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Fed Thread

Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio

We pull the thread on the questions you’re asking, with experts who can actually answer them

Am I making a million-dollar TSP mistake?

How can I tell if I’m burning out, and what should I do about it?

Should I start a GLP-1—and would it be covered?

Am I better off in or out of a union?

Do those workplace step challenges actually make anyone healthier?

The Fed Thread podcast pulls the thread on topics that matter most to the federal workforce, uncovering practical insights and sharing stories you can relate to.

Each episode explores real-world situations shaping federal careers, benefits, wellbeing, finances, leadership and life on and off the job. In a series of candid conversations with government leaders, subject-matter experts, researchers and the people living these experiences, Fed Thread weaves together fresh perspectives, community highlights and useful takeaways, whether you're a new hire or a seasoned civil servant.

Join host Alex Witt for a smarter, more human conversation about what it means to work in public service—only on Federal News Network.

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#29
September 14 · 38 min
When doing your job isn't a defense: What feds need to know about professional liability insurance
Federal employees often assume that if they’re acting on behalf of the government, it will have their back if something goes wrong. But what happens when the government’s interests and yours stop being the same? On this episode of Fed Thread, Tony Vergnetti, founder and president of FEDS Protection and former co-host of FEDtalk, breaks down the three kinds of legal exposure federal employees can face. He explains when the government may defend you, when it may not, and how rapidly costs can add up when you have to go it alone. If you want a better understanding of how vulnerable your role may be to personal liability, why employees acting in good faith can find themselves under investigation, and what can happen when a new administration brings renewed scrutiny and accountability, listen to the full episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#28
September 11 · 41 min
Another Org’s Treasure: Uncovering the market for federal talent
Public service and mission-driven work are not exclusive to the federal government, and many organizations that offer these roles are intent on hiring people with federal experience. So why aren’t more displaced feds being matched with positions outside of government that are a natural continuation of their purpose-filled work? In this episode of Fed Thread, Karen Lee, founder and executive director of the nonprofit FedsForward, says one of the reasons is that feds will instinctively downplay personal achievement in deference to the federal team ethic—which can unfortunately cost them the recognition they’re due as a private sector job candidate. This conversation also covers: Hidden-in-plain-sight businesses and organizations where mission-driven federal talent can find meaningful work What appeals to non-government employers about candidates with federal experience Why a job description isn’t always the full scope of a private sector role How to reframe your mindset to not feel like you’re bragging And why leaving government doesn’t mean leaving your identity or sense of purpose behind If you’ve spent your career in federal service and are wondering if your skills are marketable outside of it, this conversation is a good place to start. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S1 · E28
September 10 · 35 min
Uncle Sam’s image problem and the feds caught in the middle
Americans may distrust government, but they don't necessarily distrust the people who work for it. While the Partnership for Public Service found this year that just 27 percent of Americans say they trust their government overall, 65 percent say federal employees are competent. So what's driving the disconnect? On this episode of Fed Thread, Vice President of Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Jenny Mattingley and Senior Research Manager Paul Hitlin of the Partnership for Public Service clear up - where American distrust in government is really coming from - what Americans think about federal employees specifically, - how low trust in government affects federal workforce morale, recruitment and retention, and - what happens when agencies lose the people and institutional knowledge needed to deliver essential services. Uncle Sam gets a prescription for his image problem, so don’t forget to check this one out. Because the prevailing dissatisfaction with “government” as a whole is a far cry from how the public majority feels about the feds operating it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S1 · E27
September 9 · 1 hr
What if prior success is one of the biggest threats to your mission?
That’s cautionary wisdom that Mike Ciannilli, retired NASA Test Director and Landing Recovery Director, wants other feds to think about. In his last government role as NASA’s program manager for the Apollo, Challenger and Columbia Lessons Learned program, his entire job was to understand how things went wrong and help make sure his agency didn’t make the same tragic mistakes twice. Perhaps one of his most surprising lessons is that it’s not the literal rocket science where things go wrong. Failure rarely starts with one giant mistake. More often, it’s smaller, simpler transgressions that appear in warning signs we overlook or dismiss. We get comfortable. We stop questioning what’s worked fine before. We communicate without really listening. We check the box and move on. And when everyone is under pressure to get to the finish line, sometimes the hardest thing to do is speak up that something just doesn’t feel right. Check out this episode of Fed Thread to hear Ciannilli explain what NASA’s most consequential failures can teach federal employees and agency leaders about vigilance, institutional knowledge, the courage to use your instincts, and what it really means to learn from failure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
