Jeffrey Sizemore spent over two decades serving the United States, first as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer and later as a civil servant at the State Department. As the Senior Advisor on Atrocity Prevention and Deputy Director in the Office of Security and Human Rights, Jeff helped operationalize the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act . He built comprehensive curriculums and traveled globally to train foreign service officers on how to mitigate the risks of mass violence, ide...
Jun 30, 2026•43 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Michael Duffin served as a senior policy advisor at the State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism for 12 years. When he received an invite for a 15-minute meeting titled "Update on the Reorganization," he never suspected it would mark an early end to his career. Michael helped stand up the Office of Countering Violent Extremism (CT/CVE), which led the Department's international engagement and assistance efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting,...
May 26, 2026•47 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Elizabeth Ginexi served as a scientific program official at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 22 years. During that time, she stewarded taxpayer investments in biomedical and behavioral research. An applied social psychologist by training, Liz's work spanned historic public health initiatives, from building the scientific framework for FDA tobacco regulations to developing non-pharmacological pain treatments for veterans. When the administration began dismantling NIH, Liz took an early...
Apr 28, 2026•58 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Alec Chapa found his ideal role as a conciliator with DOJ's Community Relations Service (CRS). From a young age, Alec was interested in bringing people together to talk through conflict. He was fascinated by Gandhi's strategy of civil disobedience. In 2016, he participated in a private mentorship with Philosopharian in Astoria, Oregon, where he learned about empowering individuals and communities through philosophy. After running his own dispute resolution consulting business for several years, ...
Mar 31, 2026•42 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Dan Tully left the U.S. Department of Commerce in protest of the administration's destructive foreign policy approach. Dan's background as a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve gave him experience advising on counter-Chinese influence efforts in the Indo-Pacific. While Dan was building an anti-corruption program for Ukraine's Ministry of Reconstruction, the administration abandoned critical partnerships, echoed Kremlin talking points, and berated Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Wh...
Feb 24, 2026•55 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Allan Dinkoff didn't plan to bear witness to the destruction of the civil service when he enrolled in the International Center of Photography's documentary photography program, but he couldn't ignore the story of civil servants targeted by the second Trump administration. Allan spent the last year interviewing and photographing over 65 civil servants across at least 19 federal agencies who left their jobs because of the administration. Through his project, Targeted: Portraits of Civil Servants U...
Feb 09, 2026•43 min
What the fork!? It's only been a year? This feels more like a post-mortem on the American Experiment than a year-end review. Yes, we're celebrating the fact that we survived an entire year of the second Trump administration's assault on democracy, but we're also bracing for the next three. Last year, we watched as USAID was decimated; domestic terrorists were pardoned; and truth was flipped on its head. This year, we're getting civically fit while embracing the reality that nobody is coming to s...
Jan 20, 2026•46 min•Season 1Ep. 20
The decay didn’t start with the election. The realization the Bureau was too fragile to survive started in the quiet, persistent failures of earlier years. By Election Day 2024, the writing was on the wall. FBI leadership had already surrendered. My initial reaction to "The Fork in the Road" email was visceral. When the email arrived, I hesitated. Twenty years of public service—thirteen as an FBI intelligence analyst—is no small thing to throw away. As my colleagues speculated over the legitimac...
Jan 19, 2026•33 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Growing up, I never considered working for the FBI. To me, the FBI was just special agents kicking in doors, arresting violent criminals, and putting themselves in harm's way. I wanted to help people, but let's face it: guns are scary, and I don't like running. As one of my high school best friends reminded me recently, I drove a pink car and wore bows in my hair. I was not what you think of when you think of FBI employees. In 2012, Philip joined the FBI. His first week on the job, he came home ...
Jan 19, 2026•32 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Kayla Staph grew up in a house built on a foundation of loving other others without partiality or discrimination. She comes from a legacy of service, so naturally, she entered into public service when the time came. Kayla started her career as a high school math teacher and coach. She also spent 10 months working with the International Justice Mission combating human trafficking, which opened her eyes to the holistic power of the justice system. In December 2020, Kayla joined the FBI as a specia...
Jan 12, 2026•52 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Mike Romano spent nearly 18 years as an attorney with the Department of Justice (DOJ). He loved his job and thought it would be his forever job. On January 20, 2025, he watched four years of work get wiped away. In January 2021, Mike was a trial attorney in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section. He remembered watching the events of January 6th unfold on the news. He was horrified as he saw an enormous swarm of people descend upon the US Capitol, overwhelming the building and brazenly committing crimes ...
Jan 05, 2026•32 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Nikki Rutman thought for sure she'd be a doctor, then she discovered her passion for intelligence. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Nikki's path shifted again from her interest in Latin American studies to an internship at the Defense Intelligence Agency when it all clicked. That drive eventually steered her to the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) at Liberty Crossing where 'X' quite literally marked the spot. Nikki brought with her a mission to integrate intelligence wit...
Dec 29, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Madeline Vellturo spent the last decade working on violence prevention, peacebuilding, and stability. Between April and July, the State Department eliminated the entire Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau, where Madeline worked as a stabilization advisor implementing the Global Fragility Act. Now Madeline is continuing her mission through storytelling. Along with former colleagues, she launched their YouTube channel Former Feds & Friends , where they share their expertise in violenc...
Dec 22, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Ali Syverson never considered working for USAID before she applied for a position in climate and environmental communication, but after spending the first half of her career in corporate social responsibility she knew she wanted to work in the public sector. When Ali moved from the private sector in early 2020, she worried about the stereotypes of “lazy government workers." Instead, she found extremely hard-working colleagues and a fast-paced, caring agency diligently providing humanitarian and ...
