Staying True to the Mission When the Mission is Attacked

For 25 years, Deric Gilliard represented the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a communications professional under five administrations. News releases, news conferences and media contacts were his life. HHS had the huge tasks of implementing the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, and providing clear messaging on the COVID pandemic. And then came Donald Trump.

“Over 70 times, the administration tried to replace and repeal [the Affordable Care Act],” says Gilliard. Many colleagues in his department responded by leaving the government. But Gilliard refused to desert a sinking ship.

“I felt like somebody needed to stay. I had to do my job. I had to do my very best to make the administration look good and to honor their mission.” And, his department still had to administer Obamacare to those Americans who desperately needed some kind of health insurance.

Gilliard ultimately survived the first Trump administration and served the Biden administration for two years before retiring. But he kept copious notes of his time working for HHS with the idea of eventually writing a book. Thus, The Longest Four Years of My Life was published. It tells his story in great detail, scrupulously footnoted and indexed.

Gilliard’s experience as a journalist and communications director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference served him well as an advocate for a government agency that served some of America’s poorest citizens with limited access to health care. His frustration in serving under Trump did not obscure the pride he felt in serving millions of Americans who actually needed the federal government. Hear our inspiring conversation in this episode of Type. Tune. Tint.