PMF - Presidential Management Fellows

I started my public service career as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) in 2000 with the Federal Government after graduating from Wright State University and Cleveland State University, respectively. Long interested in biology, medicine, and indeed healthcare law, I obtained a posting at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, eventually performing a range of details or temporary assignments. I possess the unique brand of serving the public with a special sidekick, my guide dog Bowie.   More

I applied for the PMF program after several mentors of mine had recommended the program. Joining the federal government can be a challenging process, and the PMF program did a lot to streamline the entry process. It also opened the doors to join agencies I may not have considered otherwise.   More

Meril Pothen’s PMF journey has allowed her to build, analyze, and implement pivotal health policy at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House. She began her fellowship at HHS following a career in health care consulting and was motivated to make health care more affordable, accessible, and equitable for all Americans.   More

My PMF journey gave me the rare opportunity to apply the general and specific skills that I learned in the Peace Corps and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and was able to work on policy issues in countries that I cared deeply about, which in turn made me a more committed civil servant.   More

Krista Mangiardi became interested in a federal government career as early as middle school when she was elected to her student council. While her interest only deepened as time went on, a government career felt distant and imaginary.   More

Victoria Phifer began her federal career at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Class of 2015 Presidential Management Fellow (PMF). When she graduated from Howard University, she could only imagine the journey that would lead to her current leadership role as the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) Health Equity Officer. This role is significant for many reasons and aligns with her personal public health mission to create healthy and thriving communities for all.   More