A Letter to My Colleagues

In some ways, life follows the same rhythm an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement:

We all have our personal “Purpose and Need,” the reasons you set out on certain paths, the problems you're trying to solve, the dreams you're trying to fulfill. We ask why we show up and keep trying, even when things are hard.  We ask what’s pulling you forward? What’s the need that’s asking to be answered inside you? 

Then we face the “Proposed Action and Alternatives”. Life constantly presents you with choices. There's always your "preferred alternative" — the plan you think will best meet your goals — but you should also think about your "alternatives" (different careers, relationships, ways of living). Even the "No Action Alternative," doing nothing, is a choice.

Before you move with the action, you take a look at the “Affected Environment.”  Where you are now. Who’s around you, the community we're part of. What’s going well, what’s hurting, what needs care?

Then you think through the “Environmental Consequences.” What happens if you act? What happens if you don't? Every decision changes something, even if it's invisible at first.

“Cumulative Impacts” remind you that it’s not just about this one choice. It's about how your choices stack up over time —how habits, patterns, and small things become your life.

You also plan for the bumps, your “Mitigation Measures,” the ways you soften the hard parts, adapt, and find your footing again when things get rough.

You don’t do it alone either. Life, like an EA, needs “Consultation and Coordination,”  people you trust, people you learn from, people who help you see what you might miss and put in danger.

And finally, you have your “references” like the books you’ve read or people you follow on Instagram or TikTok, the podcasts you’ve heard while commuting, the places you’ve been, your ancestors, your family and friends, the heartbreaks and joys that shape the way you move through the world.

So in a way, living thoughtfully is like preparing an Environmental Assessment: You define your purpose, explore your options, understand your environment, weigh the consequences, plan wisely, seek help, and walk forward with humility and awareness. That is what I’m doing as I go on this next adventure.

Lastly, when I first joined USDA APHIS, as I mentioned with our PPD All meeting, it was right after I had been evacuated from the Peace Corps. It was a strange, uncertain time — and I was looking for a way to keep serving, to keep growing.ERAS was the first to open a door for me. You gave me a sense of purpose and stability when I really needed it. For that, I’ll always be grateful.

Working here has taught me that public service isn't just about getting things done, it's also about how you show up with care, with thoughtfulness, with a willingness to understand and come together and find solutions.

That work may not always be visible, but it matters. And it stays.