Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee postponed a vote on the nomination of John Gibbs to be the next Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) citing the request of some members for additional information from the nominee following letters from several organizations, including NTEU, opposing the nomination.

Mr. Gibbs, a political appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development who has a background in technology, has limited experience in human resources and has made several statements that, at best, demonstrate an insensitivity to individuals of different backgrounds and faiths.  In addition, Mr. Gibbs tweeted support for new hires being vetted to ensure they are loyal to the President.  If confirmed as the Director of OPM, Mr. Gibbs would lead the non-partisan civil service and his previous comments suggest he is unable to adhere to the Merit Systems Principles, ensuring that federal employees are recruited and advanced based on their ability and skills, protect employees from retaliation for disclosing waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure that other federal agencies do so as well.

OPM faces numerous challenges and requires a leader that can work collaboratively with employees from all backgrounds and their representatives to meet those challenges and help agencies to attract and retain a talented workforce that reflects the nation it serves.  Unfortunately, Mr. Gibbs does not appear to have the background, experience, or temperament to do so.  I will keep you apprised of future developments.