Message from YGL President to members!

Dear YGL tribe-

I really wanted this message to be authentic and personal so I wrote these notes not just as the National President of YGL, but as a member of the government workforce. A government workforce that despite the challenges it faces daily, remains committed to the mission: protecting our country and serving our fellow U.S citizens. I want to thank you for being a member of the YGL tribe but most of all; I want to thank you for choosing a career in public service.

Since September 2019, I have had the honor of being a participant in the DOD Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). In the short time I have been in this program I have been able to gain a whole new perspective that has reignited my love for the mission we support as public servants. And I say reignite because at some point in my career, I have felt disappointed, disengaged and even detached from my work. I am sure I am not alone on this. What has been so wonderful about this program is that it constantly reminds me why what we do as public servants is so important, even when we cannot see the direct impact of our work. This made me wonder if our inability to connect our everyday work to the ultimate mission of our agencies is what eventually disenchants us from the jobs we once fell in love with. This seems to be more prevalent in government since we are constantly consumed by bureaucracy, politics and disengaging work environments. If you have also felt this way, I want to challenge you to reignite your passion for public service in this upcoming year! Not sure where to start? YGL’s got you!

For 16 years, the mission of YGL has been very clear: to provide the authentic voice for young government leaders across federal, state, and local government. My goal as the National President along with the National Leadership Team, National Chapters and Advisory Panel is to ensure a continued commitment to serving as the coordinated voice for the current and future generations of government leaders. We achieve this by providing a community of leadership through professional development activities, networking opportunities, social events and learning seminars that cultivate resilient government warriors that are committed to improving our government not just for us but the generations that are coming behind us.

The challenges that we face as government leaders--such as this year’s shutdown-- are massive and complex, but the influence we have when we come together as a community is bigger, stronger and much more powerful. The YGL National Leadership Team and National Chapters are working hard to bring new and exciting programs in 2020 to help you become more resilient and we want you to be a part of the movement! So, if you are not an active member of the YGL tribe yet, I invite you to reach out, volunteer or just attend a future event---there are more ways than one to be a part of this amazing community that is doing noteworthy things in the government space.

How are you going to make 2020 a great year for your career?

 

Cheers,
Michelle E. Rosa,
National President, Young Government Leaders
mrosa@younggov.org