Civil Service Strong Initiative Hosts Gathering of More Than 200, Leverages Diverse Voices as Part of New Democracy Works 250 Effort

Washington, D.C. — Democracy Forward’s Civil Service Strong initiative brought together more than 200 community leaders, public service experts, former federal government leaders, lawyers, researchers, civil servants, and nonprofit partners for a convening, Civil Service at a Crossroads: Pivoting From the Current Crisis to Drive Generational Change. The full-day event, held as part of the organization’s launch of Democracy Works 250, gathered leaders and practitioners from across the country to assess the ongoing crisis facing the federal workforce while beginning to chart the work forward to re-design a people-centered government that delivers for the American people.

Civil Service at a Crossroads included remarks from Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman and Managing Director of Civil Service Strong & Good Government Initiatives Rob Shriver, who both emphasized the stakes of this moment and the importance of transforming instability into opportunity. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Congressmen Steny Hoyer and James Walkinshaw also delivered remarks that highlighted their commitment to supporting the federal workforce not just for today but for tomorrow, and applauded Democracy Forward’s leadership in catalyzing what is a crisis into an opportunity for change. Scholars and community leaders discussed the needs of people and communities across the nation. Former senior federal officials—including former Deputy Secretaries, and former senior White House and agency officials—reflected on lessons learned  from previous reform efforts and on the need for transformational change.  

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its democracy, the convening marked an early milestone in Democracy Forward’s effort through its newly launched program, DemocracyWorks250, to reimagine the foundations for an American government that serves all people with integrity, innovation, and accountability–and to match that vision with the work required to build an innovative model for governing.

“Every function of government depends on the people who do the work. Yet now, our civil service has been weakened by the Trump-Vance administration’s disinvestment, politicization, and structural neglect amid unprecedented attacks,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward.“We are using this crisis as a catalyst for change. We are committed to reimagining a government that attracts the best and brightest, embraces innovation, and reflects the needs and experiences of all people in the twenty-first century.”

“Public service is the quiet engine of democracy,” said Rob Shriver, Managing Director of Civil Service Strong and Good Government Initiatives. “When we invest in the people who dedicate their lives to serving others, we strengthen the rule of law, restore trust in our institutions, and keep government working for everyone—no matter who sits in power. We can meet this moment by defending the civil service while also designing a government worthy of the future.”

A key portion of the convening centered on the Democracy Works 250 collaborative incubator to reimagine the systems, teams, policies, and talent pipelines that underpin government. The Democracy Works 250 team, led by Director Kyleigh Russ, presented the project’s vision and invited attendees to participate in hands-on design sessions to develop reform ideas, explore partnership opportunities, and help shape a future federal workforce capable of delivering for all people.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the state of the civil service, legal defense strategies, data documenting the erosion of workforce capacity, and the human consequences of government failure on communities across the country. Panels featured leaders from the Accountability and Reform Research Consortium,  American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Federation of American Scientists,, The Hub Project, The Impact Project, the Partnership for Public Service, PolicyLink, and Public Citizen, among others. Civil Service Strong Fellows facilitated working sessions to elevate real-world stories, identify cross-sector insights, and chart forward-looking priorities.

As part of the convening, Democracy Forward issued its People’s Guide to the Civil Service, the latest in a series of products to help make government more accessible to the American public.