Civilian graduates DOD’s premier executive development program

  • Published
Kirtland AFB's very own, Michael W. Zmuda, has completed a rigorous curriculum with challenging developmental assignments preparing him as an executive leader within the Department of Defense.

Mr. Zmuda, a senior civilian assigned to the Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency, was competitively selected for the Defense Leadership and Management Program in 1998 and recently graduated.

Throughout DOD, 68 participants completed DLAMP and were honored, at a ceremony and reception in Arlington, Va. Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Michael L. Dominguez served as host. Acting Secretary of the Army Pete Geren presented the keynote address. The Honorable Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense, and Patricia S. Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, presented the certificates of completion signed by the secretary of defense to the honorees.

Established in 1997, DLAMP is the premier executive development program for senior defense civilians and is a key component of the department's succession management strategy, preparing a cadre of senior civilian leaders to fill critical positions now and into the future. The robust curriculum is designed to develop highly capable senior civilian executives with an enterprise-wide perspective; substantive knowledge of the national security mission; a shared understanding, trust, and sense of mission with military leaders; and strong leadership and management skills.

Mr. Zmuda's comprehensive curriculum included a master's degree in national security and strategic studies, eight additional graduate courses in business management and public policy, senior professional military education at the Naval War College, and several leadership and executive development courses and seminars. His developmental assignments involved both joint service and multiagency leadership responsibilities.

In addition, Mr. Zmuda was mentored by an undersecretary of defense. Mr. Zmuda completed the DLAMP program while pursuing a doctorate degree in physics, optical sciences, from The University of New Mexico with an expected graduation date of December.

Anyone who would like to acquire additional information on DLAMP, including selection process and entrance requirements, should contact Dodie Tunches at 210-565-2524.