Trump Tragedies features American workers whose lives were destroyed by Trump and his extremist policies. Testimonies submitted to AFGE are edited for clarity and length.
I joined USAID/ Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (now Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) in 2016 as an Institutional Support Contractor (ISC) and moved to Global Health’s Outbreak Response Team (ORT) in February 2024 as an ISC. I took a direct hire position (Crisis Operations Specialist, excepted, 2-year probationary period) on December 30, 2024 as a Senior Outbreak Response Advisor with the ORT. I'm a veterinarian with an MA in International Law and Diplomacy.
Prior to joining USAID I worked 20 years in international development and humanitarian assistance, including very specialized work leading outbreak responses and disease eradication programs in both animal and public health. I'm one of less than a handful of Americans that contributed to the global eradication of rinderpest. I have over 100 peer- reviewed and technical publications and have given a similar number of international scientific presentations.
Needless to say, I came to USAID with an exceptional level of expertise critical to the mandate of both BHA and GH. I dedicated everything to my career serving the poorest most vulnerable people around the world and conducting work that protected the U.S. from these devastating diseases. I was extremely proud to bring my expertise directly to the service of the American people by joining USAID and working directly on responses to outbreaks of deadly diseases.
My career trajectory is very specialized. Job options outside of USAID (private sector companies, private practice, academia, USDA, etc.) require me at 58 years old to take junior new graduate positions that would not allow me to pay my mortgage or care for my family.
I'm also worried that the public framing of me as a USAID employee (criminal, worm, deranged, etc.) makes it difficult for me to work in these sectors. I’m now using my retirement savings to meet my financial commitments. I’m terrified of a future without retirement savings, home, etc. I'm unsure of my position in my community and my country because the work that I’ve dedicated my life to.
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