Former CIA Collection Management Officer on Life with Esther Atwell – Episode 55

28-06-2024 • 1 hr 1 min

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today we are talking to Esther Atwell, a former linguist and collection manager who spent over a decade at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Esther has had a varied career beyond intelligence, working as a tutor, realtor and court interpreter on the island of Hawaii. We discussed working in the CIA and overseas, what it takes to work in intelligence, immigrating to the US and much more. Esther is also the partner of our previous guest, CIA operations officer John Atwell.

Find Esther Atwell:

We Spoke About:

1:10 - Early life, learning languages, tutoring, livining overseas and joining the CIA with her husband.
18:42 - Being an Operationally Certified Collection Management Officer
23:59 - The desired traits of someone wants to work in this field
28:47 - Esether's view on faith and not mourning over missed opportunity
33:30 - Immigrating to the US and sense of patriotic duty
40:05 - Esther on working in the CIA and overseas as a woman and someone with foreign heritage
45:50 - Advice for young people looking to work in intelligence
54:16 - Cultural recommendations

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