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Yuliya Rzad
"Creating positive change for others."
As an immigrant, many of the opportunities I’ve had in life wouldn’t have been realized if the federal government hadn’t allowed refugees from the Soviet Union to come to the United States.
That decision and the subsequent work of federal, state, and local public servants to administer the refugee resettlement program changed the entire trajectory of my life. Because of the opportunities I was given, I wanted to be a part of creating change for others.
Today, I am the Grant Services Branch Chief at FEMA Region 9. My team manages grants that help people before, during, and after a disaster. I’ve been working in the federal government for 11 years. I’ve found that the small moments are what stick with me the most. I’ve worked with a grant recipient from a tribe in South Dakota to make changes to their program that would help more eligible families. I’ve helped a non-profit program director build financial empowerment into their service delivery model. I’ve taken a call from a frustrated woman who had been given the runaround and spent an hour helping her get what she needed. These are not the major programs and significant outcomes that resume bullets are made of. But all of these interactions build on and weave into one another to create a federal government that serves the people. I am proud to have been a part of that.
