Who Are The Bloggers?
We are federal employees who work in the Office of Citizen Services and Communications at the U.S. General Services Administration. In our daily jobs, we encounter a staggering amount of U.S. government information and services that can benefit your life. From saving money and visiting National Parks to finding out about government auctions and the latest recalls, we want to bring these resources to you in a new way—through our blog.
Jake (Monday)
Jake quickly bumbled, stumbled and tumbled into the federal gubmint in the summer of '04. Jake works with the USA.gov frequently asked questions and plans to draw on these and his interests for his bloggings. When the plucky twenty-something Virginian isn't gabbing, he keeps himself way too busy. Be it going to rock shows, playing guitar, watching team sports, searching for the perfect Italian sub, reading too much Dave Barry or negotiating meal times with his cat, there is never a dull moment.
Joanne (Tuesday)
Joanne is USA.gov's outside the beltway connection—way outside the beltway. She lived in the big city for 10 years, but now revels in the dichotomy of working on a world-class website while she can hear the clip clop of a horse and buggy passing by her window. Intent on being super woman, she works full time, cares for two young daughters and loves to read, cook, throw pots, ride her bike and has a knack for home brewing.
Colleen (Wednesday)
Colleen or "Bean" as she is known to friends and family, makes no secret of the two loves of her life—the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles. Hailing from the city of real cheesesteaks, Colleen crossed the Keystone State to attend college at the University of Pittsburgh. Here she developed another passion—the PITT Panthers. Besides being a sports junkie, Colleen takes pride in her knowledge of seemingly useless trivia, being the world's greatest rockstar while behind the wheel, and the owner of an absolutely obscene amount of shoes. This Irish girl is a newbie to the bureaucrat world, where she is a Consumer Information Specialist.
Jess (Thursday)
Jess adds another Philly-area connection to the Gov Gab team. She was born and raised in Allentown (well-known as the home of Dorney Park) before heading a couple hundred miles south to College Park, Md., for college. While there, she not only graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in journalism, but also picked up an unhealthy love for Terps sports, especially soccer. She's been known to work her vacations around away games and doesn't think a day trip to Winston-Salem, N.C. to watch the team play is all that crazy. When she's not working or watching the Terps, Jess runs marathons and cheers for the Phillies, the Eagles and D.C. United.
Ginger (Friday)
Ginger started her work life as a high school science teacher. Much to the dismay of her parents, she quit teaching to become a nanny in Washington, DC. She went back to school to study computer technology and eventually became a federal employee. She received a Master's in managing information systems technology and she works on our websites and databases.
Ginger and her husband moved from DC several years ago. They enjoy a laid-back lifestyle near San Antonio, Texas with Doc, Daisy (two sweet, elderly Bichons) and Keeboo (a cat with intimacy issues). We suspect Ginger's favorite hobby is collecting hobbies. She has too many hobbies to list, so let's just say she makes stuff. Ginger also loves adventure and she travels quite a bit.
Leilani (Substitute Blogger)
Name: Leilani (meaning: Heavenly Flower)Nickname: Lei, Le lo lai, Ma-ma
DOB: Top Secret
Occupation: Bilingual Content Manager, GobiernoUSA.gov and Eva's full-time mom
Years in those Positions: 5 years as a Fed; 1.5 years as a Mom (Love BOTH!)
Hobbies: Traveling (anywhere, but Puerto Rico has a special place in my heart), Dancing (specialty: Latin/Salsa Music), Going for walks, Lately learning children's songs in both English and Spanish
Favorite Place: Anywhere that's warm and where there's a beach
Stephanie (Substitute Blogger)
Stephanie has worn a bureaucrat ID for most of her work life. One of her favorite government jobs was a summer at the National Archives, where she got to box up records that included 70-year old beans and cotton bolls. She's currently a USA.gov web content manager who works from home when she's not taking care of her itty bit, a lovely baby boy. Stephanie hopes to impart upon her little guy an appreciation of the finer things in life, like baseball games (that's her in the photo with Uncle Slam—she's the one on the right), hiking, biking, and paddling around state and national parks with her husband and wacked-out cocker spaniel, and eating frosting straight out of the can.
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