The fourth annual Federal Executive Association’s Government Expo was a great success for several reasons, but the biggest being the addition of state government agencies to the Expo.
On May 11, more than 30 federal and state government agencies set-up booths, displays and equipment at the National Park Service’s Fort Sumter National Monument at Liberty Square to interact with and educate the public about the various services each organization provides.
“As the event has grown, it was a natural progression to add state agencies,” said Glenn Jeffries, FEA co-chair. “Working together, federal and state agencies strive to make a positive impact on the Charleston community each and every day and it’s important for the public to see that.”
The event kicked-off with remarks from several agency leaders and a dog demonstration from Joint Base Charleston’s 628th Security Forces Squadron’s Military Working Dog Section. The dog and dog handlers were a crowd favorite, especially with the nearly 200 students in the audience, and showcased how they stop the bad guy and protect the public.
As in years past, the Charleston Passport Center hosted a passport fair for citizens to apply for or renew an expedited passport that has been very successful. This year, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles joined the Passport Center to host a REAL ID driver’s license fair. This new federally-required REAL ID driver’s license will soon replace the current SC driver’s license and will be what is accepted to board an airplane and enter a secure federal facility. SCDMV was able to issue the new ID’s directly to citizens on the spot, making the process simple and easy for the public.
The Expo again featured many agencies with different displays about wildlife, nature, veterans and law enforcement, as well as the vehicle lot with several boats, trucks and the mini C-17 airplane for exploration.
The Charleston-area boasts the most government employees in the state with nearly 10,000 federal government employees living and working here. There are more than 30,000 state government employees throughout South Carolina. The Expo provides these government employees the opportunity to proudly showcase their work to their neighbors, students and general public.