When people think about public administration, they often think about government offices, regulations, budgets, and policies. While those are certainly important parts of the profession, my experience has taught me that public administration is ultimately about people. It is about ensuring that workers return home safely to their families, that communities remain strong, and that Government fulfills its responsibility to serve the public good.

I currently serve as a Mine Safety and Health Inspector with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. MSHA’s mission is to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthful workplaces for America’s miners. Every inspection, investigation, health survey, and enforcement action supports that mission. The work often takes place far from public view, but its impact is measured in lives protected, injuries prevented, and families kept whole.

For me, this work is deeply personal.

I was raised in southern West Virginia, where coal mining is woven into the identity of our communities. Mining is more than an industry in Appalachia. It has shaped our towns, schools, churches, and families for generations. Many of us grew up knowing miners, working alongside miners, or having family members whose livelihoods depended on the mines.

My connection to mine safety began long before I ever became an inspector. My grandfather worked for MSHA and spent his career helping protect miners throughout the region. Growing up, I heard stories about inspections, accident prevention, and the responsibility that comes with ensuring workplace safety. I did not fully appreciate it at the time, but those conversations were my first introduction to public administration in action. My grandfather showed me that
Government could make a direct and meaningful difference in people’s lives. He demonstrated that public service was not simply a profession—it was a calling.

That legacy eventually inspired me to pursue a career with MSHA myself.

I entered federal service through the Pathways Program, which provides opportunities for students and recent graduates to begin careers in public service while developing the technical knowledge and practical experience necessary to succeed. The program allowed me to combine my academic background, interest in public policy, and commitment to worker safety into a career that directly serves the public.

A defining moment in that journey was attending the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley, West Virginia. Located just miles from where I grew up, the Academy serves as the central training facility for federal mine inspectors and mine safety professionals from across the nation. It is responsible for training the next generation of inspectors who will carry out the mission of the Mine Act, the Miner Act, and protect miners in every mining region of the country.

As a member of the Mine Training Technician Program, I spent months immersed in training that covered every aspect of mine safety and health for metal/nonmetal and coal mines. The Academy’s curriculum includes inspection procedures, accident prevention, investigations, industrial hygiene, emergency response planning, mine technology, and management techniques. Students train in simulated underground mines, specialized laboratories, and hands-on environments designed to prepare inspectors for real-world conditions.

The training was demanding, but it reinforced something important: mine safety is about far more than enforcing regulations. Effective inspectors must understand mining operations, recognize hazards, communicate effectively, and build credibility with miners and operators. The goal is not simply to identify violations. The goal is to prevent accidents before they occur.

Graduating from the National Mine Academy remains one of the proudest moments of my career. Standing alongside fellow graduates from across the country, I realized that we were joining a long tradition of public servants dedicated to one purpose: ensuring that every miner has the opportunity to return home safely at the end of the day. It was especially meaningful knowing that I was continuing a legacy that my grandfather had helped build decades earlier.

My commitment to mine safety was further shaped by one of the defining events in modern Appalachian history: the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.

Like many people in southern West Virginia, I lived near the communities affected by the tragedy. On April 5, 2010, an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine claimed the lives of twenty-nine miners and became the deadliest U.S. coal mining disaster in nearly forty years. For people outside the region, it was a major news story. For those of us who lived here, it was deeply personal.

The effects of the disaster extended far beyond the mine itself. Families lost fathers, sons, brothers, and friends. Churches held memorial services. Schools supported grieving children. Entire communities mourned together. In southern West Virginia, it often seemed that everyone knew someone who was connected to Upper Big Branch.

The tragedy served as a painful reminder that behind every safety standard, every inspection, and every regulation is a human story. Safety requirements do not exist because someone decided to create more paperwork. They exist because previous generations paid a terrible price for lessons learned through injury, illness, and loss of life.

That lesson stays with me every time I enter the mine.

When I conduct an inspection today, I am not simply evaluating compliance with federal regulations. I am helping ensure that history does not repeat itself. Every citation issued, every hazard corrected, and every conversation about safety has the potential to prevent an injury or save a life.

One of the most meaningful aspects of my work is that success is often invisible.

When a hazard is corrected before an accident occurs, there is no headline. When equipment is repaired before it fails, no one outside the operation may ever know. When ventilation systems function properly, when miners receive appropriate training, or when health hazards are addressed before workers become sick, those successes rarely attract public attention.

Yet these preventative outcomes represent public administration at its very best.

The public often notices the government when something goes wrong. As public servants, however, much of our work is dedicated to ensuring that things do not go wrong in the first place. Whether it is a mine inspection, a public health program, an emergency management plan, or infrastructure maintenance, successful public administration often means preventing problems that never become visible to the public.

This perspective became even clearer during my graduate studies.

While serving with MSHA, I completed a Master of Public Administration at Marshall University. My studies exposed me to the broader field of public service and helped me understand how mine safety fits into the larger mission of government. Courses in public management, ethics, organizational leadership, budgeting, policy analysis, and governance reinforced what I was seeing in the field every day: effective government creates public value.

My education also strengthened my belief that public service requires both technical competence and human understanding. Data matters. Technology matters. Regulations matter. But none of those things are the mission themselves. They are tools that help us serve people more effectively.

That lesson has become increasingly important as Government enters an era defined by rapid technological change. I have a strong interest in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and innovation in public administration. These tools have tremendous potential to improve decision-making, enhance safety, and increase government effectiveness. However, technology should never replace the fundamental human purpose of public service.

Whether using advanced analytics or conducting a mine inspection, the mission remains the same: protecting people and improving lives.

Outside of my federal service, I have continued to seek opportunities to contribute to the broader public service community. Through my involvement with the American Society for Public Administration, Young Government Leaders, and AFGE Local 3181, I have had the opportunity to connect with public servants from across the country who share a common commitment to service.

Recently, I was honored to be selected as the Local Y.O.U.N.G. Coordinator for AFGE Local 3181, helping engage the next generation of federal employees and public servants. The role focuses on leadership development, inclusion, mentorship, and ensuring that younger workers have opportunities to contribute their ideas and perspectives to the future of public service.

These experiences have reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: the future of public service depends on our ability to prepare the next generation of leaders while preserving the values that have guided previous generations.
If there is one lesson I would share with future public servants, it is this: never lose sight of the people behind the policy.

Every regulation affects a worker.

Every budget affects a family.

Every decision affects a community.

The best public servants understand both the technical and human dimensions of their work.

They pursue excellence in their profession while remaining grounded in empathy, integrity, and
service.

My journey—from growing up in the coalfields of southern West Virginia, to following in my grandfather’s footsteps at MSHA, to attending the National Mine Academy, earning an MPA, and serving miners across the region—has taught me that public administration is ultimately about stewardship.

We inherit institutions built by those who came before us. We learn from the successes and failures of the past. And we carry a responsibility to leave those institutions stronger than we found them.

That is why I serve.

I serve because every miner deserves to return home safely.

I serve because strong communities depend on effective public institutions.

I serve because public service can make a real difference in people’s lives.

And I serve because the lessons learned through generations of sacrifice, including tragedies like Upper Big Branch, must never be forgotten. Through vigilance, professionalism, and a commitment to service, we honor those lessons and help build a safer future for the communities we call home.