Success Stories
Krista Mangiardi: 2021 PMF
Krista Mangiardi became interested in a federal government career as early as middle school when she was elected to her student council. While her interest only deepened as time went on, a government career felt distant and imaginary. Krista grew up on a farm in western Massachusetts where she showed cows and pigs in the county 4-H fair and spent her summers stacking hay bales. She didn’t know anyone who worked for the federal government and didn’t have clear examples to follow as she started carving out an educational and career path. She knew, however, that traveling to new places to broaden her perspective on the world was key. Inspired by her Italian immigrant grandmother to study languages and learn about other countries, Krista realized that she could begin a public service career by teaching English abroad, starting with the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program in Thailand and then with the Peace Corps in China.
Krista was thrilled when she was selected as a Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program Finalist in November 2020 while in her final year of a MA in the Global Affairs program at Yale. In the time since her election to the middle school student council, she had gained life experiences and an education to help her seek a federal government career. She still, however, lacked career examples to reference. To her, the PMF opportunity meant she would join a supportive community of government professionals who could help guide her as she approached graduation. Krista spoke with numerous current and former Fellows who expressed excitement about federal service, explained professional norms, and gave her advice on the job search. Thanks to the PMF community’s collaborative spirit and support as she navigated the process, Krista accepted a PMF appointment to be a Supervision Oversight Analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Supervision Examinations in Washington, DC.
Today, Krista enjoys doing mission-oriented work every day. The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program has not only allowed her the valuable experience of her present work but is also actively nurturing her for a future with a long government career. As a Fellow, she has participated in the PMF program’s Leadership Development Program. Her monthly career coaching sessions provide for insightful conversations with Fellows across government agencies. The PMF has encouraged her to think critically about the skills needed for an impactful government career like accountability, collaboration, and inclusivity. Krista has not only been able to apply these skills daily at her own job, but she has been able to see how agencies across the whole federal government leverage employees with these skills to support the public. Now, the federal government is no longer a mysterious, seemingly out of reach career. Through the PMF program, Krista now has the tools and the community to contribute to the government today, and to continue to contribute as she progresses in her career.