Forty years ago today, a small group of visionary leaders came together to form what would become the Professional Services Council to serve as their eyes, ears and voice for smart contracting in the federal policy arena. Four decades later and now 350 members stronger, PSC has grown into the largest and most effective advocate and resource for the federal professional services industry.
Today, we celebrate more than this milestone anniversary. We celebrate the enormously beneficial impact our industry has had, and continues to have, on our government's diverse missions. We can look with pride at the capabilities and people this industry has brought to bear on some of the most difficult and challenging problems facing the government. Even amidst the sometimes harsh rhetoric in the political sphere, and despite the occasional problems and issues that come to light, the record of this industry is impressive. Moreover, it transcends individual agencies and encompasses the totality of the government.
From supporting our men and women in uniform to supporting our nation's security, from helping to improve internal agency business processes and systems to providing critical citizen interfaces, this industry plays a central role in helping our government partners operate better, smarter and more efficiently.
We also celebrate our partners in government: the committed civil service professionals with whom we work, to whom we report, and with whom we collaborate every day. They are on the front lines and they too have been in the line of fire far too often. They deserve not only our appreciation but also our support.
But despite a history of exceptional performance and partnership, we can always do better. We can and, in the current fiscal environment, we must continue to look for ways to improve outcomes, reduce costs and do our part to help optimize the taxpayer's dollars. The challenges are many and not all are within our control, but we can and will succeed in the future as we have in the past.
Throughout the year, we will recognize and celebrate PSC's 40th Anniversary and the contributions of our industry to our nation. Find out more about PSC’s history and the contributions of its membership in the March issue of PSC’s Service Contractor magazine, on our website, or through the timeline below.
