5/31 Discussion with Debra Rogers, USCIS

On May 31st, WHS held an event with Debra Rogers, the Deputy Associate Director at USCIS Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate. Ms. Rogers spoke about her life and experiences, how she ended up in the government, and shared some valuable life lessons.

Since February 2013, Debra Rogers has served as Deputy Associate Director at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate, where she has set the pace and tone for a team recognized within the federal community for being at the forefront in promoting a meaningful customer experience and informative public engagements.

Ms. Rogers began her government career in 1984 as a student intern with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service. Since then, she has held a variety of operational and managerial positions in offices across the United

States, including Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Diego. Before transferring to Washington, D.C. in 2006 to serve as Chief of the Information and Customer Service Division, she was the first USCIS District Director in San Diego where she established a strong community outreach program in partnership with businesses, community groups, Members of Congress, and other government officials. In 2009, after serving as Acting Deputy Associate Director for the Office for Domestic Operations, she was permanently designated as Associate Director for the USCIS Field Operations Directorate, where she was responsible for ensuring the timely, appropriate administration of immigration and citizenship benefits and services at field offices throughout the United States. Ms. Rogers also served as the USCIS liaison to the Department of Defense responsible for improving the level of service provided to U.S. military service members and their families.

In 2010, Ms. Rogers was selected to serve as Deputy Director for the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. In that role she was instrumental in recommending changes that improved the efficient delivery of citizenship and immigration services. She is a principled leader who has consistently demonstrated an abiding commitment to customers, stakeholders, and agency employees. She is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.