As National President of this illustrious organization, Federally Employed Women (FEW) , I cordially invite you to a dynamic week of training at the 47th National Training Program (NTP) in Dallas, Texas, July 11 – 14, 2016.   FEW is honored to open our doors to at the beautiful Hilton Anatole for this superlative training program  done “In the Spirit of Excellence.”  This is your opportunity to make an ordinary career, extraordinary.

Dallas is the “big city where big things happen” and for the 2016 NTP,  it’s where an investment in training leads you to the best dividends. As you know, FEW is known for providing most the advantageous training.  This year will be no different.  At the NTP, you will experience exceptional training tracks, mentoring and an unprecedented opportunity for irreplaceable networking with experienced professionals and attendees. FEW’s mission is to support professional development and this year we will do it, “In the Spirit of Excellence.”   I encourage you to take your career in your own hands by investing in yourself.   We have created the NTP Toolkit to help you begin the conversation with your manager and request funding.  You don’t want to miss this opportunity to add self-confidence, self-education and self-discipline in your repertoire.

Here are a few ways attendees benefit from training with FEW.

• Attendees enhance and learn additional professional skills in various careers
• Attendees  increase their marketability in the workforce with tools learned at the NTP
• Attendees are provided  tools to improve their personal financial future
• Attendees have opportunities to network with peers and field experts
• Attendees are introduced to products/services to improve overall productivity and efficiency
• Attendees earn CPU Credit hours based on the number of hours in training.  In addition attendees have the opportunity for SEPM accreditation credits.

I encourage you to boost your competitive edge, by attending the 2016 NTP in Dallas, Texas. FEW is committed to providing you exemplary training and demonstrating this simple principle of operating “In the Spirit of Excellence” in everything we do.

See you in Dallas.

I cannot tell you which is easier; the ending or beginning.  All I know is that we are again on the cusp of a New Year and I am bursting with anticipation and  excitement.  A new year is on the horizon and I’m expecting 2016 to be a year of abundant success for federal workers.  Although there were challenges throughout the whole year of 2015, ultimately, what matters is that we figured it out and found ways to manage.

Each year we take time to make our new year’s resolutions.  We try to anticipate how we are going to change our lives for the better.  But, somehow as the year progress things start to change.  We get in the rut and do what we have always done.   But, 2016 is a year of abundant success and a time to make a difference.   It’s an election year.   Change is definitely on the horizon.   Let’s take advantage of our opportunity to vote and do what’s best for us again.

Your vote is your voice.   Happy New Year!

As 2015 draws to a close, we reflect on all our memories from the year. Certainly this has been a challenging year for federal workers, and yet our members have continued to persevere. Neither the government, nor Federally Employed Women (FEW), would be where it is today if not for you. Now is the time for us to pause for a moment and to celebrate all we have accomplished!

And as the New Year approaches we have the opportunity to make new resolutions. What better time is there than now to consider how we will reach success – whether individually in our careers, or as an organization dedicated to the advancement of women in the federal workplace.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. I look forward to continuing our work “In the Spirit of Excellence” and wish you and your family a very healthy, happy, and prosperous 2016!

This has been another challenging year for federal workers.  We began this year experiencing furlough days  and  additional talks of sequestration throughout the year.  Feds are now experiencing workload doubling and tighter deadlines with little to no investment in training. Yet through all of that, we have so much to be thankful for.  We survived it all.  There is no doubt that times have changed and the government is different, but the question is, have you changed?

For FEW, this year has been a year of self determination and discovery.  It’s a year of examining your “Journey to Excellence.”  We held true to our mission.  FEW provided training to feds interested in self development and career enhancement.  In addition, we held multiple webinars on legislation and leadership training.  We set a goal  to nurture a better you.  Again, we have so much to be thankful for.  Your membership allowed us to strengthen our voice.  It allowed us to make a stronger impact on Capitol Hill and within Agencies and to ultimately influence the world.

We face challenges everyday.   And even for me this has been the toughest time of my life.  In a short amount of time I lost my mom, my son was brutally attacked, my husband and dad became ill, and  I had unexpected emergency surgery.  But, I survived it all.  There is still so much to be thankful for.   The ability to wake up each day with my mind in a good space and a positive attitude is priceless.  This journey I’m on is always excellent.  Each challenge you face will make you stronger.  I am thankful for the journey.

We have all kinds of ways to be thankful and many things to be grateful for that we might not even notice. The next time you go to complain, I challenge you to think of the blessing that your journey really is. Take some time today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, to come up with a gratitude list. If it doesn’t come naturally, don’t let that stop you from still giving thanks. There is still much to be thankful for, if we only have eyes to see.

• I am thankful for my health, for being able to get up each day on my own.
• I am thankful for my husband, for my greatest support since we were married and has never once let me down
• I am thankful for my family, who are my biggest fans and my greatest inspiration.
• I am thankful for the gift of work — that it is both extremely hard and easy at the same time. Easy to do, hard to master. Always frustrating. Always rewarding.
• I am thankful for FEW, for allowing me to represent women continuing to do work that matters.
• I am thankful for my freedom and the amazing men and women who put their lives on the line to protect it.
• Lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful for Grace — for love that cannot be explained (only surrendered to), for a Creator that inspires creativity, for purpose and a hope that there is more to the story than we see.

