Employment History:
Senior Program Analyst, Science Education Program Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (1995-2002); Information Systems Security Program Manager, United States Public Health Service (1987-1995); Privacy Act Officer, United States Public Health Service (1974-1987); Assistant to the Director of the Program of Study Abroad, City University of New York (1967-1969); New England Regional Executive, World University Service (1965-1967)

Published Works:
Project Officer and Editor, “Identification of At-Rist Drinking and Intervention with Women of Child-Bearing Age: A Guide for Primary Care Providers“ (1999); Project Officer and Editor, “Identification and Care of Fetal Alcohol-Exposed Children: A Guide for Primary Care Providers“ (1999); Co-Author, “Information Technology Security Training Requirements: A Role- and Performance-Based Model,” Special Publication 800-16, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce (1998); Co-Author, “Professional Standards and Ethics: A Workbook for Public Administrators,” American Society for Public Administration (1979)

Public Speaking Experience:
“Life After GSPIA: Success is in Dealing with Plan B,” Commencement Address at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh (2006); “Needs for the Nineties: Growing Professionalization of Security Training and Security Trainers,” 16th National Computer Security Conference (1993)

Why She is an Expert:
I am a very good analyst, studying legislation, agency missions or programs and structure, and coming up with an assessment, appraisal, or recommendations. I write well, avoiding jargon. I am an experienced trainer of employees, have some knowledge of science education curriculum development and field testing, have advanced workplace diversity programs and collaborative committee management skills.

Best Advice:
Be a well-rounded student. Seek out cross-cultural experiences and learn a second or third language. In pursuing career mobility, stretch your comfort zone. In this ever-shrinking world, problems and challenges facing governments at all levels are becoming increasingly complex and intertwined, requiring career professionals who have vision, a broad set of skills, and the ability to relate to a varied of specialists and stakeholders.

Passionate about:
I am passionate about the way government at all levels works or doesn’t work. The private sector is fine, but the emphasis on entrepreneurism needs to be balanced by an equal understanding and enthusiasm for the legitimate role of government and quality public service by career professionals. Everyone understands the contribution that the military services make to his nation; not well understood is the contribution of civilian agencies. I am passionate about improving “civic literacy” and public service. I am also passionate about lifelong learning

Biography Excerpt:
Dorothea de Zafra-Atwell went into the federal government civil service in 1969 with a strong conviction to make a positive difference in the world. She chose to work with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, where she saw an opportunity to improve the nation’s quality of life. Although unable to view the direct impact her work had on people because it was several levels removed, she nevertheless felt that helping to shape federal policies and programs was really worthwhile. Furthermore, her involvement in a field that was traditionally considered to be male-dominated distinguished her as a pioneering female who capitalized on opportunities and excelled in her positions. Her ability to adapt to various environments was an invaluable asset as she progressed through the ranks of analytical and program management positions in health agencies and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

     

Cambridge Who's Who: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?  
MS. DOROTHEA DE ZAFRA-ATWELL :  I went into government to make a difference. John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” I was a member of the generation that was tremendously influenced by him. Throughout my career, I feel I did make a difference, but as a civil servant, I took umbrage at the stereotypical image of the “bureaucrat” that the public generally holds, including a number of my friends. I was proud to be a professional and I worked in the company of others who also saw themselves as career professionals giving their best to the service of the people of the United States. That was tremendously fulfilling and rewarding; it’s a calling, just as career military service is.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
It was leading an interagency team to design government-wide training standards in the rapidly-evolving field of computer security, affecting senior management to various job categories relative to information technology systems, to end users. “Information Technology Security Training Requirements: A Role- and Performance-Based Model” was issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1998. Emphasizing role-based training, it is a handbook to address the human weaknesses in security previously identified in Government Accountability Office reports, e.g. “insufficient awareness and understanding of information security risks among senior agency officials,” “poorly designed and implemented security programs,” “a shortage of personnel with technical expertise,” and “limited oversight of agency practices.”

What is the most significant issue facing your profession today?
One thing is the need for collaboration across fields and sectors – public and private – because everything is so intertwined and interdependent. You can’t separate the economy from the environment, or from health or education. Things that used to be neatly compartmentalized, you can’t separate anymore. What happens in one area impacts something else because one area gets the money and another area doesn’t; or in order to move one area ahead, you have to move other areas as well. Another issue is the problem of serious budget deficits at all levels of government, coming after years of cutbacks in domestic and research programs. As we have seen in the long national debate about healthcare reform, major initiatives can’t be undertaken because they can’t be funded. Not only does this have programmatic consequences, but it can further discourage the best and brightest young people from pursuing public service careers, thus further jeopardizing the quality of the government sector.