The President’s Commission on White House Fellowships announced the appointment of the 2016-2017 class of White House Fellows. The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds, varied professions, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and leadership. The 2016-2017 class of Fellows and their biographies are included in the following pages. Fellows Program created in 1964 to give promising American leaders “first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government, and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.” This unique opportunity to work within our nation’s government is designed to encourage active citizenship and a lifelong commitment to service. The Fellows take part in an education program designed to broaden their knowledge of leadership, policy formulation, and current affairs. Community service is another essential element of the program, and Fellows participate in service projects throughout their year in Washington, D.C. Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential, and a proven commitment to public service.
Raven Bukowski, as an intelligence officer, she has led more than 200 intelligence collectors and analysts over the course of five overseas deployments within the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. She last served as the Director of Intelligence for 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) where she led the intelligence effort for the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Syria. In this role, Raven delivered intelligence assessments to U.S. Interagency and Intergovernmental partners that directly informed policy-level decisions on military operations to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Prior to that, Raven was an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the United States Military Academy’s Department of Social Sciences, where in addition to teaching she served as an academic counselor and conducted research for the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis. Raven is an active Term Member on the Council on Foreign Relations and the author or co-author of four papers dealing with military doctrine or defense policy. Raven received an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Timothy Gatlin, most recently served as the strategic planner for the Director of the Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention program. As a commander, he conducted operations in support of the Army’s counter-terrorism operations in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During Operation Spartan Shield, he deployed as a Brigade Fire Support Officer, advising on targeting, joint fire support operations, and foreign military partnerships. Previously, he was a faculty member at the United States Military Academy and a Local Dynamics of War Scholar at the Army Command and General Staff College. He has presented and published on topics including leadership, state-sponsored development programs in Iraq, and regionally aligned forces. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Timothy co-founded the Excel Scholars Initiative, an enrichment program dedicated to diversifying the West Point cadet leadership and faculty pools by launching minority cadets into leadership roles and into contention for prestigious post-graduate programs. He has also served as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Orange County, NY. He received an M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University as an Eisenhower Leader Development Fellow. Prior to his selection as a Fellow, Timothy was selected to serve as a battalion commander.