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Terminated NOAA employee urges Terre Haute officials to support federal workers; mayor pledges to press federal partners
Summary
A former NOAA probationary employee described mass federal terminations and urged the council and community to support affected workers; the mayor said the city will track economic impacts and join efforts to support federal employees and local veterans.
At the March 13, 2025 Terre Haute City Council meeting, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) probationary employee told the council she had been terminated and urged local officials to speak publicly in support of affected federal workers and to prepare for local impacts.
Anna Vappas said she was one of a group of probationary employees dismissed from NOAA despite positive reviews. "I was let it go simply because I lacked the protections because I was in my first year of service," she said. Vappas told the council she still lacked proper termination paperwork weeks after the dismissal, which she said prevented her from applying for unemployment and moving her family’s health insurance coverage.
Vappas described broader effects she said would harm the Wabash Valley if federal staffing cuts continue, including fewer weather forecasters and degraded forecasting infrastructure that she said could compromise severe-weather warnings. She said recent cuts to federal agencies could harm veteran services, USDA grants used by local farmers, and the regional economy.
After the public comment period, the mayor responded directly and said the city is tracking the potential local economic impact and would add affected federal workers — including those at the VA clinic, the federal penitentiary, the Postal Service and NOAA — to a list the city is monitoring. The mayor said the city’s federal lobbying team has been engaged on related issues and that he plans to join a March 23 rally in support of federal workers. He said the city will seek an economic-impact estimate from its federal lobbyists and share it with the council when available.
An unnamed councilmember praised Vappas for sharing her story and encouraged her to continue speaking publicly, saying personal accounts drive attention at county and state levels as well as locally.
Vappas asked the city and council to (1) stay informed about federal cuts, (2) prepare the community for likely impacts on services, and (3) issue a public statement supporting civil servants. The mayor said he would prepare an updated economic-impact analysis and would consider issuing a public statement in support of affected federal employees.
The remarks in the meeting transcript are a record of what was said in public comment and the mayor’s communication; no formal council action or vote related to federal employee terminations was taken during the meeting.
