Marketing Federal Service

The Service to America Medal finalists are out. And it makes me wonder the same thing I wonder every year. Is it enough to highlight their service in Washington, DC? The lawmakers who showed up to extol federal service are the ones who are pretty much already invested in federal workforce issues. Is it enough to have them on board? I don't know how to expand the public service caucus--with legislators, they've pretty much got to have a high concentration of federal employees or installations in their districts to get seriously invested in federal management issues. And in my experience, it's pretty difficult to get national-level publications seriously interested in profiles of civil servants or pieces on the importance of the civil service to national issues. I know some folks are suspicious of Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry's plans for a federal service marketing campaign. But it seems like paid media might be the way to stir up attention that outside of Washington, is currently pretty tepid.