Presidential Management Fellows Program Fulfills Bureau of Reclamation Employee’s Dream to Work in Public Service

Written by: Sarah Webster

Daniel Drucker launched his public service career in May 2016, as an Appropriations Analyst with the Commissioner’s Office at the Bureau of Reclamation.Inspired by many, Daniel Drucker of Coral Springs, Florida, says he knew as a teenager that he would one day work as a public servant. But what he didn’t know way back then was that a prestigious program created three decades ago by an Executive Order would fulfill his passion. That program is the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Drucker is a 2015 PMF Finalist. To become a Finalist the applicant must participate in an arduous, multi-phase process. He or she must earn their place in the program by demonstrating their leadership ability and potential. Each year, candidates apply for the prestigious title of PMF Finalists, but only selected finalists are eligible for appointment as Fellows.

Drucker launched his public service career in May 2016, as an Appropriations Analyst with the Commissioner’s Office at the Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, District of Columbia. He is supervised by Bureau of Reclamation Program Analyst Randyl Gessel and is mentored by Bureau of Reclamation Chief of Congressional Affairs Ann Adler.

"Daniel has launched into his new post with tremendous enthusiasm,” Adler said. “Reclamation is benefiting from his apparent thirst to learn and desire to take on new challenges that are welcome and valuable qualities for anyone interested in public service work."

“I believe Daniel is a representative of the caliber and sheer exuberance of PMF hires,” Gressel said. “He is eager to learn everything he can about Reclamation and our relationship with Congress. His skills mesh perfectly with the goals and mission of Reclamation, and his personality is such that he is genuinely fun to be around.”

Drucker first became interested in government service during his senior year at Northeast High School, Oakland Park, Florida, while interning with Broward County’s Homeless Initiative Partnership. His mentor, Michael Wright, inspired him to pursue a career in government service.

After high school, Drucker studied political science and economics at the University of Miami (UM), Florida, focusing on international issues. It was at UM where he met Professor Bradford McGuinn, who has a doctorate in Middle Eastern and Security Studies, and became inspired by the professor to pursue a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant and travel to the Republic of Turkey.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, named after Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, is the largest international exchange program affiliated with the U.S. government. It operates in more than 140 countries and awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study. Through this program, recent graduates, graduate students and young professionals can conduct international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide.

After completing his Bachelor of Business Administration at UM, Drucker accepted a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to Nevsehir University in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. During his time overseas he also served as a speechwriter for G20 Turkey, primarily writing about business and economic issues for the Head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Rifat Hisarciklioglu. Drucker also wrote for former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and businessman Ali Yildirim Koç.

After completing the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Drucker traveled to the United Kingdom to pursue a Master of Business Administration at Merton College, Oxford. Drucker was presented in 2014 with two BNY Mellon Achievement Awards by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, for his contributions to the academic community. After graduating from Oxford, Drucker heard about the PMF program through a former classmate and applied thereafter. After a months-long application process, he was named a 2015 Finalist for the PMF program.

Drucker received multiple PMF offers but decided on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. “I chose Interior because there were a lot more responsibilities,” Drucker says. “This was one of the most substantive PMF positions available. I liked the fact that there’s an infrastructure component and a congressional component to the position.”

So far he has learned a lot at Reclamation. “I’ve learned about what Reclamation does in the western U.S. I had somewhat of an idea what Reclamation’s purpose was, but in being here, I have really come to understand the pivotal role it plays,” Drucker said. “I am learning about the Bureau’s mission and its projects — how the system of dams work and how they generate power —and how the Bureau tries to balance the needs of the environment with the needs of the local populations.”

For a kid who was always interested in the government, it is no surprise to find out that Drucker is overjoyed with his new life and career here in the District of Columbia. He says he looks forward to learning more with Reclamation, undertaking more professional courses, and eventually doing a job rotation, perhaps on Capitol Hill.

“I’ve already been around several congressional hearings and meetings, and I have become very familiar with Capitol Hill,” Drucker said. “My number one goal is to continue to learn about Congress and to continue to get a better understanding of how it works—what motivates people—and how to most effectively do policymaking through the legislative branch in connection with the executive branch. Beyond that, I also hope to continue to learn more about infrastructure and its budgeting, as I think that is incredibly useful knowledge.”

“I feel a lot more knowledgeable about government today than I did just a few months ago,” Drucker said. Furthermore, “I also genuinely, thoroughly enjoy working with the people here at Reclamation. We have an intensely intelligent and dedicated staff,” he added.

His supervisors and peers say the feelings are mutual. “Often in the morning, Daniel comes in with a ready statement for the day such as, “I’m going to have a very productive day today!” or something similar,” Gressel said. “Then Daniel takes every step necessary to ensure that is precisely the kind of day he will have!”

“Daniel's enthusiasm and positive attitude is a real asset to Reclamation and is contagious, it emanates down the hallways and provides us all with inspiration to become better workers,” Mid-Pacific Regional Liaison Harry Horner said.

“I want to continue to take on new roles and responsibilities that will enable me to help people in a direct and substantive way," Drucker said. "That’s why I pursued a career in public service in the first place.”

Published on July 22, 2016