The Public Service Project

The Public Service Project

por Cait Dallaire

Gobierno Sociedad y Cultura

Temporada 1

On Language and Learning with Alexis Ludwig

Alexis is a retired Foreign Service Officer who is reflecting on his 30-year career, which took him to Posts throughout Europe, East Asia, and Latin America. In this episode, Alexis shares his thoughts on the beauty of language, the role of strategic empathy, and the essentiality of thoughtful questions in the work of diplomacy.

On Research and Writing with Zev Karlin-Neumann

Zev is an empathy jedi and speechwriter extraordinaire. He's also the founder of Just Write Communications, building on a decade and a half helping leaders tell their stories and advance their agendas, from the C-suite to Capitol Hill and from the campaign trail to the White House. In this episode, Zev takes us back to where it all began, and then gets into the science of speechwriting, despite my best attempts to pretend it's all just art. He drops some nuggets of wisdom (like, if you're giving someone a shout out, make sure they're in the room!) and ponders the future of speechwriting in the era of AI.

On Youth and Development with Mike McCabe

Mike McCabe is an optimist, and it keeps him young at heart. His parents opened his mind and heart to community service early on, leading him to embark on a beautiful, adventure-filled, 35-year career of service through international development with U.S. Government and UN agencies. Mike draws inspiration from his wife, Rosie, and a little bit from Martin Sheen in the West Wing. He's bridging all kinds of gaps as he continues to apply his passion and expertise to building robust, resilient communities at all levels.

On Expertise and Africa with Judd Devermont

Judd Devermont is well-known for his work as the Senior Director for African Affairs under the Biden Administration; author of the U.S. Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa; Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); National Intelligence Officer for Africa... the list goes on and on. He's a legit expert, right!? Judd might be surprisingly uncomfortable with that title, because in addition to holding all these fancy titles, he's also a history nerd of the highest order. He's humbled by all that he has learned, and all that he has not yet discovered. He's spent his life and career (which are nearly inseparable) pursuing his curiosity and passion, and he never wants to stop. Listen in for Judd's reflections on everything from PacSun and Tom Clancy novels to the evolving role of Africa on the global stage. And check out Judd's new Substack, Post Strategy, for an honest discussion on the tools and mechanics that drive U.S. Africa policy: https://poststrategy.substack.com

On Career and Community with Eleesha Lewis

Retired, but never idle: Eleesha is retiring after 22 years of federal service, including 18 years as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State. Her job took her to India, Mexico, the Philippines, Bermuda, and Singapore, and now that she's back in the U.S., Eleesha is finding new ways to serve her community, and new inspiration for the next chapter of her career. Her transformative experience as a human rights officer in Manila inspired a commitment to human rights in every context, and she's making a surprising (even to me!) announcement about her next big adventure. Eleesha is serving up a healthy dose of her Mom's philosophy on forward motion, and we all stand to benefit.

On Health and Justice with Matthew Tejada

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 how this unfairness in our society exists, and what he could do about it. In this episode, Matthew describes how low income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by a variety of threats, which exacerbate existing disparities in health, wealth, and lifespan. He reminds us that it’s a problem for everyone when huge swaths of society are at risk, and the work of addressing these disparities is essential to building resilience. We also make a bit of time to freak out over the generational setback to our government through the hollowing out of the civil service. This isn’t one you want to skip.

On Mission and Movement with Melissa Newberg

"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't an extrovert - she's an extremely generous introvert. She's seeking and defining her own purpose, and sharing practical advice on translating skills, reaching for new opportunities, and finding mission-driven work outside of government.

On Storytelling and Sabbaticals with Bill Russo

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 Secretary of State. Other experiences include a transformative trip abroad, a near miss with a career as a psychiatrist, and a brief (and unlucrative) stint as a barista. Bill's commitment to service extends to the way he shows up for his family, friends, and colleagues. He did the work to peel the "burnout onion," finding his way to a new season of life and career, and now he's reflecting on the power of storytelling, the loneliness epidemic, and the magic of a sabbatical.

On Crisis and Multilateral Diplomacy with Josh Black

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, to Kosovo, to exhausting nuclear talks in poorly ventilated spaces, to the private sector, and then back to the White House in his dream job as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs on the National Security Council. If you're genuinely wondering why it's still in the U.S. national interest to engage with the United Nations, look no further. And if you're already a multilat nerd, then listen for a refresher on how we can try to avoid the scourge of war.

On Costco and Brain Waves with Maggie Feldman-Piltch

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 diversity in the field of national security and she's happy to talk about what she means by that. She's fun and real and you honestly never know what she's going to say, so buckle up for a little ride to Costco and leave with the appropriate degree of reverence for first chair clarinet.

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