STEVEN F. ZORNETZER
Posted by smahaskey
Joining federal service as a newly minted member of the Senior Executive Service in 1983, one of my first “best days†was my Federal Executive Institute experience in Charlottesville, Va. Any concerns I had about the quality and caliber of senior executives in government were quickly put to rest. My classmates were some of the most dedicated, intelligent, energetic and passionate people I had ever met. I was off to an auspicious beginning!
Working at the Office of Naval Research gave me the opportunity to lead and shape national research and development programs. From developing new and more effective training programs to developing performance aids for the war fighter to better understanding the control of infectious disease to providing new approaches to signal processing, my experiences at ONR gave me a sense of giving back to my country. The men and women of ONR shared my dedication and commitment and provided me with endless “best daysâ€.
Careers need to continuously provide challenging growth opportunities and so with mine. In 1997, I moved on to NASA’s Ames Research Center. The many “best days†I’ve had are more associated with helping young people succeed and grow in their own careers than with specific technical contributions (though I’ve been fortunate to have had my share of those as well).
I’ve been fortunate over the years to benefit from the wisdom and counsel of a few outstanding senior mentors. I enjoy playing that same role today. If federal service continues to be a noble effort, we need to ensure that those we pass the baton to accept with excellence, enthusiasm and commitment.
Zornetzer is associate director, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.