The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs welcomes Zachary Constantino as a Practitioner Fellow in our community for the start of 2025.
His expertise spans twenty years working at the intersection of international security, diplomacy, and intelligence for the United States Government. His work in policy further includes serving as a career analyst, as well as a senior policy advisor in the Departments of State and Defense, where he advanced initiatives on a wide range of foreign policy issues. Currently, he works as an adjunct lecturer at George Washington University, teaching graduate courses on national security and intelligence.
Having earned several accolades as a thought leader and seasoned policy advocate, we sat down with Zachary to learn more about his career and his upcoming time with us. He shares how he draws critical lessons from any career challenges he faces, as well as how students’ application of his teachings in their own policy career keeps him inspired. Check out his Q&A here:
What has been a meaningful moment in your career that underscores the need for good public policy?
I am privileged to have been given multiple opportunities to work on cutting-edge or weighty issues. I consider my efforts to advance Afghan peace talks as a meaningful period in my career (2015-2017). Jump starting negotiations was a massively complex enterprise, testing my skills as a diplomat, analyst, and policy champion working alongside a team of dedicated professionals. The work was intense and unglamorous, and ultimately unsuccessful. But even in the shadow of failure, I learned invaluable lessons, such as the making of statecraft and strategy, the limits of power and the imperative of restraint, the inherent challenges in forging policy among competing interests, collaborating with partners, and dealing with adversaries. The experience also was a humbling one, imparting to me a lasting reverence for peacebuilders in conflict zones. They are often quiet heroes who eschew the limelight while assuming considerable risks to bring an end to bloodshed and violence.
What are you most looking forward to engaging in as an SPPGA Practitioner Fellow?
I am thrilled to return to the classroom because engaging the next generation of policy practitioners is a deeply rewarding experience. I caught the “teaching bug” as an adjunct lecturer at George Washington University where I had the privilege to teach an outstanding group of rising professionals motivated by a profound commitment to public service. I am particularly inspired by former students who keep in touch and recount how they connected knowledge and immersive learning experiences from my classes with their endeavors in government, private industry, or the non-profit sector.
I also had immeasurably talented mentors and colleagues throughout my two-decade-long career in government. My managers and co-workers sharpened my analytic and communication skills and ability to operate as a policy advocate. They encouraged me to think critically, never settle for conventional wisdom, and always cherish public service as a noble calling. I could not have succeeded without their patience, kindness, and wisdom. I see my upcoming interactions with the UBC student body as an opportunity to pay it forward. Hopefully, some of the insights I share from the trenches will help students as they think about pursuing potential career paths and contributing to the common good as Canadians and global citizens.
