• How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?
• Work or internship experience during graduate school
• What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?
• Were you a Presidential Management Intern?
• What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?
• What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?
• Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?
• What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?

> As a career Naval officer, I was selected for graduate studies by the Navy.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> I was a full time student.

What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?

> The most beneficial course was offered by Professor Dick Doyle -- the Department of Defense and the Legislative Process.

Were you a Presidential Management Intern?

> No.

What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?

> After graduation, I returned to the Navy and served in a variety of assignments including establishing the first Information Warfare Office on the Staff of the Secretary of Defense, serving as a Congressional Fellow in the Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and serving as a policy advisor on the personal staff of the Director, National Security Agency. After retiring from the Navy after 20 years of active duty service, I entered private industry as the Business Operations Manager for AT&T. In August 1999, I returned to Capitol Hill to serve on the personal staff of Congressman Mac Thornberry. I would like to continue to serve my country.

What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?

> The most worthwhile aspect of my current job is to help the Congressman formulate and implement policy that will positively influence national security including transformation of the military services to better fight and win the wars of the future and creating a Department of Homeland Security to better prepare the federal government to respond to the threats of the 21st century. 

Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?

> My experience at Naval Postgraduate School helped broaden my intellectual horizons and provided me with the framework, tools and techniques to apply to managerial and organizational problems inside and outside of government.

What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

> Although this may sound somewhat trivial, I have been guided in my career by several principles:
1. Make sure you take care of the people who work for you.
2. Keep focused on the big picture goals and objectives (i.e., don't sweat the small stuff).
3. Public service is a privilege, not a right.
4. To paraphrase President Ronald Reagan, "You can get a lot of stuff done in Washington if you don't care who takes credit for it.