S1 · E26
September 8 · 46 min
The Breakthrough Problem: Can government innovate without creating bigger risks?
What happens when technology moves faster than government can govern it? AI is transforming biological research by accelerating drug discovery, protein design and pandemic preparedness in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago. But that same acceleration can create new security and public health risks. On this episode of Fed Thread, Hayley Severance, deputy VP of the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s biosecurity program lays out the high-stakes balancing act facing government: How do you protect the public without regulating new capabilities so aggressively that you choke off potentially lifesaving innovation? And the terrifying flipside of what happens when government waits too long to act? From AI-designed drugs to biosecurity safeguards, plus a cautionary lesson from the history of gene therapy, this is a conversation about how innovation and responsibility are indelibly intertwined, and how federal employees can check that they’re threading that needle. If you’re part of a federal program that walks that tightrope regularly, don’t miss this Fed Thread episode. Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#27
September 4 · 47 min
What happens to a mission deferred? When priorities change, but the people don't
What happens when the mission changes, but the people doing the work stay the same? For federal employees, a change in administration or organizational priorities can mean more than a new set of marching orders. It can mean putting years of expertise on hold, watching programs get redesigned, and trying to stay motivated when the work you believed in suddenly isn't the priority anymore. On this episode of Fed Thread, retired FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and former FEMA Assistant Administrator John Rabin talk about what it takes to lead a workforce through relentless change. The conversation covers: - why leaders have to get comfortable admitting they don't have all the answers, - what it means for operations to be led rather than managed, - how to recognize when your employees are at their limit - and why you can't separate the mission from the people. Criswell and Rabin’s advice isn't just for emergency managers, but for any federal employee trying to do meaningful work when everything around them is a moving target. Listen to the Fed Thread episode to hear the full conversation, because even when priorities change, the mission—and the people—still matter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#26
September 3 · 43 min
Move your money or let it ride? Staying in the TSP after retirement
You’ve spent decades building your TSP. Now that you’re retired, should you move some of it, all of it, or let the money ride? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, and blindly rolling your money into something else can create a whole new set of problems. On this episode of Fed Thread, Chris Campbell of CJC Wealth Management and the DC Society for Financial Awareness tells us what changes once your TSP shifts from an accumulation account to a source of retirement income. He also offers guidelines for questions like: - How should withdrawals affect my investment mix? - Can Roth do more for me than Traditional TSP? - When does the G Fund make sense—and when can “playing it safe” be risky? - What should I know about my tax exposure? - And is my financial advisor worth it? Before you decide what to do with your TSP, figure out what you want your retirement savings to do for you. Then check out this Fed Thread episode for complementary financial advice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#24
September 2 · 31 min
Keeping your head down if you don’t want to lose it: Are feds quiet quitting or just protecting themselves?
When is it quiet quitting versus playing it safe to keep your career? On this episode of Fed Thread, we hear from Love Rutledge, retired DoD senior executive and host of the FedUpward podcast. She’s unpacking what happens when feds stop raising their hands, speaking up or going the extra mile, when they’re worried about what it could cost them. Rutledge says many feds are surviving more than thriving. And when experienced employees leave, the government loses institutional knowledge, repeats costly mistakes, lacks mentorship for the next generation, and the American public suffers. To hear her assessment of the current climate and what’s at stake, listen to the full Fed Thread episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#23
September 1 · 35 min
I’ve submitted my retirement paperwork. Now what?
Sometimes submitting your federal retirement paperwork isn’t the end to your procedural questions, but another beginning: Where is my application now? When will I get paid? How much will I receive while I wait? What could delay my case? And who do I call if something goes wrong? On this episode of Fed Thread, we follow the paperwork from your agency to OPM and what happens along the way with two people who know the process from different angles: Ben Amos, a former OPM insider who now helps federal employees navigate retirement, and Thiago Glieger, a private wealth advisor at RMG Advisors. They explain: - how interim pay works, - what can cause a case to get stuck, - why keeping your own records matters, and - how much cash to have available while waiting for regular payments to kick in. The conversation also wades into what life looks like when federal service is no longer structuring your days. Because submitting your retirement paperwork may be the end of your federal career, but it’s just the beginning of the life you’ve been saving for. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#21
