Jerome Pickett M.B.A., M.A.

“It is a privilege to recommend Mr. Jerome Pickett. For the past 20 years, I have had an opportunity to work with Jerome on a variety of programs and initiatives and have directly observed his technical and organizational expertise, leadership skills, professional demeanor, and interaction with both peers and numerous government and private sector sponsors. Jerome has a substantial and distinguished record of achievement and, in my judgment, he will provide great benefit to the National Basketball Association. Jerome has been an excellent and outstanding Special Agent of the United States Secret Service in the area of national and homeland security. We communicate on a regular and often daily basis. His background with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ultimately as the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, serving 16 years as an agent and senior executive, provided an excellent foundation for meeting the challenges associated with the DHS mission to build a safer, more secure, and more resilient America from an all-hazards perspective. He is able to quickly research and integrate open source and sensitive information to produce quality analytic and policy documents. One of his great strengths is effectively communicating such information by tailoring the products/messages to the audience (e.g., critical and strategic thinking, technical, policy, and owner/operator perspectives). Jerome faces complex programmatic and organizational challenges on a daily basis. He defines clear goals and objectives and strives to ensure a collaborative environment that is both efficient and effective. He serves as a mentor to many government and support staff but also from contractor support organizations, helping both junior and senior staff navigate career paths in the government and private sector. I believe that his insights and substantial work experiences significantly benefit others and their professional tradecraft. One of Jerome's traits that I greatly admire is his desire for self-improvement and new knowledge. He is constantly researching new topics and technology, including organizational dynamics and creative thinking, and attempting to apply such knowledge to the programs that require support. This creative process is stimulating and frequently leads to new ways to meet what may otherwise have been impossible requirements. My highest recommendation is bestowed to Mr. Jerome Pickett on the basis of my extensive interaction with Jerome for the past 20 years, his demonstrated ability to successfully serve as a manager of personnel and programs, his dedication and accomplishments in meeting important national and homeland security needs, and his peer recognition which extends well beyond the Secret Service into other law enforcement organizations, the Federal government in general, academia, and industry. ”