . So at hud peeve this program called under five. Under five means that youve been with hud under five years. So its not like age dependent or anything like that, but i think in the under five group what they do, meet you where you are so you can be educated by Different Things that hud does, who they can reach out to or the Different Things that theyre eligible for. And sometimes we work in our silos, but a group like the under five group at hud. It gives you the opportunity to go across programs because oftentimes youre in a particular program and youre working and this under five is across hud. Across the nation and sometimes that helps you not feel alone, right . To get that place of belonging. And its not only, you know, the entry level may be 22, 23 year olds, its also 50 year olds. And something to be said from mentoring up, and mentoring down. As we create that place of belonging, the place of you matter. That place of trust, i think that keeps people in the federal government when you have those connections and then, when you want to go for that promotion, you have the ability to reach out for someone across your agency to say, what is it like doing this work . And then they may decide that, wow, id love to do that and now im going to apply. I think thats creating that community is what keeps people here and thats what is most exciting about the ilab is that place of community, where theyre when you graduate from the ilab and you become alone. One of the requirements is that you reach back so the cohort does ask you, and reach forward to the people not a part of the ilab, to again, to create an eco system, to create a community of practice that one, youre not alone, but, two, we will work with you to help you reach your goals. Id love to take some questions from the audience. I think we have a way to submit online, but lets start with the people who are physically in the room. Lets start right here. Okay. Hi, im thomas bates, at hud, pms and also a social worker. There was a lot of discussion about internships, not so much discussions whether theyre paid or not. Social work has a huge culture of unpaid internship because if you cannot afford to work for free, it doesnt matter what your quality of life might be as an employee if you cannot put food in your refrigerator. You want to talk about the roles government as a model, as a funder, and internships whether theyre paid or unpaid. The hud internships are paid, i suspect, that may be across, but the ones we have are paid. If you want to make the opportunities available to everybody, then you have to make them available to everybody, including those who cant afford not to get a paycheck, right . The internship i had was a paid internship. It wasnt paid that well, but it was enough to be able to come and have that opportunity, which was for me, was career changing. Another question . Yes. You know, ill also add in reference to internships, when you look across, if thats your first job, the federal government pays well for a first job, so thats also something to consider, you can consider a lot of other things, but if you get an internship at a federal agencies. It is a good job and you get raises. Right . And you have a path forward to permanency at a department. So, its something that, if someone looking for employment the first time, definitely look at the federal service. Weve been made for transportation, your metro card. There are certain perks you may not receive at another private Industry Firm and that, thats one of the things, i think that we need to do a better job of amplifying across the United States. What are the perks are working at hud . What are the perks for moving around the world . What are the perks who do you meet . You know, sometimes you dont meet certain people unless youre with the federal Government Agency and i think we need to do a better job of amply phiing some amplifying some of those coming on board. Im Michael Hodge from the consortium, morehouse college, spelman college, often times we know a lot of the internships are paid, but one of the things we run into is when they need to have an internship thats local, in place, in d. C. They cant afford to live here for the internship time. So you know, theyre paid, but they dont have a place to stay. So any conversation about that . Id like to hear your thoughts what you can do to work with that situation . Ill leave it at that. Okay, since housing is the name in our department. [laughter] i was going to say if you dont want to go first on this panel. I think thats a challenge even if youre not in d. C. Is the ability to live where you work, particularly with an opportunity thats inperson. And so, i think thats one of the reasons why you see this trend toward a paid intenship now. Granted, you know, rents are high and getting higher in certain parts of the country these days. What i found that often works is that person to person basically hand holding of, yes, we want you to be a part of this internship, lets talk a little about your Housing Needs and different nonprofits, different afinsy groups that provides opportunities, and ill give you an example. My alma mater is wellknown for when theres a student that is coming into any area, whether its d. C. Or San Francisco or l. A. , the alums are very, very open to having that intern stay with them. Now, that might be a little bit unorthodox, maybe not, but i think that part of the challenge is making sure that as we are looking for folks who want to join the federal government, or just intern. Mou how are we meeting those interns where theyre at and were having a job having full transparency what the full cost is. If were not able to carry that full ride, trying to extend opportunities that provide other outlets for housing. We have a somewhat related question from our jn online audience. There are other areas i can work outside of the d. C. Area . Ive asked that a lot. So im going to my friend. Epa. Gov careers is our one stop shop and there will be information about upcoming webinars and events and even tutorials how to navigate usa