As part of my work I engage with many federal employee groups. These include unions, management associations, professional associations, and affinity groups. Below I’ve included the list of such groups I’ve assembled over the last few years. This list includes only groups made up of large numbers of federal employees. There are also tons and tons of other professional associations out there that include members from multiple sectors (including the federal government) you also might want to consider.
Why join one of these groups? First and foremost, to find your peeps. By joining one (or more) of these groups you will find colleagues from other states and agencies that share common interests. You will likely receive curated content (newsletters, magazines, social media posts) relevant to the mission of the group.
Many provide professional development opportunities that will help you with your career or home life. Others may engage in advocacy that aligns with both the mission of the organization and your interests. There may also be an opportunity to take on a leadership role within the group. For more reasons to join an association, union, or affinity group, check out this piece from Cross Check, this one from US News & World Report and this one from the HuffPost.
PS: Are there federal employee groups missing from this list below? Please share their name and URL in the comment box below!
Here’s my list (in alphabetical order)
African American Federal Executive Association (AAFEA)
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
American Postal Workers’ Union (APWU)
American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC)
Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM)
Association of Customs and HSI Special Agents (ACHSIA)
Association of Federal Information Resources Management (AFFIRM)
Association of Federal Narcotics Agents (AFNA)
Association of Former Agents of the US Secret Service (AFAUSSS)
Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO)
Association of Government Accountants (AGA)
Council of Former Federal Executives & Associates (COFFE)
Defense Acquisition University Alumni Association (DAUAA)
Executive Women in Government (EWG)
FAA Managers Association (FAAMA)
FBI Agents Association (FBIAA)
Federal Asian Pacific Council (FAPAC)
Federal Court Clerks Association (FCCS)
Federal Executive Association of Western Mass
Federal Executive Association of Indianapolis
Federal Executive Institute Alumni Association (FEIAA)
Federal Government Communications Network (FCN)
Federal Government Distance Learning Association (FGDLA)
Federal Judicial Assistants Association (FJAA)
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)
Federal Managers Association (FMA)
Federal Physicians Association
Federal Probation and Pretrial Officers Association (FPPOA)
Federally Employed Women (FEW)
FEDQ: A National Employee Resource Group For LGBT+ and ALLIES in the Government
GLIFAA, LGBT+ Pride in Foreign Affairs Agencies
Goddard Engineers, Scientists & Technicians Association (GESTA)
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)
National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE)
National Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA)
National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees (NAPFE)
National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC)
National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
National Association Assistant US Attorneys (NAAUSA)
National Association of Federal Veterinarians
National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS)
National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE)
National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA)
National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NHCFAE)
National Native American Alaska Native Coalition FAA
National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU)
National Rural Letters Carriers’ Association (NRLCA)
National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)
National Weather Service Employees Organization
National Association of Black Narcotics Agents (NABNA)
Organization of Professional Employees of the US Department of Agriculture (OPEDA)
Patent Office Professional Association (POPA)
Presidential Management Alumni Group (PMAG)
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS)
Professional Managers Association (PMA)
Senior Executives Association (SEA)
Society for Federal Labor & Employee Relations Professionals (SFLERP)
Society for Government Meeting Planners (SGMP)
Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE)
United Postmasters and Managers of America (UPMA)
US Marshalls Service Association (USMSA)
Vermont Federal Executive Association
Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE)
Young Government Leaders (YGL)
Joyce Warner is part of the GovLoop Featured Contributor program, where we feature articles by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Contributor posts, click here.
Great article – but we’re missing from the list! American Society for Public Administrators – http://www.aspanet.org. Please add us – we represent 8,000 public administrators across the discipline!
This is a great list! Thanks for sharing it.
Please add the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) at plainlanguage.gov. PLAIN is a group of federal employees from different agencies and specialties who support the use of clear communication in government writing. Originally called the Plain English Network, PLAIN has been meeting informally since the mid 1990s.
Our goal is to promote the use of plain language for all government communications.