It is my absolute highest honor to recommend CDR Bob F. Zinga. I first met then-LCDR Zinga (or “BZ” as most people who know him call him) in 2018 when I was the Commanding Officer of NR COMPACFLT 0419 in Alameda, CA. He reported to my unit in a Cross-Assigned-Out status and I assigned him as my Admin Department Head, since he was an Information Professional (IP) Officer in an Intelligence unit. Within just a few months, he became such a standout officer, that I selected him over more seasoned personnel to fill in as my Executive Officer (an O5 position) when my XO went on mobilization. He took the job and ran with it, working diligently to research any necessary topics and find the correct points of contact to finish a tasker. To this day, BZ remains the best XO who has ever worked for me.
The Navy recognized BZ’s skills as a leader by selecting him to Commander and slating him as a Commanding Officer, where he has continued to excel. In addition to his IP skillset, BZ has an incredible background in cybersecurity and technology, skills that are in high demand within the Navy and the Department of Defense writ large. Additionally, he currently serves as a Board Advisor for United Cybersecurity Alliance, a global cybersecurity non-profit organization, and the Arizona Cyber Initiative, another cybersecurity non-profit focused on growing future professionals in the field. This has given him a unique perspective of not only working tactically and operationally within a critical field to the Navy in these times of Strategic Competition, but also the leadership experience within Navy, commercial, and international organizations to bring in additional context as we look for solutions to broader Navy issues.
It may appear that BZ’s many commitments would not allow him the time for the NNRPB. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He operates best when he is going Mach 5 and I have never seen him miss a deadline or drop a requirement. I have no idea where he gets his energy, and I wish I had his ability to manage taskers in such an organized and methodical way. I cannot stress enough how highly I think of CDR Bob Zinga and I give him my ABSOLUTE STRONGEST RECOMMENDATION!