A Few (Really) Good Men and Women

Recently I was in Washington, D.C. to help select the next class of the White House Fellows Program. As my fellow commissioners and I interviewed the finalists vying to be part of this influential program, I was reminded of how important public service is to the success of our nation.

If you’ve never heard of the White House Fellows Program, it’s a non-partisan leadership program created by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. This prestigious program places highly talented, accomplished, and committed individuals in various upper-level government roles to assist and to learn alongside political appointees and career officials. 

For the Fellows, many of whom are already very familiar with the sacrifices of public service, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. In exchange for a year of their lives, they receive an all-access pass to the inner workings of the federal government—a master class in the art of policy making and governing.

Take, for example, Katelyn van Dam, who is serving in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of this year’s class of Fellows. Katelyn is a major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. An attack helicopter pilot, she ran combat operations in Afghanistan and counter-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden. She is also the co-founder of No Exceptions, a nonpartisan initiative that advocated for the military to fully integrate women into all combat arms specialties.

Or then there is Kyle Sheetz. Kyle, who is serving in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is a surgeon. A resident in general surgery at the University of Michigan, he holds degrees in medicine, clinical research design and biostatistics and is committed to improving the access and quality of surgical services.

Why would successful professionals like Katelyn and Kyle step out of their jobs/careers for a year-long government “internship”? For many, it is the opportunity to learn and give back. It is a unique experience to be able to look behind the curtain and learn how government runs.

While the Fellows benefit from this deep dive into a specific part of our government, we the people also benefit. We benefit by bringing outside perspectives to government agencies. Attracting people who want to help make government more efficient and effective – and who are also willing to challenge the status quo.

This “fresh perspective” can be a game changer to an organization – both from an operations and a talent standpoint. We see the value of the “fresh perspectives” approach at our company, McKesson. We encourage employees from certain business units to rotate to gain new skills and experience. Just like in sports, they become “free agents.” Free to play for different teams for short-term projects. In the end, collaboration and networking across teams and units go up while employees exposed to different roles bring new ideas to the table.

I was excited and impressed by the talented group of people who applied to be in this year’s class of White House Fellows. Stay tuned as final selections are made in late summer.

Best of luck to the finalists and thank you for your eagerness to serve. 

I’m curious – how do you think the federal government benefits by bringing in this outside talent?