Washington, D.C. - Stephen Goldsmith closed the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) 2004 Federal Workforce Conference in Baltimore with a speech on the nature of the 21^st century workforce. The conference attracted some 2,035 federal professionals, representing 68 federal agencies from across government. (See attached list for agencies represented.) Attendees came from all over the United States, and as far as Germany and Korea.

The Honorable Stephen Goldsmith, Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service, challenged those involved in the management of the federal workforce to look at how the day-to-day work of an agency ties into the mission of an agency and ensure managers are empowered with discretion to make a significant contribution.

Goldsmith stated, "Government today is a group of skilled individuals knitting together a network of resources to solve problems. It's not just folks managing narrow bureaucratic hierarchical command and control systems. It's how we array the resources we have to produce the most public good for the citizens we represent...Many of our most important workers of the future will be those who can figure and manage the networks, who can think broadly enough to know who to bring to the table and who can think creatively about how to measure performance."

The three-day conference promoted dialogue among individuals from different agencies, programs and HR specialties, who all have the common goal of serving federal government customers and the American public. The event featured plenary sessions and workshops on changes and new directions in the human resources field, as well as HR policy and operational issues.

"The topics were diverse and the challenges presented are real. The conference addressed issues facing the federal workforce in the 21^st century across the Government, within agencies and within specific HR functions," James said. "The goal was to provide each HR leader with the knowledge needed to enhance their agency's capability and present human capital strategies that will make government deliver better and more effective services. I believe the goal was accomplished and the effects of this conference will be felt governmentwide for years to come."

In addition to Goldsmith, other keynote speakers at the conference included Secretary Alphonso Jackson, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Secretary Anthony Principi, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and David Walker, Comptroller General of the Government Accounting Office. The event also featured senior officials from OPM and other agencies.

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Agencies Represented:

Administrative Office of the US Courts
Architect of the Capitol
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Broadcasting Board of Governors
Central Intelligence Agency
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Corporation for National and Community Service
DC Pretrial Services Agency
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health & Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing & Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of the Air Force
Department of the Army
Department of the Interior
Department of the Navy
Department of the Treasury
Department of Transportation
Department of Veterans Affairs
Environmental Protection Agency
Export-Import Bank
Farm Credit Administration
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Election Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Maritime Commission
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Federal Trade Commission
General Accounting Office
General Services Administration
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Library of Congress
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
National Credit Union Administration
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Labor Relations Board
National Science Foundation
National Transportation Safety Board
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Personnel Management
Office of Special Counsel
Office of the President/EOP/OA
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Selective Service System
Small Business Administration
Smithsonian Institution
Social Security Administration
State and Local Organizations
U.S. Agency for International Development
U.S. Government Printing Office
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council
U.S. International Trade Commission
United States Postal Service