August 31 · 48 min
The Job You Want Isn’t Posted Yet: How federal careers really take off
The government’s hiring process is not just merit-based. Many roles are earmarked for the candidate with the strongest reputation, relationships and team-oriented attitude before the job is even posted. On this episode of Fed Thread, Angela Bailey, retired DHS CHCO and former OPM COO, reveals how federal careers really take off, and why your résumé and job application are only part of the story. You’ll hear about the unspoken importance of - who knows you (and what they know you for), - what makes senior leaders endorse candidates before a position is announced, - why you may be thinking of mentors all wrong, and - how your reputation travels through networks you don’t even realize you have. If you’ve been waiting for your dream job to appear online or applying with little success, this conversation has the inside track to your next federal career win. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#20
August 28 · 43 min
The Price of Walking Away: When does selling out to the private sector pay?
What would you do with a private sector job offer that was double your federal salary? On this episode of Fed Thread, Private Wealth Advisor Thiago Glieger and his client, retired DOD senior executive Don Heckman, tell us that scenario isn’t so unusual. But walking away from a government career can mean leaving behind more than a paycheck: FEHB in retirement, future pension upside, TSP benefits, annual leave and other pieces of total compensation can outweigh that big salary bump over time as foregone opportunities. At the very least, they can be used as strategic negotiating chips. Glieger and Heckman share the countervailing math on how overlooked federal benefits add up, including intangibles that make your job more enjoyable or your life better balanced. Before you say yes to an eye-popping offer, listen to this conversation so you compare apples-to-apples, account for what you already have, and potentially use it as leverage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#19
August 27 · 37 min
Don’t short-change your long horizon: How your life insurance and long-term care elections can fall short
When was the last time you really looked at your FEGLI election? If your answer is “I don’t remember,” you’re not alone. Many federal employees make their life insurance and long-term care decisions early in their careers, then leave them unchanged for years, or even decades. But neither your life nor your financial needs stay frozen in time, which could put you and your survivors at risk of being over- or under-insured. On this episode of Fed Thread, Thiago Glieger, partner and private wealth advisor at RMG Advisors, lays out why and how your life insurance and long-term care elections need to evolve throughout your career. The conversation covers: - Easy ways to differentiate FEGLI Basic from Options A, B and C - Why premiums can rise dramatically as you get older - When it makes sense to supplement with private life insurance - How your pension and Social Security affect how much life insurance you need - Why Medicare and FEHB can’t substitute for long-term care insurance - What the suspension of the federal long-term care program means for feds - And the financial milestones to help you thread the needle on right-sizing the amount of insurance you carry Set-it-and-forget-it may be convenient, but it isn’t a financial plan. Don’t miss this episode, because not knowing can cost you—and the ones you love—after you’re gone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#18
August 26 · 39 min
The Levers Behind Federal Work: Who’s really making the rules?
Federal employees hear about new laws, executive orders, OPM policies, reorganizations and changes to the workforce all the time. But who makes those changes happen, and how can feds tell the difference between a sensational headline and a policy that could affect their careers? On this episode of Fed Thread, Jason Briefel, manager of U.S. government affairs at the Project Management Institute, pulls back the curtain on who has a hand in shaping federal workplace rules, why the traditional federal career “ladder” may no longer apply, and what employees can do when the ground beneath their career keeps shifting. The conversation also gets into workplace AI adoption, job stability, the challenge of keeping up with rapid organizational change, and how leaders can give their team clarity when priorities are shifting. If you’re wondering where your federal career grows from here in a future that looks uncertain, give this episode a watch See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#17
August 25 · 57 min
ARPA-H's Big Bets on Medical Moonshots: What feds can learn from an agency built to take risks
