Episode 1: From medical sales to becoming an FBI Profiler

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Retired SSA Gamba started her career in Boston working narcotics, and believe it or not, she executed her first arrest in heels! She worked healthcare fraud for six years, before moving to New York City in April of 2001. She was working the USS Cole bombing, when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened. Ms. Gamba was handpicked to be part of the 25-person team who would move to Washington, D.C. to work the 9/11 investigation. In addition, she was part of the team who prepared questions for the team interrogating Khaled Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), the architect behind the 9/11 attacks. Ms. Gamba was the lead Agent investigating an American al-Qaeda operative, who was the next in line to carry out another attack. After successfully running this lead, Ms. Gamba ascended the ranks. She worked at FBI’s Headquarters for the Office of International Operations and later became the Assistant to Deputy Director John Pistole; she also worked as a field Supervisor in Chicago. Ms. Gamba concluded her career in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as an FBI Profiler.  

Retired SSA Tracy Bradford joined the Federal of Investigation (FBI) in April 1995. After new agent training, she joined the Atlanta Field Office as a special agent where she investigated violent crimes and matters of national security. She also worked the 1996 Olympics and covered leads related to the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.  During her assignment in Atlanta, she went to the FBI's rigorous undercover school and served in undercover roles. Ms. Bradford later moved to the Houston Field Office, where she served as the Crisis Management Coordinator - a role which occasionally took her overseas to provide crisis training to international partners. Ms. Bradford also served in the Cleveland Field Office as a Senior Supervisory Special Agent, where she led the Youngstown Resident Agency (RA) and was responsible for all national security, administrative, and operational functions of the RA. At various times during her career, Ms. Bradford served in leadership roles in the Domestic Terrorism Operations Unit, the Director’s Research Group, Leadership Development Program, Human Resources Division, and the Information and Technology Branch (ITB). Ms. Bradford also served overseas as Acting Assistant Legal Attache in Lagos, Pretoria, and Baghdad. In November 2017, Ms. Bradford retired from the FBI as Special Assistant to the Executive Assistant Director, ITB. But, she returned shortly thereafter, to the FBI as a consultant to the Finance and Facilities Division, Huntsville Project Management Office, and the Leadership Program Instructions Unit. In 2020, Ms. Bradford served as an Instructor, Basic Field Training Course, where she remained, until July 2022.

Retired SSA Michelle Pickens has worked for the FBI for 24 years. Although she is retired, she continues to instruct at the FBI Academy. She is a core instructor, teaching New Agent Trainees the Basic Field Training Course (BFTC). Michelle joined the Bureau in 1999 after having worked for the IRS as an investigator.  Her first office was Phoenix, followed by Salt Lake City. Throughout her tenure, Michelle worked Public Corruption. In 2013, Michelle became a Supervisory Special Agent of the Public Corruption squad in Salt Lake City and transferred to the FBI Academy in 2020, where she continues to serve. At Quantico, Michelle truly enjoys mentoring and empowering women Agent Trainees. 

Retired SSA Zorka Martinovich has 30 years of public service, 22 of which were devoted to the FBI. Zorka was born and raised in Chicago, IL and at a young age exhibited and had an affinity for being influential and the power of persuasion. Zorka has a BA in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and a MS in Industrial Relations/Dispute Resolution from Loyola University, Chicago. She worked for the Department of Labor for nine years as a Compliance Officer. In addition to her investigative duties, Zorka represented federal employees as a union steward and labor negotiator where she developed her skills of influence and persuasion which was foundational to her success as an FBI negotiator. She began her FBI service as a Special Agent in the Milwaukee Division where she worked white collar crime matters, and where she was selected to serve on the Crisis Negotiation Unit's Critical Incident Negotiation Team.  Zorka attended various training, domestically and internationally, to become a hostage negotiator and was selected as a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit at Headquarters. Her operational experience to safely resolve 100+ hostage, kidnap and crisis negotiation matters domestically and internationally earned her the status of subject matter expert. She was recognized by the White House in their National Performance Review for her collaborative approach to dispute resolution. Zorka is also undercover certified.