The Presidential Management Fellows Program — since 1977
A Legacy of Service
48+
Years of service
75+
Agencies represented
12,000+
Fellows trained
All 50
States & territories
A brief history
Forty-eight years, ten thousand stories.
1977
Founding
President Jimmy Carter establishes the Presidential Management Intern (PMI) Program by Executive Order 12008 to attract top graduate students to federal service.
1980s
Growth
The program expands across federal agencies as a premier leadership-development pathway for early-career public servants.
2003
Renamed
Executive Order 13318 renames the program to Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), broadening eligibility to advanced-degree candidates from all disciplines.
2010
Modernization
Executive Order 13562 streamlines the Pathways Programs and reinforces PMF as the government's flagship leadership pipeline.
Today
Foundation & Association
Thousands of PMF alumni and current Fellows form a vibrant professional community — connecting, mentoring, and continuing the legacy of public service.
From the charter
"To attract to the federal service men and women of exceptional ability and dedication, and to develop them as leaders for a lifetime of public service."
— Adapted from Executive Order 12008, 1977