Potalla was a female human who held the rank of officer within the Galactic Empire. Her service occurred in the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin. Her role as an assessor involved evaluating other Imperial officers, and she reported directly to Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin.
In the year 4 BBY, news of rebel insurgent failures at the Imperial Complex located on Lothal made its way to the highest levels of the Empire on Coruscant. As a result, Potalla, accompanied by her aide Dunum, was dispatched to assess Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko and Taskmaster Myles Grint. These two were in charge of both the Academy for Young Imperials and the entire Complex. Despite Aresko and Grint's attempts to make a good impression, Potalla determined that they had become too comfortable in their positions and recommended that Tarkin take action.
Potalla also evaluated Imperial cadet Zare Leonis. There were suspicions that Leonis was involved in treasonous conduct. Although Potalla subjected Leonis to a somewhat intense interrogation, she later told him that she had never seriously believed he was a traitor. Instead, she had simply wanted to determine if he truly deserved the positive reports he had received. She complimented him as a promising future officer and wished him success in his upcoming transfer to the Arkanis Academy.