jobs. And the second time i came in government and i came through a side door, a hiring corps through amer corps and take advantages theyll make a tremendous difference in helping getting into federal service. The only thing id add, we similarly at the department of energy, we have information user friendly and accessible along those lines, but theres no subs tight for the informational interview and just to reach out. I think people i know in my own career, have been incredibly responsive when i didnt even know someone that well, maybe i went to school with them. Maybe i didnt and out of the blue. Maybe a friend of a friend recommends i talk to you. It takes some leg work, its something thats not easy, takes a little bit of nerves knowing youre worthy of someone for a half hour and that could be tough for some of us growing up. But ive found, especially in the government, especially in Public Service, we all, i know, ive relied on so many people as mentors, so many people to give me guidance along the line. Do the extra work. Meet with someone, sit down with someone, maybe one time its not that helpful, but one out of five may be incredibly helpful and the other two may be quite interesting, so, it takes addition leg work and its worth it to do that and thats when you get a lot of good inside information and try to figure out what you want to do with your life. Let me mention, our partners at opm did centralize all of our internships. If you go to the opm website, the last question there, youre sure to get an opportunity to see interns across the federal family. And one last question im taking from online. Is there any push to expedite the hiring process . [laughter] pausing for applause, yes. Many people dont hear back for months before being interviewed. So, the short answer is yes. And were using all the congressional flexibility that weve gotten, including, i mentioned this, Clean Energy Corps, and peace, we have some expiditing. And if you have a person, you have to have the Authority First from congress to be able to do it and you have to take advantage of those authorities and then as in Everything Else in life, its execution and making sure that the hr team is staffed up. Ive got professionals who are leaning into making sh your to shrink the time periods down. So its a work in progress, but i think were making progress along those lines. When i got to hud, our time to hire was probably just over 100 days and weve got it down to under 80. And thats just the end to end. It can be improved. It will be improved. In addition to the authorities and things that we need, its also, i would say, as deputies and managers, just making sure were executing, as david said, and really tying up all of those loose ends and gaps of time. If we go in to set an interview, lets get an interview, lets make sure were getting people in the door as quickly as possible. If we need a security cleanse check. Lets do a security cleanse check. And move, move, move. And i think that some of that urgency comes from the top and i will say that our friends at omb has made it clear to all of us as deputies. The expectation as we work with urgency to make sure that we get in the door quickly. All right. One last quick question to clarify that something david said earlier about informational interviews. Do you have advice to people who dont already have a connection, a friend of a friend in government . Whats a good way to figure out who would be receptive to meeting with that potential job candidate . So my advice is just start, start anywhere, and then your network grows, and when you have a meeting, especially if theres a connection and even if not, suggest or ask the question very explicitly, are there other folks that you recommend that i get in touch with . And again, ive been incredibly pleased in my own career and i think were all trying to pay it forward for that next generation. So someone may be rude to you, if that is thats their problem and their fault, not your fault. And just do it and just get started and dont just sit there, thinking how am i going to get, who is the perfect person for me to meet with et cetera, et cetera. Just get started and the more you do, the easier it becomes and the bigger your network becomes. Can i add to that. Add to that, hopefully youre on linkedin so you can search for an agency that youre interested in, you know, youre able to connect with them that way, but also, if there are career fairs where you see an agency is in attendance, please attend and you can follow up with them and id like to talk to you and maybe you go. And they dont have the exact job youre looking for, but opportunity to talk to someone within the department to ask questions. There is there someone else i should talk to, right . Because that could be a future opportunity, maybe not a right now opportunity so that might be some ways to connect within the. 0 within the organization that you want to work. Thanks to our panel, and your questions online and in person. I really hope you enjoyed this. [applause] thank you, everybody. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] President Biden is set to meet with congressional leaders at the white house later today to continue negotiations on raising the debt limit. Its the second time in seven days that the same group will be in the room together following last weeks oval office meeting. White house and Congressional Staff have reportedly been working behind the scenes to find Common Ground as republicans continue to push for spending cuts in any increase to the debt ceiling. Yesterday, treasury secretary janet yellen sent a letter to leaders warning that the u. S. To defall on its debt as soon as june 1st. Well bring you any updates or statements from those directly involved. And today, the senate is working on a house measure to repeal a washington d. C. Police reform law. The measure bans choke holds and for body worn cameras. 2 30 eastern time. We take you live to the senate floor here on cspan2. The chaplain let us pray. Almighty god, you know all about us. You are our lord