The San Francisco Federal Executive Board (SFFEB) is the hub of the Federal Community in the Bay Area & Northern California. It serves as a vital link to intergovernmental coordination by identifying common ground & building cooperative relationships across the 9-County Bay Area & Northern California. The SFFEB represents approximately 70,000 federal, postal and military employees at 461 Federal Agencies & Offices throughout the nine bay area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma) as well as the de facto support of Federal Employees throughout the other 39 counties of Northern & Central California for projects & programs including the annual Combined Federal Campaign.

The Members of the SFFEB Governing Council are the senior executives of the representative agencies. The Governing Council meets monthly to address agency concerns at the policy level.

The SFFEB and all Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) have the following operation framework:

Through the combined efforts of our senior Federal leadership we:

  • Provide communication between Federal agencies during emergencies.
  • Provide & administrate Leadership Training Programs.
  • Recognize exemplary work & employees through the Federal Employees of the Year Awards.
  • Connect to our local community through outreach projects.
  • Provide local training for our Federal workforce to reduce travel dollars.
  • Are poised to facilitate large interagency projects.
  • Share special skills & resources between agencies including: mediation, trainings, translation support, and recruitment activities.

In these times of budget cutbacks, FEBs are critical to the future success of the Federal government. Connecting local agency offices to your local FEB is the best way to stretch your budget and collaborate with local leaders.

Additional Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the FEBs?
The Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) are small Federal Agencies which were created by Presidential Directive in 1961 to foster communication, coordination, and collaboration among Federal Agencies within regions outside of Washington, DC. Approximately 85% of Federal employees then & now are located outside the Washington, DC area. FEBs are located in the 28 regions with a high concentration of Federal agencies & employees. The functional framework of a FEB is similar to a Trade Association. FEBs build interagency partnerships & community involvement to create & nurture working relationships that address issues of shared interest. FEBs provide a forum for local Federal leaders to share management challenges & to develop strategies to meet agency missions & goals, identify common issues, develop collaborative efforts to address those issues, and to share best practices among their peers.

How many Agencies/Federal employees are covered by the FEBs?
Each FEB represents an average of 140 agencies & offices, and the size is dependent upon its geographic area of responsibility. Approximately 780,000 Title 5 Federal employees (as well as a larger number of employees & contractors from the wider Federal community) are served by the 28 FEBs throughout the US.

Who is involved in the FEB?
The FEBs support & welcome involvement from all Federal employees within all three branches of the Federal Government who are associated with a local FEB. The voting membership & FEB direction is primarily made up of the highest ranking leaders of Federal Agencies & Offices within the local FEB’s geographic area of responsibility. Members represent civilian, military, postal, law enforcement agencies, and quasi-federal agencies regardless of size.

What happens at Board meetings?
The Board meetings provide a forum for local Federal leaders to pinpoint local priorities and needs, and work together to design strategies to tackle them. Additionally, the Boards will often host experts from Federal agencies, the Presidential administration, and business or non-governmental organizations to share pertinent information with the local Federal leadership.

What do the FEBs do?
While the three primary areas of focus (Intergovernmental Affairs, HR Lifecycle, and Safety, Health, and Emergency Management) are consistent across the FEB network, specific FEB activities are largely dependent upon the needs & desires of the local Governing Board.

How are FEBs involved in emergency preparedness?
FEBs increase emergency preparedness of Federal communities by facilitating planning, training, and coordination among Federal agencies to ensure continuity of operations; assure Federal community awareness by providing timely & accurate communication of emergency information; and work to identify & address information or communication gaps for Federal community preparedness.

How are FEBs involved in workforce development & support?
FEBs conduct outreach to inspire & educate key pools of talent needed by government; support Federal agency leadership & HR professionals with resources for strategy development and cross-agency job fairs; convene or provide critical training opportunities & learning experiences which are identified as a need by multiple agencies;  provide free mediation & facilitated discussions to resolve disputes & preserve working relationships through their Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or Shared Neutrals Program (SNP); provide & administrate several Leadership Training Programs; and recognize exemplary work & employees through the Federal Employees of the Year Awards.

What are the benefits of the FEBs organizing trainings and programs, rather than agencies organizing their own programs?
FEBs organize and offer programs leveraging agency resources to produce maximum public value. Through active membership and coordination by Federal leaders, agencies are able to reduce duplicative efforts and achieve increased efficiencies.

How are FEBs involved in intergovernmental and community activities?
FEBs improve communications among Federal agencies within each FEB, across the nationwide FEB Network, and with headquarters’ agencies in Washington, DC. They serve as a focal point for State and local governments planning emergency response for the Federal workforce; cultivate community relations by coordinating Federal participation in local events; and support the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) by providing Federal employees the opportunity for giving to local charities.

What is the size of each FEB office?
Each FEB office is authorized one or two full-time equivalent (FTE) Federal employees (Executive Director with a Deputy Director or Program Assistant) who manage the daily operations of the FEB as well as all of the programs, activities, councils, and committees. Most FEBs are provided with the opportunity to pursue additional support through various leadership programs, internships, and Federal employee ‘detail’ opportunities.

How are the FEBs funded?
All funding is provided by a voluntary host department or agency. Office space, staffing, telecommunications, and the general operating budget are preferably sponsored by one department or agency, but these areas are sometimes split between multiple local departments or agencies. Additional special projects & trainings can be funded by either individual agencies or groups of agencies.

Why is my duty area not covered by an FEB?
FEBs are located in areas with significant federal populations that serve as hubs for federal interagency activity. The regulations at 5 CFR 960.103 authorize the OPM Director to create, dissolve, or merge FEBs. Several factors are considered for these actions including the size of the general population, the size of the Federal population, the activity level & local commitment of agencies, as well as the ability to secure resources to support the FEB staff office & programs.