Dec 15, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Sarah Ellison Hernandez's dream was to become a judge. In 2018, Sarah's dream was realized when she was appointed as an immigration judge. It was the highlight of her career. She remembers excitedly calling her mom with the news. To this day, the memories of her swearing-in ceremony make her emotional because of the weight and importance of her oath. Sarah thought this would be her forever job. Normally, a new presidential administration will cause a few changes to immigration courts, but those ...
Dec 08, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Andrew Kreider is a 10th-generation Pennsylvanian and first-generation college graduate. As a high schooler in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, he wanted to help save the planet. So, he set up a recycling center in his parent's newly built mud room and begged his mom to take him to the large recycling center for drop offs on the weekends. Andrew's strong environmental ethic led to a 29-year career at the Environmental Protection Agency, much of which he spent at the EPA's Region 3 Office in Philadelp...
Dec 01, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 11
When Molly Kocialski became the Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional US Patent and Trademark Office, she traded the wealth of 20 years of private practice for the stability and flexibility of federal employment. In September 2025, that balance shifted, and Molly left her job of ten years with the USPTO. At 12:04 am Eastern Time on October 1st, just minutes into what would become the longest government shutdown in history, the USPTO announced the closure of the Rocky Mountain Regional Office a...
Nov 24, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 10
While finishing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Sarah DeGue thought she would go into research and maybe private practice. Instead, Sarah was called to public service by the appeal of stopping violence before it starts, and she spent the next 17 years doing just that at the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention , Research and Evaluation Branch. For the last 10 years, Sarah also served as a Senior Scientist and Director of CDC’s Dating Matters teen dating violence prevention initiative. Sar...
Nov 17, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Mike Johnson would make an excellent first base coach for the Boston Red Sox . As an Interior Communications Electrician in the Navy, he honed the skills necessary to protect sensitive communications under stress. He also learned to foster growth and build high functioning teams—a skill he carried forward while mentoring veterans at the State Department and now as a civilian. He's no stranger to celebrities either. Mike worked with high ranking diplomats, and even met former Vice President Kamal...
Nov 10, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Growing up, Christina Mesesan always knew she wanted to help people; she just wasn’t sure what that would look like. In the years following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and driven by the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report , Christina heeded the call to public service with the goal of integrating the FBI's national security workforce. During Christina's first assignment as an Intelligence Analyst at the FBI's New York Field Office, Christina leveraged her Masters degree...
Nov 03, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Patty Hartman began her public service career as a member of the fourth estate 37 years ago as a news radio reporter in Wilmington, Delaware. In July 2007, after nearly twenty years in radio and TV journalism, Patty was drawn to federal service by her love of the law. She spent the next 18 years serving in various public affairs roles with the Department of Justice before being fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi on July 7, 2025 . Between 2019 and 2021, Patty worked as a public affairs specialis...
Oct 27, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Former Pentagon Police Officer Bryan Janick is about to be the star player in a whole new ball game as he opens Goatz Sportz Cardz in Herndon, Virginia. Bryan began his career in public service by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. During his four year enlistment, Bryan completed multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a radio operator with 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. After his enlistment, Bryan returned to Michigan, finished his college degree, then made his way to Washington,...
Oct 23, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 5
From January until April of 2025, Dr. Ana Mitchell lived in fight or flight mode, not knowing each day if she would be part of the layoffs or Reduction-in-Force (RIF) actions of the new administration. On April 1, 2025, Ana lost her dream job as a Project Officer/Public Health Advisor with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Chronic Disease Center. In the midst of uncertainty and confusion, Ana turned her despair into action and rebranded herself as "Ana Fired Fed." After her R...
Oct 20, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 4
As a retired Navy Captain, Dr. John Cordle knew the impact of fatigue management on force readiness. Following his retirement, Dr. Cordle completed his Doctorate of Engineering in Human Systems Engineering and rededicated himself to serving the Navy as a Human Factors Engineer. As a civilian employee, Dr. Cordle set out to identify signs of stress and fatigue and built systems to prevent future collisions at sea. In May 2025, Dr. Cordle left government service after finding that his moral compas...
Oct 13, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Jill and Philip sit down with former DOJ employee, Jordan Mathews, to hear why she decided to leave her dream job. In this episode, Jordan shares her journey from serving with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic to the Rotary Peace Fellowship in Uppsala, Sweden. As a Presidential Management Fellow, Jordan found her dream job working at the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service, America’s Peacemaker. Now, Jordan is saying the true thing out loud and building community on T...
Oct 06, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to Forking Off! We're Jill & Philip Fields. We took the government's deferred resignation because our morals and our ethics were being pushed to the limit by changes in the new administration. We created this podcast to share our story and the stories of other former feds who said no to “Just following orders." We will explore the very personal experience of leaving federal service—whether by choice, or by force. Every departure has a story, and we’re here to share them. ---------- "...
Oct 01, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1
2025 has seen unprecedented change in the United States. This is Forking Off. Join us on this journey beginning October 1st as former feds share their stories of why they left government service. Learn more at forkingoff.com .
Sep 29, 2025•41 sec
2025 has seen unprecedented change in the United States. This is Forking Off. Join us on this journey beginning October 1st as former feds share their stories of why they left government service.
Sep 26, 2025•41 sec
Welcome to Forking Off! The podcast for people who said no to “Just following orders," where we explore the very personal decisions behind leaving federal service—whether by choice, or by force. Every departure has a story, and we’re here to share them. The discussion starts October 1st.
Sep 24, 2025•37 sec
