Wilson Center On Capital Hill

 Thursday, November 15

Dr. Marion addresses the group before the sessions begin

 Hugo Rodriguez '88 and Scott Pietan '95

 Scott Pietan '95 talks with students about trade issues

 Hugo Rodriguez '88 responds to questions about the State Department

 Chris Cooper '92 and Christopher Stirewalt '97

Chris Cooper '92 shares more analysis of the election results

Christopher Stirewalt '88 responds to questions about the impact of the election

David Brown '87, Tucker Shumack '95 and Paul Cooksey '70

Paul Cooksey '70 expounds on Capitol Hill politics

David Brown '87 discusses the complexities of the world of lobbying

Hunter Pickels '05, Thomas Craig '99, Thomas Doheny '09, William Pace '10, Jack Ruddy '10 and Mac McKinney '11

"Hill Politics: A View from the Trenches"
H-SC Alumni currently working on Capitol Hill

Andrew Duke '90 Chief of Staff, Rep. Jeb Hensarling [R-TX]
William Wright '94 Legislative Assistant for Foreign Affairs, Sen. Scott Brown [R-MA]
Todd Johnston '95 Senior Policy Advisor, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Thomas Craig '99 Professional Staff Member, Senate Appropriations Committee
Adam Barker '05 Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee Office of Sen. John McCain
Mark Kearney '05 Legislative Assistant, House Foreign Affairs Committee
Thomas Doheny '09 Communications Director, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers [R-NC]
Gordon Neal '09 Deputy Press Secretary, Rep. Rob Wittman [R-VA]
Dylan Colligan   '10 Staff Assistant, House Republican Conference 
William Pace '10 Staff Assistant, Rep. Robert Hurt [R-VA]
Jack Ruddy '10 Legislative Assistant, Rep. Sam Graves [R-MO]
Mac McKinney '11 Staff  Assistant, Congresswoman Ellmers [R-NC]
Kyle Grantier '11 Staff Assistant, Senator Jim Webb [D-VA]

 A Recap of the Day by Scott Clayton '13

The annual Wilson Center trip to Washington DC was nothing short of a great success. The day began with a discussion on international trade and the global economy with Hugo Rodriquez '88 (Deputy Director, Office of Mexican Affairs, Department of State) and Scott Pietan '95 (Director of Domestic Policy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative). Mr. Rodriquez and Mr. Pietan had very interesting observations on how countries seek to advance national interests in the context of the complicated global economy.  They touched on such subjects as NAFTA, the role of international development and trade organizations, and the emergence of countries such as Brazil as major players in the international marketplace. The second session of the day featured reflections on the 2012 national elections by Chris Cooper '92 (Democratic Party Strategist and Obama Campaign 2012) and Christopher Stirewalt '97 (FOX News). This session focused primarily on the results of the presidential election, but the speakers also offered suggestions on what both parties needed to do to prepare for the 2016 presidential election. David Brown '87 (VP for Governmental Affairs, Exelon Corp.), Paul Cooksey '70 (Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction), and Tucker Schumack '95 (GDS Strategies LLC) gathered together for the third session of the day on lobbying Congress and federal agencies in the face of sequestration. This session gave students an inside look at the activities of lobbyists and the general state of congressional politics today. The final session of the afternoon featured comments by alumni who work on Capitol Hill. Adam Barker '05 (Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee, Office of John McCain), Thomas Doheny '09 (Communications Director, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers), Dylan Colligan '10 (Staff Assistant, House Republican Conference), William Pace '10 (Staff Assistant, Rep. Robert Hurt), Jack Ruddy '10 (Legislative Assistant, Rep. Sam Graves), Mac McKinney '11 (Staff Assistant, Congresswoman Ellmers) and Hunter Pickels (past aide to Congressman Boustany of Louisiana) provided first-hand accounts on the work of Hill staffers and on what we might expect both from the current "lame duck" session of Congress and the new session that will begin in January. The day concluded with the DC Alumni Club event at the St. Regis Hotel. In addition to giving students an opportunity to network with a large group of alumni, the event featured a panel discussion on the role of philanthropy with Hampden-Sydney President Chris Howard, Dr. Carol Adelman (Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Global Prosperity, Hudson Institute), Peter B. Kellner (Endeavor Global), and Charles Payne '88 (Hirschler Fleischer Law Firm).