Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management conducted a graduation ceremony honoring the 368 members of the 2002 class of the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program. The graduating class represents over 28 agencies governmentwide.

"This graduating class represents some of the most talented and dedicated individuals the nation has to offer," James stated. "I commend them for a job well done and thank them for their service to America. Their service to the country has just begun, and I am confident in the future strength of the civil service because of the commitment to excellence they represent."

This year's guest speaker was Mr. Greg Schulte, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council and program alumnus of ‘83, who discussed how is PMF experience supported his career growth in the Federal civil service and set him up for success.

The PMF program targets outstanding individuals from a wide variety of academic disciplines who have an interest in, and commitment to, a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs. On November 21, 2003, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13318 replacing the Presidential Management Intern program with the Presidential Management Fellows program. The Executive Order removed an annual hiring cap of 400 positions associated with the previous program, increased pay levels, expanded participation and created a Senior Fellows component. Director James moved the headquarters from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., increasing staffing levels and visibility for the program. As a result, the program continues to grow with student applications up 21 percent from 2003 to 2004.

More information on the PMF program can be found at www.pmf.opm.gov.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.