In a year when the “downs” seem numerous and cataclysmic enough to drown out the “ups,” PMAA has been one of the growing bright lights. In the disarray of March and April, many of us struggled to balance the demands of childcare and remote work while others came to grips with evaporating jobs and losing loved ones. One of the few constants in those erratic days was the PMAA newsletter, arriving every two weeks in your inbox with the latest news and resources, not to mention a healthy dose of community and perseverance in the face of adversity.

When in-person networking and training became unsafe, PMAA pivoted (quite nimbly, if we may say so) to offering weekly “Couchella” sessions -- free, interactive webinars for PMAA members and federal employees. From deeply inspiring sessions with the likes of John Hope Bryant to training to build your toolset like Managing Remote Teams Like a Pro, Couchella helped us learn together and remind us that we are a community, regardless of whether we connect in person or virtually.

In the summer, we joined communities around the country in condemning the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more. PMAA released a statement affirming our belief that “systemic racism and white supremacy are fundamentally incompatible with the ethos of public service.” More than just saying “Black Lives Matter,” PMAA is committed to using diversity as a key criterion in our leadership selections; to increasing the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color that become PMFs; and to supporting our membership in taking anti-racist actions.

The runup to the presidential election heaped anxiety on top of apprehension, as rhetoric, derision, and COVID challenges stripped us of some measure of faith in the democratic process. PMAA helped take the temperature down, offering a Couchella session and related resources on presidential transitions, which laid out the comforting details of how administrations change from one term to the next and how civil servants can best fulfill their duties to deliver services, programs, and other public benefits.

*David Marchick, Director of the Center for Presidential Transition, shows off his copy of "Before the Oath" by Martha Kumar, who also spoke at PMAA's Couchella on presidential transitions.*

As we look back at 2020, we are proud of what we have been able to do. In addition to the resources and information PMAA curates for our membership, we have also grown as an organization. We added nearly 250 new members in 2020, bringing membership up to 1,500! We finished charitable registration paperwork in 21 states and DC and exceeded first year member financial donations. We think these are all indicators from you, our members, that we are providing value to our community.

121 of you responded to our Annual Membership Survey, not only revealing the diverse makeup of PMI/F alumni, but also weighing in on how you engage with PMAA and what you would like to see from us in the year to come. You identified career advice from senior level alums, positively representing public service, and expanding the PMF Program’s reach among federal agencies as potential areas of focus. 90% of you said you engage most with the PMAA newsletter. You told us to keep it up with training opportunities and that equity and diversity are critical parts of leadership development.

These insights and more helped fuel robust discussion during the (virtual) fall Board Retreat, where directors came together to discuss the evolution of our organization and to hammer out our strategic plan for the next cycle. We came up with three priorities that reflect where we need to go:

Strengthen PMAA’s organizational capacity to best serve members
Develop and deliver relevant, high-quality services to members, current fellows, and all alumni
Build collaborative partnerships, extend services to wider audiences, and establish PMAA as a premiere civil service organization

*PMAA Board of Directors work through an ideation exercise at the annual retreat, September 2020.*

During December’s Annual Meeting, we told you our plans for the coming year, including keeping up our regular newsletters, Couchella sessions, and other offerings while adding new features like this blog to the website. Here we will update you on PMAA’s work, profile our stellar alums, review books, and work with partner organizations to keep providing resources that help grow your career and connect with other members. And, of course, we look forward to delivering on a frequently-requested item -- PMAA swag!

We also celebrated the successful recruitment and selection of this year's Presidential Management Fellows class. With so many talented young professionals available to federal hiring officials, we know agencies will be equipped with both the brain power and drive to meet the evolving needs of the American public.

Watch this space for more information on how to volunteer your time with PMAA in the coming months. Thank you for being with us in 2020, and we can’t wait to do big things together in 2021.

2020 in Review: A Message from the President and Executive Director