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Building Partnerships for a Better Government
Federal Executive Board of Minnesota Office of the Executive Director 1 Federal Drive, Suite 2250
St. Paul, MN 55111 (612) 713-‐7200 Facsimile (612) 713-‐7203 www.minnesota.feb.gov
Thursday, October 17, 2013 From: Joseph G. Schmitt, Executive Director, US Dept. of Interior, Inner Office of the Secretary Subject: Letter of Recommendation for Nicholas Theiss
It is with great pleasure I have been afforded the opportunity to write this letter on behalf of Nik Theiss. I have had good fortune to know and observe Nik’s performance and character since taking a position on my executive staff with the Federal Executive Board of Minnesota (FEB) in January of 2013. Nik is one of the most innovative, creative, and self-‐motivated executive we have here at the FEB which serves as the central nervous system for the Federal government communications and liaison in Minnesota. We have all seen academically gifted students and employees, but we rarely have the opportunity to observe gifted students who leverage a multitude of talents to reach their true potential; Nik does this in every aspect of his life and he has earned my admiration and respect.
Nik’s work ethic and level of commitment to his established goals are evident in everything he does. His
unmatched success comes in part from intellectual ability but just as much from his passion and selfless attitude. As a retired Marine Officer, Corporate Sr. Executive and now a Federal Appointee, I have worked with brilliant people who lacked success in their lives for a number of reasons. What I believe makes Nik so successful in his current communications role and life in general, is his ability to strategically think through what is important to him, he sets a plan of action and milestones in place, expertly communicates his intent, and finally he has the discipline to follow through to see his goals to completion.
Nik’s academic prowess is evidenced by him being selected as the Outstanding Student of the College of
Arts and Sciences and he graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude from Metropolitan State University. He is also the public relations officer of the Student Senate at Metropolitan State University which comes with a strict compliment of prerequisites to include GPA, attendance, professor recommendations, and stellar student service. While this is impressive, it pales in comparison to “how” Nik accomplishes his goals. Blessed with innate intelligence and a superior ability to draw upon common sense, he is a force multiplier within his school community and equally as impressive here with the Federal Executive Board. He is looked up to by his peers, sought by his fellow workers and he is respected by our Board of Directors and me personally. Nik is a creative and engaging role model, and a source of inspiration for all who know and work with him. Demonstrating strong values and a desire to help others, he proactively sought to serve as a student-‐to-‐student mentor, he supports his community in need, and he delivers excellence beyond expectations with our 77,000 Federal employees and retirees we serve and live in Minnesota.
Nik is also a decisive decision maker who draws upon his knowledge of working with diverse populations
to make timely and thoughtful decisions. Leveraging his expertise in corporate communications and media, Nik was hand-‐selected by me and my deputy to lead our 2013 Civil Servant of the Year Award (CSYA) Celebration for the State of Minnesota. This event took place only 4 short months after Nik’s arrival and the annual CSYA is nothing short of a herculean task. Nik expertly worked and delegated tasks associated with public relations, Federal communications, branding and marketing, audio visual, seating, and event logistics. This formal
Building Partnerships for a Better Government
recognition event drew in every senior Federal director in Minnesota to include Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie. This event which runs much like the Oscars was the best event attendees had ever participated in and was executed under budget. This annual celebration was skillfully planned and wonderfully executed by Nik, drawing many verbal accolades by VIPs and our 600 attendees.
Nik freely donates his time to children, people in need, and he balances his life by following his passions
which bring just as much joy as his academic and professional success. Nik’s passions include communications, writing, and photography. Nik has leveraged his talents in these areas to support all of our major events in 2013 to include Government on Display Expo which brought in over 389,000 visitors for our two day event held at the Mall of America. Our Federal events bring in hundreds of thousands of people annually and Nik’s ability to cast his vision, plan an event, communicate our approach to a broad and diverse population, and then execute the plan with precision is one of his hallmark strengths, and a trait I am personally thankful for.
Nik is unflappable; no matter how fast the operational tempo or how difficult the challenge, he makes his complex role appear easy. During our time together, I had the opportunity to admire his performance in a variety of challenging situations and at times, under great stress. Each time, Nik consistently displayed the highest standards of professionalism, leadership, and dedication that unquestionably demonstrate his ability to leverage his strengths serving on your GovDelivery Team. Being the second in command of a large military base at one point in my career put me in a delicate position of building relations with the community while seamlessly preparing for combat operations in Iraq – not an easy balance considering the noise of aircraft overhead, vehicle convoys, and dropping of live ammunition on our many ranges. I worked closely with great public affairs/relations experts and I can tell you without question that Nik Theiss is the type of person I would seek out to lead my public affairs, communications, and media teams in the most challenging of circumstances. Nik continually demonstrates a pattern of excellence that is typified by his intellectual capability, maturity, character, and the courage to make a tangible difference in the lives of those he comes in contact with.
In summary, I consider myself fortunate to be part of Nik Theiss’ professional career. As a youthful
leader of today, he epitomizes the ideals of what is best in all Americans. He is an outstanding individual who truly cares about people and he exemplifies the concept of service to others. He has continually delivered excellence on his commitments with a high level of emotional intelligence and he will ensure that this position is served to the best of his abilities and in a manner aligned with your organizational values. I can share with you in great confidence that Nik will be one of the best hiring decisions you will make because he will not rest until your shared goals are accomplished. Professionals of Nik’s caliber are extremely rare; please do not pass up this opportunity to hire this truly remarkable person.
Sincerely,
Joseph G. Schmitt
Executive Director