Outgoing Head of US Office of Personnel Management, Senior Staff to Join Democracy Forward as Trump-Vance Administration Accelerates Attacks on Non-Partisan Civil Servants

Washington D.C. – Noting that the firing of federal career civil servants by the Trump-Vance administration has already begun and that the President last night signed orders that are intended to politicize our non-partisan civil service, today Democracy Forward announced that outgoing Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Rob Shriver, and former Senior Advisor to the Director at OPM, Kyleigh Russ, will join Democracy Forward’s senior staff to double-down on its efforts to protect the independence and non-partisan nature of the federal civil service.

Shriver will serve as the Managing Director of Civil Service Strong, an initiative that launched last month to provide resources and information sharing to civil servants who, at best, face an uncertain future in light of Trump-Vance administration executive orders that seek to radically redefine the contours of federal public service. He will also oversee the organization’s Good Government Initiatives. Kyleigh Russ is joining as the Director of Good Government Initiatives and will also serve as a Senior Advisor for Policy and Program. Shriver and Russ’ announcements come on the heels of other senior governmental officials joining Democracy Forward last week.  

“Last night, the President signed a range of orders that threaten to decimate the government’s ability to serve the American people and drive essential protections and services,” said Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman. “With so much at stake for the American people, we are grateful to have Rob and Kyleigh joining our team to lead a range of efforts to support the United States civil service. They are exceptional leaders and will bring expertise, enthusiasm, and experience to our critical work.”

Last year, Democracy Forward published a report on the Impending Danger to the Nation’s Civil Service and highlighted twice for Congress threats that Project 2025 and related proposals presented to the government’s ability to work for the people.  Across our nation, millions of non-partisan civil servants work as federal employees in service to the American people. This dedicated workforce deserves our respect, not abuse or retaliation for doing their jobs.

“The Trump Administration has launched an all-out assault on the people Americans count on every day to deliver the services they need. When we go to a grocery store, we don’t want to worry that the people who inspected the meat were hired based on who they voted for. When we apply for a small business loan, we don’t want our application denied because we didn’t donate enough to a particular campaign. When our lives and property are threatened by wildfires, we don’t want federal resources withheld based on the political leanings of the neighborhood where we live. The actions that the Trump Administration has already taken, if implemented, will hurt lots of Americans,” said Rob Shriver.  “That is why I am so pleased to be joining Democracy Forward at this critical time,” he continued.

As the former OPM Acting Director, Shriver served as a champion for the federal workforce, ensuring that OPM supports employees from “hire to retire.” He has a long history of leadership, policy and program development, and operations. Shriver was confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan vote to be OPM’s Deputy Director in December 2022. He previously served at OPM during the Obama administration, where he expanded equality for LGBTQ+ federal employees, improved federal labor relations, and implemented major provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Outside of OPM, Shriver has worked in state government and private sector IT, and he began his career as a lawyer at the National Treasury Employees Union. Rob is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the George Washington University Law School.

Russ served as Senior Advisor to Acting Director Shriver on hiring reform and innovation. She has extensive experience in talent innovation and fostering partnerships across sectors to build more effective and inclusive government institutions. Before her federal service, Russ co-founded Govern for America, a nonprofit focused on building the next generation of public servants to create a government that better reflects and serves our communities. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Law and Policy (2020), she holds an MPA from NYU Wagner and a BA in Government from Harvard.

“Rob and Kyleigh have dedicated their careers to serving the American people and we could not be more honored to have them join our team,” added Perryman.

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