May 5, 2025
Public service is in some ways an unusual choice of vocation. These are dedicated professionals who have given their entire careers to learning about and maintaining the often-invisible systems we all rely upon for our health, safety, and security. Public servants may spend their whole careers looking after some little-known, but vital piece of our nation’s infrastructure. Whether it is a specialized IT system, a piece of a levy protecting a city, a new drug approval process, a food safety sensor, or natural disaster warning system, there are countless invisible but critical pieces of our government that are cared for by public servants.
The executive branch ethics program comprises almost entirely of this sort of public servant. Whether they come from law schools, private practice, corporate compliance, or any other background, new agency ethics officials must spend months and years developing specialized knowledge of the ethics laws and regulations as well as the practices and systems that make up the executive branch ethics program. Most of their work happens behind the scenes, helping their agencies identify and mitigate risks. The greater their success, the greater their obscurity.
To be successful, these officials must be motivated by the intrinsic good of their service to our country. They must find reward in the quiet knowledge that they have helped protect our country and our government from the kinds of corruption that put the health, safety, and economic well-being of the American people in danger. They must find meaning in their work because there aren’t parades for ethics counselors.
So, this Public Service Recognition Week, all of us at OGE would like to recognize and thank our colleagues across the executive branch ethics program and across government service who go to work every day to quietly maintain the vital machinery of our nation and our government. The thanks may not come often enough, but please know your efforts are appreciated and they are vital to the success of our nation.