NEWS RELEASE

Washington, DC - Today, during a meeting of the John Whitehead Forum at The Council for Excellence in Government, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director, Kay Coles James stressed the importance of maintaining the highest levels of excellence in the federal government.

"Whether serving in government for a season or an entire career, the President has called on all public servants to dedicate themselves to great goalsnot to mark time, but to make progress, to achieve results, and to leave a record of excellence," said James. "The single most important factor determining an organization's success and effectiveness is the quality of its employees. The federal government is no exception."

James also spoke about the important role OPM has in maintaining the government's work force, one that strives for the quality the American public demands. She also discussed the need to make the changes that are needed to ensure that the President's demand to reshape the federal work force is met.

"While OPM may not be the first agency that comes to mind on issues of national security and public health and safety, the issues we are concerned with -- the issues of recruitment, retention, and rewarding the people who are involved in the vital and sustaining work of government -- are integral to our success as a nation, and indeed, to our survival," said James. "However, we are in the midst of reshaping the federal work force because the nature of government, and the skills we need, are changing. To prepare for these changes, we have asked federal agencies to engage in work force planningto identify personnel needs, not just currently but five years into the future."

As OPM Director, James serves as President Bush's principle advisor on federal human resources issues.