Celebrating 60 Years of Federal Executive Boards

For six decades, Federal Executive Boards (“FEBs”) have served as the cornerstone of strategic partnership across the federal government. Launched by President Kennedy in 1961, FEBs harness the mutual interests of federal agencies, and the support of their dedicated employees, to deliver a forum for cross-agency communication outside the DC beltway that is second-to-none. This week, as they mark their 60th anniversary, 28 FEBs foster federal collaboration in every corner of the country, from Honolulu to Boston, and everywhere in between.

FEBs are pivotal in bridging the communication and engagement gap between the federal communities within Washington, D.C., and the rest of the nation. They allow local federal leaders to share management challenges and strategies to meet agency missions and goals, identify common issues, develop collaborative efforts to address those issues, and spread best practices among their peers. They also create and maintain effective relationships with public and private organizations in their local communities. I saw the crucial impact FEBs have while serving as Chief of Staff here at OPM, and I experienced it firsthand as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Our strengths as an Initiative were bolstered, our efforts were more fruitful, and our impact was amplified as a direct result of the partnerships we had with FEBs across the country.

The expertise gained from six decades of leading and facilitating collaborations is invaluable. As a result, FEBs are at the forefront of so many mission-critical endeavors for OPM. Our efforts to define the future of work are informed by the input FEBs shared in stakeholder listening sessions. Our outreach to early-career talent is bolstered by FEB engagement at colleges and universities across the country. Our work to position the federal government as a model employer is buoyed by FEB efforts to support federal workers, both professionally and personally, as they navigate the global pandemic. And our efforts to harness the giving spirit of the federal community through the Combined Federal Campaign are exemplified by the fact that last year alone, CFC campaigns in FEB areas collectively raised $37.5 million for charity organizations, as well as 43,081 hours of volunteer service pledges.

So as the FEB program marks this incredible milestone, I want to thank and congratulate the FEB teams for all the incredible work they do. They truly do embody the FEB vision: to be catalysts for better government. OPM is proud to have this program under our purview, and we are grateful for all that it has accomplished over the past 60 years. And I’m even more excited for what it will accomplish in the next six decades! I look forward to partnering with FEBs every chance I have to highlight OPM’s initiatives and support the federal workforce.

-Kiran Ahuja, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management