The Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest has a long tradition of introducing students to careers within and adjacent to the federal government. One tool in their arsenal of resources to achieve this goal is a regular trip to Washington, D.C., the most recent of which took place on Thursday, March 16. Elliott Professor Emeritus of Government David Marion accompanied students in the Leadership 101 course to our nation’s capital where they spent time with Hampden-Sydney alumni from a variety of fields, learning about their backgrounds, careers, and personal advice about how to get the most out of Hampden-Sydney and pursue rewarding careers.
The day culminated in a dinner on Capitol Hill to formally establish the Capitol Hill Caucus, an affinity group for Hampden-Sydney alumni who serve or have served as professional staff members in the U.S. Congress. The special guest speaker for the evening was the Honorable William P. Barr, who served as attorney general of the United States in two separate administrations.
Sessions throughout the day on Capitol Hill included the following topics and participants:
Strategies for Success on Capitol Hill: Lessons from “Insiders”
- Jack Ruddy ’10, Staff Director for the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
- Nathan Flagg ’16, Legislative Director for Senator John Neely Kennedy (LA)
- Leo Kowalski ’16, Director of Operations for Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN)
Strategies for Success on Capitol Hill: Lessons from “Outsiders”
- Phillip Harman ’92, Director of Research at the University of California
- Todd Johnston ’95, Vice President at ConservAmerica
- Tom Craig ’99, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Duke Energy Corporation
Working in and with the Executive Branch: Strategies for Success
- Paul Pisano ’89, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and General Counsel, National Beer Wholesalers Association
- Craig Burton ’98, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategic Alliances for the Association for Accessible Medicines, and Executive Director of the Biosimilars Council
- Andrew Kavaliunas ’99, Congressional Affairs Representative, U.S. Southern Command
As these sessions were ongoing in the Rayburn House Office Building, a group of pre-law students joined Assistant Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs Chris McMillion across Capitol Hill, attending first an assessment of the Roberts Court at Jones Day, where they were hosted by Rob Luther ’03, who serves as of counsel at the firm, before visiting the U.S. Supreme Court for a tour.
The College is grateful to the alumni and friends who contributed such valuable time and wisdom to this next generation of leaders and helped make this annual trip a success, as well as to Attorney General Barr for being so generous with his time and insights.