Public Service Recognition Week, celebrated the first full week of May since 1985, is a time to honor the public employees who serve communities across the country as federal, state, county, local, and tribal government workers. Their work impacts all of us every single day–and though we may take it for granted that our roads are maintained, the school bus arrives every morning and every afternoon, our sewer systems work reliably, restaurants are held to health standards, and that someone answers the call when we dial 911, we owe a debt of gratitude to the public servants responsible for being there for us.
The White House released a decree this week that stated, “Our Nation relies on our public servants every day, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.” NPPC could not agree more. The main objective of our work is to ensure that public employees have access to a secure, dignified retirement through a defined-benefit pension after dedicating their careers to serving their fellow citizens.
We advocate for retirement security for the people who serve the community every day in jobs like:
Education, including public schools, technical schools, and state colleges.
Emergency Services like firefighters, EMTs, disaster relief, and emergency shelters.
Law Enforcement
Judicial Services and Correctional Facilities
Waste Management
Water Supply and Treatment
Housing, including registering real estate transactions and public housing assistance.
Department of Children and Families
Public Health
Aging and Disability Services
Community Development through recreation programs and historical preservation.
Urban Planning
Voting and Elections
State Lottery Administration
Veteran Affairs
Unemployment benefits and employment assistance programs.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Mental Health and Addiction Services
SNAP Assistance
Transportation infrastructure, not only keeping our roads maintained but also designing highways and intersections.
State and Local Parks
Wildlife Management
Environmental Protection
Consumer Protection, making sure businesses adhere to proper practices.
Economic Development Services
Building Permitting
Join us in celebrating the contributions of public employees across the nation’s state and local governments. From healthcare workers and educators to firefighters and public administrators, every public servant plays a vital role in keeping our communities safe, healthy, and thriving.