Today, I was promoted. Here’s why it’s the most special promotion I’ve ever received.

Even before I started officially working for the CIA in 2007, I sat down with a member of the human resources staff. She said: “You can expect to be promoted to GS-9 in six months, and GS-10 six months after that. Then, promotions to GS-11, GS-12, and GS-13 can each come after a year.”

And she was right, at least for the first three promotions I earned. And when I heard the news, I was excited, but the promotions were expected, so it meant a little less. It took me two years to promote to GS-12, which was a relief considering the increase in pay I received for being in Iraq would be a percentage of my base pay.

But my promotion to GS-13 took five years, far longer than many (or even most) of my colleagues. When I finally got promoted, I was relieved. About time…

I tried to earn my GS-14 but left government instead.

Then I started working for the Partnership for Public Service. I was hired as its marketing manager in March 2020. I didn’t know what the term meant, only that I would be managing the marketing. But I soon learned that manager was a specific level that corresponded to a particular hierarchy. And that was fine.

In the middle of last year, my supervisor told me that they were considering putting me up for promotion to senior marketing manager. She said there were four specific things I needed to do to put myself in the best position for consideration.

So, during the last half of last year, I put my head down and grinded it out. I worked hard. I shut up. I did my work as best I could.

Today, promotions were announced at the organization. Our CEO announced my promotion and described my accomplishments. Emails and chat messages from supportive colleagues started to pour in, congratulating me on my achievement.

And I was (and remain) very grateful for their support. But here’s something they don’t know.

This was the first time in my entire 16-year professional career that I received a promotion that was neither expected nor a relief. All my promotions at CIA, from GS-9 through GS-13, were expected at a certain time frame or a relief. All my promotions as a naval reserve intelligence officer, from lieutenant junior grade to lieutenant, were all expected, based on a time table.

This promotion at the Partnership, from manager to senior manager, is the first promotion I’ve ever earned that was by no means a guarantee, an expectation, or a relief.

It was something that was identified as a possibility last summer, with very clear expectations for what I needed to do to earn it. I worked really, really hard, and they promoted me because of it. And I remain grateful that they did.

That’s what makes this one so special, so unique, and so unexpected.

I’m excited for the new opportunities that lay ahead and am continually grateful to work with a great group of people, all of whom were integral in helping me earn this recognition.

Onward.