Pulaski Planner Podcast: Your Retirement Lookout

Forest Service Chief Wellbeing Officer Kalim Wigfall on EAP, Mental Health Month, and Supporting Wildland FirefightersIn this episode, host Catherine Kirchner speaks with Kalim Wigfall, Chief Wellbeing Officer for the U.S. Forest Service, about how he observes Mental Health Month by “doubling down” on routine check-ins and asking people how they’re really doing. Wigfall shares his background in be...

From Forest Service District Ranger to County Commissioner: Jose Noriega’s Unexpected Retirement PivotHost Catherine Kirchner interviews Jose Noriega, an Ely, Nevada native who spent 34 years with the U.S. Forest Service, including about 10 years as a wildlife biologist and later as a district ranger, retiring earlier than planned after workplace struggles and an early retirement option. His retir...

Four Financial Rules to Consider During Agency ReorganizationCatherine Kirchner, the Pulaski Planner, addresses public land professionals processing news of an agency reorganization and shares four financial considerations for deciding next steps. She explains that refusing a geographic reassignment can be an involuntary separation that may qualify for OPM discontinued service retirement (DSR) wit...

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) just launched a feature that changes the game for tax planning. As of January 2026, you can now convert Traditional TSP funds to Roth TSP funds without ever leaving the plan. In this episode, Catherine breaks down the logistics of this new tool and explains why federal employees—specifically those with a FERS pension—might want to consider paying taxes today to avoid...

An Interview with US Air Force Wildlife Biologist Will BossIn this episode of the Pulaski Planner, host Catherine Kirchner interviews Will Boss who is both a wildlife biologist and an active-duty member of the Air Force. He shares his journey from working with animals in Iraq to becoming a certified wildlife biologist in the Air Force. They delve into the importance of having clear goals and accou...

Headlines are asking the same question: "Is the AI bubble about to burst?" It brings up painful memories of the Dot-com crash or 2008. But do these headlines actually matter to your personal financial plan? In this episode of the Financial Toolkit series, I give you a diagnostic tool to look under the hood of the market yourself: the P/E Ratio . Using a simple analogy involving a Skid St...

What happens when you realize that managing the land is actually about managing people? In this episode of the "Community Wisdom" series, I sit down with Scott Feldhausen, a recently retired District Manager for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).Scott shares his compelling journey from early aspirations in aquaculture to a distinguished career stewarding diverse landscapes—from the rivers of Ida...

Welcome to The Pulaski Planner, your retirement lookout. In this episode, host Catherine Kirchner guides public land professionals through a powerful analogy that will change the way you think about retirement taxes: the river lock system. Discover how understanding tax brackets is like navigating a series of river locks, and why this simple analogy can help you make smarter decisions about your r...

What's it like to find an original survey monument from the 1850s, knowing you're the first person to touch it in over 150 years? For Monte King, a Supervisory Land Surveyor for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it's the "thrill" of the job. In the very first " Community Wisdom " episode of the Pulaski Planner podcast, I sit down with Monte for a fascinating look...