What if “impossible” isn’t necessarily impossible? What if the problem just hasn’t been approached the right way yet? That’s the question at the heart of this Fed Thread episode featuring Dr. Kimberley Steele, a surgeon, researcher and program manager at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Steele's path to ARPA-H is deeply personal. After her son Michael developed an ultra-rare lymphatic disease that doctors struggled to diagnose and treat, she saw firsthand what happens when a complex problem falls between silos and when the system doesn’t have the tools, funding or urgency to tackle it. Now she and the federal government are making big bets on the lymphatic system through programs designed to make what’s invisible visible and develop new therapies for lymphatic dysfunction. If you’re wondering how to make progress when the deck feels stacked against you, this conversation isn’t just about medical research. It’s about how everyday feds can take smart risks to make meaningful changes in a system designed to play it safe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#16
August 24 · 42 min
Who you gonna call? Finding the right fed when your problem crosses agencies
When a problem doesn’t fit neatly inside one agency, who gets it solved? Former FEMA Region 3 Administrator MaryAnn Tierney spent more than 25 years in emergency management, where she faced that question regularly, coordinating people and organizations she didn’t directly control, while the clock was ticking. This episode of Fed Thread explores what federal employees can learn from high-stakes disaster response about solving problems that cross agency lines, from finding the right people, to building trust before you need a favor, to aligning people who don't share the same priorities, and knowing when to stop chasing the perfect solution. We also pull the thread on why the most difficult problems often live in the “seams” between organizations, and why one of the best things you can do today is build the network you’ll need tomorrow. What can feds borrow from emergency management when the path forward isn’t clear, and nobody is technically in charge? Watch now to find out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#15
August 21 · 36 min
Think you'd never fall for it? Modern cybercriminals are counting on that
Federal employees are targets of cybercrime for the information and systems they have access to, who they know, and how much personal information they innocently make visible online. Retired Secret Service cyber expert Matt O’Neill and retired Homeland Security Investigations cyber leader Sean Fitzgerald explain how criminals “hack the human,” why urgency is one of their most powerful weapons, and how AI is changing the game. Plus, the experts share the scams that fooled even them, and the simple steps feds can take to make themselves harder targets. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#14
August 20 · 21 min
It pays to think preventively: Easy health plan money most feds miss out on
With Open Season around the corner, this episode of Fed Thread features David Yoder, SVP of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program, explaining where cost, value, and predictability intersect; the multiple ways you can access care; how to make the most of your benefits year-round; and how preventive care is one of the most overlooked means to save money and protect your health. From routine checkups to managing blood pressure and blood glucose, taking action early comes with discounts, rewards and incentives for federal employees, while helping avoid bigger problems—and potentially bigger bills—down the road. There’s a lot to take advantage of, so don’t wait until the last week of Open Season to watchthis one. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#13
August 19 · 37 min
The safety net you didn’t know you had: FEEA’s lifeline for federal workers
Federal employees may have steady jobs and benefits, but that doesn’t make them immune to financial emergencies. On this episode, Robyn Kehoe, Executive Director of the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA), joins Fed Thread to talk about the hidden financial vulnerabilities facing federal workers, and why the people who spend their careers helping others can be especially reluctant to ask for help themselves. You’ll hear what FEEA can help with, what stays private, how its emergency hardship and disaster assistance programs work, and how coworkers and managers can recognize when someone may be struggling—even when they’re trying hard not to show it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#12
August 18 · 36 min
Your Next Mission: Preparing for a successful second career after federal service
Your rank, title and agency may be impressive, but outside of government,your accomplishments and accolades may not translate directly into clear business value for non-federal employers. In this episode, Misty Cook, retired Marine officer and founder and CEO of Next COC, joined Fed Thread to explain why senior military and civilian leaders should start planning their next professional chapter years before they retire. She shares how to: build a network before you need it, translate government accomplishments into language the private sector understands, develop a personal brand without becoming a cliché, and figure out what you truly want to do next. If you have no intention of federal retirement being your final retirement, give this episode a watch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#11
August 17 · 26 min
The Retirement Promise: What changes, what doesn't, and what actually matters
Federal retirement has felt increasingly uncertain in recent years. Proposed benefit changes, shifting policies, agency upheaval and a constant stream of headlines can make it hard to know what you should listen to and what’s just noise. On this episode of Fed Thread, John Hatton, staff vice president of policy and programs at NARFE, explains how federal retirement changes happen, which threats deserve your attention, and when a headline should (and shouldn’t) change your retirement strategy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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