Last week I was one of approximately 2,400 CDC employees—and about 10,000 HHS employees—impacted by mass federal layoffs. It’s a sobering moment.
My path to federal service was not what I originally envisioned. I earned my master’s in social work thinking I would go directly into nonprofit leadership - into the kind of work where you are close to the people and communities you are serving, where the impact is more personal and immediate. But when I was accepted into the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program, new doors opened within the federal government, and I stepped into them with curiosity and commitment.
Over the years, I have had the chance to do purpose-driven work on a national scale—bringing a social work lens to public health, policy, and communication. It has not always been easy, but it has been meaningful and I am proud of what I have accomplished.
Now, like many others, I find myself at a crossroads.
I am feeling a lot of things right now. I am grieving some for myself, but even more for so many others who have given their time, their talents, and in many cases, years or even decades of their lives in service to the public good.
I am also a bit hopeful and open.
Open for a new chapter.
Open to use skills that have not been fully tapped.
Open to grow in new ways.
While I do not love how this transition came about, I have to believe that something good is coming. For me and for others walking similar paths.
I am looking for my next opportunity. I bring with me a unique blend of policy, social work, public health, communication, people skills (including a great sense of humor and positive energy—truly underrated leadership qualities), and so much more. I am looking for a place that will value all that I bring and where I can contribute to work that matters.
Although I am coming from the federal government and once thought I would work for nonprofits, I am particularly interested in roles where I can see and feel the impact of my work—regardless of the sector—where outcomes are not just theoretical, but tangible and meaningful to real people and communities.
I am based in St. Louis and open to in-person roles here, remote roles anywhere, or the right in-person opportunity in another location—if it is right for me and my family.
If you know of any openings or would like to connect otherwise, I would love to chat.