Federal Executive Boards FEBs

President John Kennedy created Federal Executive Boards by a directive on November 10, 1961, to improve coordination among federal offices outside Washington, where most federal employees work. Each board brings together the top local officials of federal agencies in a metropolitan area with a large federal presence, such as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. There are about 28 boards, overseen by the Office of Personnel Management.

The boards share information among agencies, coordinate emergency preparedness and decisions about closing offices for weather or disasters, organize training, support the Combined Federal Campaign for charitable giving, and serve as a point of contact for local governments. During emergencies such as hurricanes or the COVID-19 pandemic, they help agencies keep services running and account for employees.

The boards have small staffs funded by host agencies and have sometimes been proposed for cuts. Supporters say they are a low-cost way to coordinate the many federal offices in a region and to respond quickly in emergencies. Critics say their work overlaps with regional offices and that agencies coordinate well enough through their own chains of command.