About 90 percent of federal employees live and work outside of Washington. We wondered what they would say if they could talk to headquarters. So, we asked them. In Federal News Radio's special report, Talk Back to Washington, we provide insight for the federal manager on the workforce outside the Beltway. We find out about their working conditions, what they think of policy decisions made in Washington, and what they want Washington to know about the work they do day-in and day-out.

Feds leave varied work experiences for D.C. roles

Nani Coloretti, the deputy assistant treasury secretary, and Todd Park, the chief technology officer at HHS discussed making the transition from the private sector to roles in government. This interview is part of Federal News Radio's special series, "Talk Back to Washington: Insight for the federal manager on the workforce outside of D.C."

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Move to headquarters often a culture shock

Tony McClure, who spent 20 years in the Army and now works at the Army's Information Technology Agency in Washington, discussed making his move to the Washington area after years out in the field.

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How to keep lines of communication open between HQ and field

Patricia Niehaus, national president of the Federal Managers Association, shared her experience in government in keeping the information flowing from D.C. to the field and back.

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Where in the world do feds work?

Federal employees don't just live and work in the United States. Nearly 36,800 live in foreign countries.

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Some feds juggle roles in field, at headquarters

James Michael Duncan, the deputy chief medical officer at the Johnson Space Center, told Federal News Radio, about his rotating role out in the field and inside the Beltway at D.C. headquarters. The interview is part of Federal News Radio's exclusive series, "Talk Back to Washington: Insight for the federal manager on the workforce outside of D.C."

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Staying connected to D.C. -- when you work 7,000 miles away

Ambassador Ronald Neumann is the President of the American Academy of Diplomacy, and former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bahrain.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: Pittsburgh

George Buck is the Pittsburgh FEB executive director.

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Communication between D.C., local feds crucial in crisis

Bea Disman, the New York Regional Social Security Commissioner, joined the Federal Drive to discuss how, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, she helped coordinate and manage New York's Social Security operations. This interview is part of Federal News Radio's week-long special series, "Talk Back to Washington."

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Federal Executive Boards unite Washington and the field

The 28 Federal Executive Boards across the country play an integral role in bringing agencies together and ensuring communication to and from Washington. The organizations coordinate agencies' efforts and provide input during policy development. FEBs play a key role during emergencies by acting as the conduit of information.

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Making the move back to D.C.: State employee shares her experience

Lisa Kurtz served at embassies around the world, and now she's working here in Washington.

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For outside-the-Beltway feds, sometimes the boss is a contractor

Thom Mason, the director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, explained how the lab works and how everyone relates to headquarters in D.C.

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EPA policies, regulations have regional flavor

Field office employees and headquarters staff work closely together to ensure changes meet the agency's mission. Two-way communication makes policy implementations more likely to succeed, EPA employees say. But these employees also say headquarters' staff needs to do more to understand their challenges, and field workers need to spend some time in Washington.

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Making the transition to Washington

Diane Cochran has worked in the Departments of the Navy, Air Force, Energy, and the Office of Personnel Management, at a variety of locations in the continental United States and abroad. She shares what it's like to make the transition to working and living in D.C.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: Boston

Kim Ainsworth is the executive director of the Boston Federal Executive Board.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: Dallas-Fort Worth

Gladean Butler is the executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Federal Executive Board.

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Column: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ... Federal-style

Jeff Baker works for the Energy Department in Golden, Colo. He said good communication between headquarters and the field starts by understanding, listening, learning and remembering why each employee is at the agency in the first place.

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Survey: Feds' views of each other distinctly out of sync

An exclusive Federal News Radio survey of federal employees who work in Washington and those who work outside the D.C. metro area reveals a wide gap in opinions of each other. More than half of all federal workers outside of D.C. said their Washington office doesn't pay enough attention to them. Employees in Washington called their field offices essential and helpful.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: Honolulu

Gloria Uyehara is the executive director of Honolulu's Federal Executive Board.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: San Antonio

Ellen Nelson is the executive director of the San Antonio Federal Executive Board.

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FEBs talk back to Washington: Kansas City

Cindy Hillman is the executive director of the Kansas City Federal Executive Board.

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