EEO Works At the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ñ
Just Ask Cynthia Dekle

Winter 2000 "Mentoring Connections"
This article originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of NR&C and has been reprinted with their permission.

INDEX:

A Personal Success Story
If the Office of Small Business and Civil Rights is ever looking for a poster person to advertise the agency's Equal Employment Opportunity Programs, Cynthia Dekle of the Office of the Chief Information Officer could be the perfect candidate. Her radiant smile reflects her feelings about herself, her job and the agency.

If SBCR or the Office of Human Resources is ever looking for a spokesperson for these programs, Cynthia could again be the perfect candidate. Her words quickly affirm listenersí faith in ìthe system.î

To a skeptic, Cynthia's story may sound too good to be true. But true it is. She has followed standard agency advice, and she has taken advantage of the opportunities that the agency offers. The results speak for themselves.

A Clerical Employee Sets Her Sights on Chief Information Officer

Cynthia came to the NRC, barely out of junior college, as a productive typist. Today she is a professional (GG-13) in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and her master's degree in computer science is just a few courses away. If her plans continue on track, she sees herself earning a doctorate and becoming a Chief Information Officer, here or elsewhere.

She's done it by the book:



First Steps Toward Growth
When Cindy started as a typist in the old CRESS centralized typing unit in 1985, business was booming, with day and night shifts to keep up with the work load. ìCRESS was always the first to get new automated equipment,î Cynthia says. She found that fascinating.

ìSo, when the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation needed a systems administrator for its 5520 system, I thought that might be an opportunity for me,î she says. As applications advanced, so did Cynthia. She moved from the 5520 into PCs and the LAN. Change created opportunities and Cynthia took advantage of them.


Need for Guidance & a Plan
She says, ìI moved right along with the changes in technology. But I didn't really know where I was going or what the agency offered to help me, until Beth DeWoody became my mentor.î

Beth, a former colleague in CRESS, had already become involved in advanced information technology applications. Cynthia is lavish in her praise of Beth's help.

"Once I got into the mentoring program, I became focused on how to use this new technology to my benefit," Cynthia says. "I knew I wanted to become involved in the systems area, and then I knew I had to go to school. Hands-on training doesn't take the place of in-depth learning."

Cynthia also learned from Beth that the agency would help; so far the agency has paid all her tuition and book costs.



The Mentor Gives Her a Challenge
Cynthia had her associate's degree from Prince George's Community College, and in 1994, with Beth's urging, she enrolled in the University of Maryland. She earned her bachelor's degree and in January 1997 started work toward her master's in computer system
management. She also changed jobs, moving to OCIO and a position in the Information Technology Infrastructure Division.

That job was strictly customer support. She enjoyed it, but her master's program was opening her eyes to many other aspects of the computer world. When the opportunity to move into Applications Development came up, she was ready. It tied in well with what she has been studying, and it was a promotion!

While taking a master's program and holding down a full-time job isn't easy, Cynthia says the program and her job complement each other very well. What she does or learns in one is readily transferable to the other.


New Opportunities for Growth
Cynthia is enthusiastic about many things, but she is particularly enthusiastic about ADAMS, the agency's new document management and distribution system. Since December 1999, she has been a computer systems analyst in the Applications Development Division of OCIO to assist in the implementation of ADAMS. The ADAMS systems administrators handle technical and technical configuration issues as well as calls from individual employees who have a question or need support.

The system may sound complicated at first, she says, "It's a very basic system. All people have to do is just point and click. People don't have to be programmers to use ADAMS. Anyone who is used to games or surfing the web will have no problem using ADAMS." Cynthia finds her work with ADAMS particularly exciting.

ìThis is the first time I've worked on a project from near its beginning through implementation,î she says. ìIt's opened my eyes as to how applications are built and put into use.î


The Individual Development Plan
Throughout her professional development process, Cynthia has found her Individual Development Plan of great value.

An IDP is:



Recommendations From the Protégé
The first step Cynthia would recommend to most people is: ìFind a mentor. Sit down with your mentor or your supervisor and map out what you want to do and how you can get there.

"Then, get on your way. The biggest step toward reaching your career goal will be the one you take when you sign up for your first course."

Going back to school was easier than Cynthia anticipated, but, she concedes, ìThe work load is heavy. I seem to spend all my time working or at school, and I think I spend more time at the Grad School library than I do anywhere else. I'm tired, but I can't see myself slowing down. So, once I have my master's, Iíll probably go for my Ph.D. Eventually, I can see myself as a CIO, somewhere, maybe even here. Quite a change from the typing pool!


Acknowledgments and Giving Back
Cynthia is grateful for the help she received from Beth; from ADD Division Director, Arnold ìMoeî Levin; from Information Management Team Leader, Dan Graser; and others. To complete the loop, Cynthia now serves as a mentor to several other employees who are now in school.

"When I came here, I really didn't have any direction," Cynthia says. "I know how valuable a mentor can be."

Cynthia is very happy with all that has come to pass in her career and when you talk to her, her good feelings are certainly contagious.

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