In Plain Service

Celebrating Excellence in Cybersecurity, The Public-Spirited Work of András Ferencz Earlier this week, a colleague reached out for a letter of recommendation. It reminded me that some of the most important acts of public service never come with a title, a badge, or a paycheck. They come from people who see a risk, understand the stakes, and choose to act anyway. András Ferencz is one of those people. Over six months last year (beginning in March), András, acting solely as a private citizen, independently identified and responsibly disclosed three significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities affecting Social Security Administration websites and online services. These were not edge cases or academic exercises. They were serious weaknesses that SSA missed, and if left unaddressed, could have exposed sensitive personal and federal tax information, enabled account takeovers, and created real opportunities for fraud against the American public What makes this work exceptional is not only the ...

In government, the public often assumes that taking responsibility means accepting blame. Recently, we have seen this play out almost daily in calls for scapegoats, televised hearings, and public grilling of officials. Responsibility and blame are treated as interchangeable. They are not. If we want the government to change, as leaders, we must change how we understand and practice these two ideas. Blame is retrospective. It looks backward to identify fault, assign guilt, and often ends the conversation. Responsibility is forward-looking. It asks what must be acknowledged, corrected, or improved to make the system work better tomorrow. This distinction matters most in public service. When outcomes fall short, the default responses are often finger-pointing or resignation. That is true even when everyone followed policy, acted in good faith, and did exactly what the system asked of them. I have seen cases where something went wrong for a claimant even though the process worked exact...

Welcome. This series is written for you. It is meant to support reflection, insight, and growth. It is written for people who care about how decisions are made, how government works, and why good intentions so often fall short. My aim is simple. To explain public work plainly, without jargon or doublespeak. To share what experience teaches when theory runs out. Bad actors, and evil intentions do not cause most failures in public leadership. They are caused by fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The result? Obfuscation, a lack of transparency, and language that hides reality. In large organizations, especially public ones, we develop a habit of speaking around problems instead of about them. We use careful phrases, layered explanations, and policy-safe wording. Over time, this creates distance between what is, what could be, and what is being said. That distance is where trust erodes, and the ‘Why’ of Simon Sinek is missed. Plain language is not about dumbing things down. It is about dis...

  After nearly twenty years of service, I leave the Federal Government with deep respect and gratitude for the agency and its people. The mission of SSA is critical to millions of Americans. Every day, dedicated public servants work hard to deliver benefits and services that people rely on. I had the honor of working alongside front-line staff, technical experts, and leaders who care deeply about the public and take pride in doing their jobs well. I am especially thankful for the career staff who keep the agency moving forward through constant change and growing demands. Their commitment and professionalism are real. I am also grateful to the executive and senior leaders I worked with over the years, who carry a heavy responsibility and work to protect the agency's integrity. My years in government shaped who I am. I learned important lessons about leadership, accountability, and public service. I take responsibility for my part in that journey, and I remain proud of the time I ...