OPM Team,

As we approach the holiday season and new year, I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts. I am sure you all have many more important things to do at this time of year instead of reading my musings, but I’ll give it a shot, nonetheless.

Without a doubt, this has been a challenging year. Change is always hard, particularly when it also involves a re-shaping of priorities and the workforce. And it’s personal – some co-workers with whom you have shared experiences (or trials and tribulations) are no longer part of the team. Understandably, I am sure some of you have differing opinions on the rationale behind the changes and perhaps even the process. That’s ok. We are all individuals and are all entitled to our own opinions.

But what I hope unites us ultimately is our shared view of the mission of our organization. We exist to help ensure the federal government can attract and retain the best talent and that we provide an environment in which great people can do their best work every day on behalf of the American people. We are public servants – as the moniker aptly implies – we are here to serve the great people of this country through the services we provide.

As we put calendar 2025 in the rearview mirror and look toward the new year, we have a tremendous opportunity to do good and do well for our constituents.

Our Retirement Services team is hard at work modernizing the retirement process to delight annuitants with an experience that respects their many years of service to our country. Our HRS team is trying to consolidate 119 disparate HRIS systems into one to create a far better experience for federal employees and to generate billions of dollars in savings Our H&I team is dedicated to providing employees and annuitants with excellent options to care for their loved ones while managing the escalating costs of healthcare.

Many teams are collaborating to launch a number of early career recruitment initiatives, starting with Tech Force. The WPI, MSAC, CHCO Council and Suitability teams are helping to create a high-performance culture and a merit-based hiring process that rewards outstanding employees, ensures accountability and high standards, and gets the best people in the right seats to deliver for all Americans. And our OCFO, OCHCO, OGC and OCIO teams are making sure we have the budget, personnel, legal framework, and technical underpinnings to support all of the above.

At the center of everything we do is our commitment to improving the quality of our delivery service while continually asking ourselves how we can do so more efficiently.

And, no doubt, technology will be key to our success. We are not interested in technology for the sake of technology, but rather for the value it can bring to everything we do. We live in a world of budget scarcity and technology is ultimately the enabler to manage scarcity; it has the ability to super-charge everything that we do.

At the same time, I recognize this is scary for some of you. Technology means change – much of which is indeterminate – and, as I said above, change is always hard. Again, it’s understandable why you may feel some consternation; that’s normal.

But, with change also comes possibility – the excitement of the future (and the unknown). The chance to dream. The chance to imagine. The chance to ask, “What if?” The chance to force yourself beyond your comfort zone and experience the vulnerability of failure and the euphoria of success. Failure in pursuit of greatness is not a badge of disrepute; done right, it’s a path to learning and ultimate greatness.

So, as you leave for the holiday and hopefully put away your computers to focus your attention on friends, family, and pastimes, I hope you take a minute to dream big and think about what you can do to help us accomplish our mission. My 12^th grade English teacher – wow, I can’t believe I am referencing that memory – would have said: “Willfully suspend disbelief.” Try it; you might be amazed by what you learn – about yourself, about your own capabilities and about what you can bring to this team in 2026.

 I wish you all the best for a happy and healthy new year.