President Donald Trump is ending a decades-old initiative that seeds federal agencies with leadership talent.
On Wednesday night, Trump signed an executive order that terminates the Presidential Management Fellows program. The fellows are selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants to complete a two-year rotation at an agency that comes with full pay and benefits.
Trump striking down the program is another blow to the federal workforce. Not only will it reduce staffing levels across the government, it also clears out potential agency leaders.
Stan Meiburg, who served 39 years at EPA, including as acting deputy administrator during the Obama administration, said winding down the fellows program was “a terrible idea,” considering the knowledge they gained during their tour in government.