Happy Thanksgiving.  It is such an honor and privilege to serve you. This holiday season remember to not let the hurdles stop you… and GO FOR IT.

October is the month with great ‘Awareness Month’ campaigns.  Awareness campaigns are great in highlighting great causes and remembering how much we can achieve together if we work to produce outstanding results.  In October alone, we recognize awareness of breast cancer, disabilities awareness, domestic violence, cyber bullying, AIDS and even Lupus. Yet as we recognize these causes we must always be caution that these are not just a good thing to mention, but our actions are in order with our words.

In a TIME magazine opinion column they say, ” ‘Awareness’ is a virus that preys on well-meaning minds. It tricks us into thinking that thought is the same as action, that acknowledging something is the same as fixing it. Awareness is a problem masquerading as a solution. … Lets raise awareness about the danger of empty ‘awareness.’ Lets spread the word about only spreading the word.”

FEW highlight ‘Awareness’ month causes with great conscientiousness.  We are 100+ local chapters strong with each taking charge in utilizing our strength to work towards positive results.  For us, “Awareness” means sending a message, getting attention, getting people to talk about the issue and work on solutions. FEW recognizes that we are our brother’s keeper and we do not walk the earth alone.  As October comes to a close and this ‘Awareness Month’ ends, I implore you to remember that  breast cancer, disabilities awareness, domestic violence, cyber bullying, AIDS and Lupus does not stop because the month is over.  We must continue to work towards positive results.

Can you believe federal employees are facing another government shutdown on October 1? When did closing the government become an acceptable solution to balancing the budget? We all live within constraints of managing our spending, yet wouldn’t it seems strange if we all decided to just stop and close our accounts? Our lawmakers would rather place hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work than do what they were elected to do — handling our nation’s business and pass a budget.

As it stands now, Congress needs to agree to funding the government by Sept. 30, but they are way behind in passing the series of spending bills necessary to pass a full budget. Instead, lawmakers will probably try to pass a short-term budget extension that basically keeps spending levels the same as last year and keeps the government open. In fact, the cost of shutting down the government far outweighs the cost of restarting the government or allowing feds to continue to work in order to keep this country moving forward.

Haven’t we learned yet that federal employees are vital to this country’s business, both domestic and international? Take a look at how “Federal workers keep America running.” While most of the economy will be impacted negatively by a government shutdown, in fact, we could never completely shut down the government. Some federal workers were considered “exempt” from shutting down due to the nature of their jobs and place on unpaid furlough. In the 2013 shutdown, about 800,000 of the 2.1 million non-postal Executive Branch employees were furloughed without pay. The rest continued working, some without pay, but guaranteed that eventually they would be paid. This is a disappointment and a disrespectful way of showing appreciation for federal workers.

FEW is requesting that all federal workers contact their Congressman now. It’s not too late to remind them to protect America by allowing federal workers to stay on the job. We should always have a contingency plan, but its purpose should be to keep America running 100% of the time.   Use FEW’s Capwiz site to contact your Congressional Representatives.

Labor Day is more than just a day off. It is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The labor movement began in the late 19th century because “the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living.” And even though many states prohibited it, children as young as five or six were often forced to worked in mills, factories and mines, according to History.com. Due to the long hours, unsafe and unsanitary working conditions, and poor treatment by management, labor unions organized and the idea of a labor holiday caught on as more and more people sought a peaceful way to protest for better working conditions and for eight-hour workdays.

Ultimately, on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday of September a legal holiday, dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. Today, we celebrate Labor Day by annually reflecting on the American workers’ contributions. Each year, labor unions hold parades in remembrance of the rights we’ve won and the first Labor Day parade held on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City.

Federally Employed Women (FEW) is an organization that represents federal workers.  We appreciate our members’ daily actions to help this country ,and ask that you take a moment of silence to thank the hardworking men and women from the late 1800s for their efforts to create the much-improved working conditions we now enjoy.

Happy Labor Day, America.

FEW congratulates Captain Kristen Griest and 1st Lieutenant Shaye Haver for being the first female graduates of the legendary Army’s Ranger School. These two women will receive a certificate of completion and be awarded and authorized to wear the revered Ranger Tab.

Captain Kristen Griest and 1st Lieutenant Shaye Haver were part of a test group of 19 women soldiers who passed a rigorous screening process to begin the course, which had never been open to women since it started more than 60 years ago. The training class started in April with 381 men and 19 women, but ended its 62-day run with only 94 men and two women. Their graduation marks a major milestone in the military’s efforts to examine how to integrate women into positions in which they have not yet been allowed to serve. Their graduation is a significant milestone in the move toward allowing women into direct combat roles. Nonetheless, neither woman will be allowed to serve as an infantry or tank officer, or even try out for the 75th Ranger Regiment, the Army’s premier light-infantry unit.

Not only are the two officers accomplished athletes and West Point graduates; Captain Kristen Griest has served as a military police platoon leader and First Lt. Shaye Haver, was a pilot on an Apache attack helicopter in an aviation brigade. These two women are demonstration of what courage, fortitude, and strength looks like.

Thank you for your service.