Rodel Federal Executive Fellowship

A ground-breaking leadership and intellectual development program for senior leaders in the United States government.

Rodel Federal Executive Fellowship

The Rodel Federal Executive Fellowship is an intellectual and leadership professional development fellowship for senior-level career civil servants across the federal government’s executive branch agencies. For each cohort, the program selects 20 to 24 exceptional members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Foreign Service (SFS), GS-15’s, and equivalent positions from across the federal government to come together for a series of three multi-day seminars. Working with expert moderators, the Fellows study and discuss challenging texts on leadership and innovation in large organizations, the nature of democracies, emerging technologies, the American economy, and the changing geopolitical landscape. They also engage in practical, relevant leadership training focused on promoting innovation within the context of large government bureaucracies.

What Our People Say About Us

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to engage in honest, intellectual, and highly collaborative conversations on the most critical issues facing our federal government today. The program's emphasis on fostering a community of forward-thinking leaders has been truly inspiring.

Kerry K. NealAssociate Commissioner for Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

Participating in Rodel has been a transformative experience. Both the program content and the amazing cohort of interagency leaders has helped me become a more innovative and effective leader. Enhancing my leadership skills has allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the federal government's work on behalf of the American people.

Brian MazanecDeputy Assistant Secretary and Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

I came into Rodel exhausted but left energized by the people I met and the discussions we had. The conversations we had really challenged the way I think about myself and what's possible in future leadership roles.

Jessica GallusHolistic Health Integrator, U.S. Space Force

OUR FELLOWS

Class of 2023

Cara Abercrombie

Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Defense Policy and Arms Control, National Security Council

Najiyah Alwazir

Senior Governance Advisor, Middle East Bureau, U.S. Agency for International Development

Jennifer Bachus

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, U.S. Department of State

Courtney Beale

Executive Assistant to the Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State

Robert Borka

Deputy Executive Director, Program Accountability and Risk Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Jeff R. Bray

Deputy, Office of Maritime and International Law, U.S. Coast Guard

Mike Buchwald

Career Attorney, Office of Law and Policy, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice

Mike Carroll

Chief Acquisition and Contracting Officer, Human Resources Command, U.S. Department of the Army

Vivian Chen

Chief Learning Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Rhonda J. Davis

Head, Office of Equity and Civil Rights, National Science Foundation

Avis Denease Dickey

Senior Advisor to the Chief Human Capital Resources Officer and Deputy Ethics Counselor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Justin Fanelli

Technical Director, Digital Enterprise Services, U.S. Department of the Navy

Suzanne Fry

Senior Intelligence Service, Intelligence Community

Jessica Gallus

Senior Advisor, Office of Force Resiliency, U.S. Department of the Navy

Nayla Kawerk

Acting Deputy Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs, Office of the Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Brian Mazanec

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director, Office of Security, Intelligence, and Information Management, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Kerry K. Neal

Associate Commissioner for Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

Kimberly Noonan

NextGen Stakeholder Collaboration Division Director, Federal Aviation Administration

Lida Noory

Director for Women, Peace, and Security, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State

Joan Polaschik

Director, Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State

Aziza Shukair

Director and Senior Advisor

Jason D. Strickland

Maritime Platform Specialist, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering for Emerging Technology, U.S. Department of Defense

Nathan Tek

Deputy Spokesperson, Bureau of Global Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Matthew Tuchow

General Counsel, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of State

Title and affiliation reflect position at time of selection to the Rodel Federal Executive Fellowship.

Latest News

Judicial Fellowship | Rodel Fellowship

Rodel’s Bipartisan Approach

The Rodel Institute is a nonpartisan center for leadership development and intellectual growth. Our past fellows include: two members of President Trump’s cabinet and three from President Biden’s cabinet, U.S. Senators from both parties, members of Congress from both parties, and Governors from both parties. Every seminar we hold has between 16 and 28 participants […]

Class of 2025 Rodel Fellows Announced

The Rodel Institute is delighted to announce the selection of the 2025 Class of Rodel Fellows. The Rodel Fellowship is the nation’s premier leadership development program for elected leaders. Each year, the program selects 24 outstanding state and local leaders, divided between the political parties, to come together for a series of three multi-day seminars […]

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig Wins 2024 Edwards Book Award

The Rodel Institute is pleased to announce that Jonathan Eig’s biography King: A Life has won the 2024 Edwards Book Award. The prize will be conferred on September 26 at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, which is co-hosting this year’s award ceremony with the Rodel Institute. The Edwards Book Award is […]