077 | The Heart of a Public Servant with Renee Wynn

 

Renee Wynn is an Independent Board Member with over three decades of leadership experience in environmental policy, global information technology, and cybersecurity operations. She has spent over 25 years of her career working in information services at the Environmental Protection Agency before becoming the Chief Information Officer at NASA, a post she served for five years. In addition to serving on the advisory boards of Palo Alto Networks and Interos Solutions, Renee also sits on the board of The Women’s Center, a non-profit dedicated to improving the community’s mental health and well-being.

Renee joins me today to discuss how she was inspired to be a public servant, even after consciously avoiding civil service for a time. She shares her experience growing up as the child of two operatives for the American intelligence services and how the nature of her parents’ work influenced her career decisions. She describes her work with the Environmental Protection Agency and transition to become the CIO of NASA. She also highlights the role of cybersecurity in the growing space economy and shares her advice to women who doubt themselves in their careers.

“You absolutely must be curious and be good to your people.”
- Renee Wynn

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

  • The young Renee Wynn and what it was like to have parents that worked in intelligence services

  • How the nature of her parents’ work influenced Renee

  • Renee’s college education and the many different ways of getting educated

  • The reason Renee consciously stayed away from civil service and what made her change her mind

  • What led Renee to study programming and her introduction to the Environmental Protection Agency

  • Filling the talent gap in cybersecurity and data science

  • What prevents women from going for jobs or promotions

  • Finding your voice and command presence by asking for help from others

Our Favorite Quotes:

  • “Every time you’re at the table, you have the opportunity to give people the gift of your expertise.” - Renee Wynn

  • “Take time to self-reflect. We are imperfect, and that makes us beautiful. And when we make mistakes, that’s when we need to learn.” - Renee Wynn

Connect with Renee Wynn:

 

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

 
Guest InterviewKathy SullivanCareer and Leadership, Space