Most Agency Heads Didn’t Really Have MLK Day Off

While most federal employees were enjoying their day off Monday, their top bosses were hard at work.

Federal offices were closed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, but agency heads embraced the spirit of the holiday by putting in some community service hours. MLK Day is “an opportunity for all Americans to honor Dr. King by coming together to help meet the needs of their communities and re-commit to service throughout the year,” the White House said.

In advance of the holiday, Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta implored federal employees to follow in their leaders’ footsteps. She noted feds “already know the power of working for others” from their day jobs, and repeatedly demonstrate their benevolence through the Combined Federal Campaign.

Here’s a list of what the nation’s top civil servants were up to on Monday:

• President Obama: Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama participated in a service project at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington.
• Treasury Secretary Jack Lew: Lew was in New York City to paint murals and accents, construct lights and participate in workshops for youth alongside City Year AmericaCorps members.
• Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and General Services Administrator Dan Tangherlini: Jewell and the outgoing Tangherlini spent the day cleaning Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C., with the Student Conservation Association.
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: Vilsack was in his home state of Iowa to assist a team at the Central Iowa Shelter and Service’s Mulberry Food and Farms Greenhouse.
• Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker: Pritzker spoke at a Capital-area event to connect professional project managers with non-profit organizations.
• Labor Secretary Thomas Perez: Perez was in South Carolina to deliver meals to volunteers working in Columbia.
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro: Castro served at the Greater Washington Urban League Young Professionals Annual Community Service Drive.
• Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson: Johnson delivered remarks at an event at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
• Education Secretary Arne Duncan: Duncan also volunteered with City Year AmeriCorps members, joining White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough at a Washington, D.C., high school.
• Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald: McDonald was at the Fisher House in Washington, D.C., to serve meals to veterans and their families.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell: Burwell participated in an event with Project HOME, which helps to get individuals out of poverty and homelessness.
• Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy: McCarthy built homes in Washington, D.C., with Habitat for Humanity.