With just over a month left in the Obama administration, the White House held a special recognition ceremony on Dec. 13 to recognize the work federal employees do for the American people.
"Over these past eight years you have hauled our government to a place where it is smarter and faster and more responsive to the needs of the American people in the 21st century," President Barack Obama said in a video message. "Whether you're a young person who just signed up because you want to make a difference or a career employee who has dedicated your life to that pursuit, I want you to know that it has been my privilege to call you my colleagues."
During the ceremony, feds from the U.S. Digital Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Weather Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and more took to the stage to talk about innovative projects that have had a direct effect on the American public.
As Shaun Donovan, director of the Office of Management and Budget, explained, the dedication and ingenuity of civil servants is an integral part of maintaining trust between federal employees and the public they serve.
"As the budget director, I spend time worrying about the fiscal deficit," Donovan said. "But I also spend time worrying about the trust deficit we have in this country. And the truth is that we all believe in the federal government and the mission that we have here, but the work we’re all doing to make government better and strong and faster and more efficient is also building the faith of the American people in their own government and this institution."
Watch the full ceremony hereand see Obama’s message to the federal workforce below.
Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.
