Brilliant Careers of Three Public Servants
This session profiled the careers of three young, exceptionally accomplished government leaders, each of whom in the past have been nominated for a Service to America Medal for exceptional public service (each in different categories). They are:
- Tobin Bradley, Foreign Service Officer at the State Department, who served as a political advisor in Southern Iraq and organized 15 local elections there. Bradley is on his way to Princeton to receive a Masters Degree in Public Policy (as part of his professional development).
- Subhashree Madhavan of the Rembrandt Project Team at the NIH, who helped create a database for aiding cancer research and new treatment product development.
- Nicole Nelsen-Jean of the Department of Energy, who helped lead US negotiations with Russia over better securing nuclear materials and weapons which led to the creation of a service and training center for nuclear security in Murmansk, Russia.
The session opened with a glossily-produced video feature on the three professionals. Then Bradley, Madhavan, and Nelsen-Jean talked about their careers and how they got to where they are today.
All of them clearly love their work and public service. Here are some rewarding aspects of being a public servant in the eyes these young leaders:
- Commitment to the mission – public servants are extremely dedicated, energetic, etc.
- Being an agent for change – when people complain about the system, these public servants are in position to take note and create change.
- Making a difference – the biggest reward is how much you help people (citizens) – whether it is cancer patients or the general public (in the case of national security).
- Mentoring – mentors played a major role in these professionals career development; inn Nelsen-Jean’s case it was a key factor in her decision to become a public servant.
- Raising the bar – public service often puts young people into a sink or swim situation. All of them had superiors who pushes them, presented significant opportunities, and shared major responsibilities.
