The Public Service Project

If you’ve ever wondered what environmental justice has to do with national security - and with the pursuit of the American dream - then this is the episode fort you. Matthew Tejada was raised in Fort Worth, Texas, initially in a community lacking access to a healthy environment. Upon moving to a nearby community with totally different (and better) living conditions, he started to question why and...

"If you can see it, you can be it." Melissa Newberg has been a lot of things. She's an intelligence leader with over 15 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, and she began her career with the U.S. Air Force as a civilian, later serving as a Defense Fellow in the House of Representatives, before moving into the corporate world. Melissa isn't fearless - she's brave. And she isn...

Bill Russo is doing well, and doing good. He's deliberately made time and space for both. On his quest to leave the world a little better than he found it, Bill served in Senior roles in the Obama and Biden administrations, contributing to the Biden campaign's successful bid for the White House in 2020, and most recently leading the State Department's Bureau of Global Public Affairs as Assistant S...

Josh Black is not just the "UN Guy" - he's a true believer in the art of multilateral diplomacy. His resume is too long and his career too storied to summarize here, but the through-line is his persistent belief in our collective ability (and shared responsibility) to work together as a global community to address the worst crises we face. In this episode, Josh shares his journey from Toledo, Ohio...

Maggie is a self proclaimed "bedazzled cockroach for democracy." She's a unicorn. She's all about connection - connecting skilled people to amazing experiences; connecting those less interested in foreign policy with relevant policy conversations through weirdly effective analogies; and connecting seemingly disparate ideas inside her unique, inspired brain. Maggie is an advocate for competent dive...

Jill is a current public servant with a story to tell. She's sharing her winding path to service, her experiences with truly terrible bosses and wonderful bosses, and her persistent existential dread - a delightfully surprising discovery based on the stark contrast with her sunny disposition, which you can even hear in her voice. Together, Jill and I contemplated the definition of resilience, the...

Farrell has done everything from driving a forklift, to teaching English in Egypt, to advising a four-star General and briefing the future Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to founding his own research agency in Bishkek, to creating and running his own brewery in Belgium. His curiosity has taken him around the world, and he's concluded that an investment in community on any scale is always wo...

Enrique Roig is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the Department of State. He's spent his career learning from human rights defenders around the world, and advocating for freedom and democracy. He brings empathy, curiosity, and an entrepreneurial spirit to everything he does, and I hear he makes a mean paella. Invite him to your potlucks!

This week, Matt is resigning from the Foreign Service after 17 years of service, a stint as a Director at the National Security Council, and countless adventures. He's navigating his transition into the private sector with the same flexibility and optimism he brought to every new post. At the same time, he's saving space for all the feels: Grief, excitement, loss, and joy. This is Matt's story of...

Former Ambassador Chris Lu started his government career as a GS-2 and went on to serve in high ranking positions across the federal government. He is a the proud son of immigrants, and his parents continue to inspire a sense of duty and service to this country. Chris Lu is a true class act, and he is never giving up his seat at the table.