Jay Gulledge, 59, lost his position at USAID when the Trump administration dismantled the agency in February 2025. The former climate change integration adviser spent six months unemployed before landing a director-level role at PSE Health Energy. Gulledge had joined USAID through the AAAS fellowship program after a winding career that included academic science and real-estate investing.

Gulledge's termination came as DOGE, led by Elon Musk, aggressively reduced federal workforce. At 58, he faced a flooded job market with thousands of displaced federal workers competing for positions. While many colleagues applied for dozens of jobs without success, Gulledge leveraged his passive real-estate income and avoided international development roles out of respect for more qualified former coworkers.

Despite finding meaningful work examining health implications of energy systems, Gulledge still experiences survivor's guilt when connecting with unemployed former colleagues. He acknowledges that his relatively brief tenure at USAID meant his identity wasn't tied to the agency, unlike many who spent entire careers there. The experience left him with both gratitude for his new position and lingering sadness about the agency's dissolution and its impact on millions who relied on its international aid programs.