Bryce Harlow Foundation

James Sonne first came to the Bryce Harlow Foundation as a Fellow in 2006. He served on the BHF Alumni Advisory board for several years, and now, nearly twenty years later, he returns as a member of the Foundation’s Board of Governors.

At the time of his Fellowship, James was working on Capitol Hill while attending graduate school, and he vividly recalls the impact the program had on him. “While I appreciated the financial support, what made the difference was the mentorship from the Foundation board,” James said.  “Their openness and willingness to engage made a lasting impression.”

After law school, James began his career in corporate law in New York but quickly realized he wanted to work closer to policy.  “With the help of connections and friendship I made during his time as a Fellow, I was able to make introductions that eventually helped me shift my direction” James said. “Returning to the Foundation allows me to help rising advocates in their careers the same way others helped me.”

Today, as Vice President and Head of Government Affairs at PGIM, James brings experience from government, private practice, trade associations and in-house leadership roles. He views the evolution of advocacy through a broad lens. “While the mechanics of advocacy and communications tools have changed, the fundamentals have not,” James said.  “Substance still matters. Time with decision-makers is limited. The ability to explain an issue clearly and usefully remains what makes someone effective.”

At the same time, James acknowledges that expectations for advocates have increased, particularly as regulators play a more central role and policy discussions require a higher level of technical understanding. “The work demands more than prepared lines,” James said. “It requires real fluency in the issues and the ability to engage at depth.”

His advice to Fellows is simple: stay open. There are many paths into the government advocacy profession. and there are many ways to build a career that adds value by drawing on a combination of legal, policy, communications and strategic skills.

James looks forward to his role on the Board as an opportunity to help Fellows navigate these shifts and support a profession that matters, perhaps more than ever, in helping shape public policy.

Owen Voutsinas-Klose grew up in Nyack, New York, a small town along the Hudson River about twenty miles north of New York City, in a household shaped by the law. His father practiced locally in Nyack, and his mother worked as a lawyer in New York City. Conversations about cases, clients, and public issues were part of daily life, instilling in him an early appreciation for advocacy and public service.

Owen’s interest in politics began at a young age. By twelve, he was volunteering on campaigns and was drawn to the power of ideas and leadership to mobilize people and shape communities. He went on to study politics, philosophy, and economics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he became deeply involved in student political life and clubs including the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative.

After graduating in 2020, Owen returned home and joined the New York State Senate as a junior aide. In that role, he worked directly with constituents, gaining an early and practical understanding of how policy decisions affect people in real time. He later joined Viohl & Associates, where he now serves as Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs. His work focuses primarily on state-level healthcare policy—particularly Medicaid—where the effects of public policy are immediate and deeply tangible.

Owen is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor at Georgetown University and views law and lobbying as closely connected forms of advocacy. In his view, everyone deserves an advocate, and effective public policy depends on informed, responsible argument.

As a Bryce Harlow Foundation Fellow, Owen has been struck by the generosity of the community. Mentors and fellow participants offer not only guidance but also meaningful connections within a network built on trust. The Fellowship has reinforced for him the importance of ethical advocacy and the responsibility to extend that same generosity to others.

Christina Valentine was raised in both Memphis and Dallas. While in high school, her work interning with a judge and attorneys encouraged her to think carefully about her career path. Even then, she was realistic about the commitment required for law school and wanted to be certain she was making the right choice.

Christina went on to study political science at Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a minor in criminology. This allowed her to stay connected to legal systems while focusing on reform and policy. Living and studying in the nation’s capital solidified her interest in pursuing a career in government relations and public policy. After graduating, she relocated to Houston, where she began working in the energy sector.

Today, Christina serves as a Government Relations and Regulatory Analyst at Plains All American, one of the largest midstream energy service providers in North America. A central part of her role involves translating complex regulatory policy into clear, practical insights. She is also pursuing a Master of Public Administration at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Christina applied to the Bryce Harlow Foundation Fellowship after learning about its emphasis on ethical leadership in government advocacy. She was particularly impressed by the interview process—meeting board members, hearing about their professional journeys, and seeing the foundation’s values reflected not just in principle but in practice. At a time when trust in leadership can feel strained, that visible commitment to ethics and public service stood out to her.

Through the fellowship, Christina has benefited from both mid-level and senior mentorship from Darien Flowers and Karen Knutson. These relationships have supported and affirmed Christina’s chosen career path, strengthening her confidence as she continues to grow in government relations and regulatory policy.

Doug White’s path into public service began in Claremont, a small Southern California college town where his parents taught him the values of responsibility, fairness, and showing up for the community. Public service, in his family, wasn’t just a profession — it was a way of moving through the world.

Doug attended the University of Massachusetts on an athletic scholarship. His time on the East Coast broadened his perspective and sharpened his interest in public affairs. Just six days after graduating, he began working in Washington, DC with the Office of the Governor of California during the administration of Gray Davis, on the eve of the recall election that ultimately brought Arnold Schwarzenegger into office. As a political appointee, Doug witnessed firsthand what governmental transition looks like from the inside.

He later joined the Office of the Speaker in the New Jersey State Legislature, supporting committee work across Veterans Affairs, Natural Resources, and Telecommunications and Utilities before returning to California.

Today, Doug serves as Senior Regulatory Policy Manager for San Diego Gas & Electric, where he works on near-future issues to help shape regulatory strategy in a state consistently pushing the boundaries of energy policy. Alongside his professional work, he is pursuing a Doctorate in Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy.

Being selected as a Bryce Harlow Fellow affirmed for Doug that there is no single path to policy leadership. He credits his mentor, Karen Harbert, for creating space for energizing, candid, high-level conversations about energy policy. Grounded in the example set by his parents — and shaped by parenthood himself — Doug approaches his work with a simple goal: do the job well and leave things better than he found them for the next generation.

Beau Reitz grew up in Kaiser, a suburb of Salem, Oregon, where state politics were part of everyday life. His mother is a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, and the National Association of Letter Carriers scholarship made it possible for him to attend Georgetown. Naturally, when he interned for Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Kurt Schrader, he started his policy life in the postal space.

However, Beau’s work in Wyden’s office rapidly shifted to health care policy in January 2020 when COVID arrived. Suddenly, his work revolved around Medicare Part D reforms, affordability debates, and the early versions of legislation that eventually became the Inflation Reduction Act. This period grounded his long-term interest in health policy and shaped the direction of his advocacy career. After graduating, Beau returned to Oregon and works as a Government Affairs Policy Analyst with Providence Health Plan. His role spans several states in the northwest, focusing on state legislation and federal regulation through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS). “People are struggling to afford health care,” Beau said. “And state policy decisions have such a deep impact on people.”  He is also pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and administration at Northwestern University, giving him practical grounding in policy administration to complement his work.

His BHF mentor Chris Long of the Better Medicare Alliance, has been a significant influence, helping Beau bridge the gap between state-centered work and the complexities of federal Medicare. “Chris deeply understands the nuances of the health care landscape,” Beau said. “His insight expands my thinking and helps me see the bigger picture.” Beau credits the Foundation with expanding his perspective. “The Fellowship has opened doors I couldn’t reach from Oregon, giving me community, guidance, and the confidence to aim higher,” Beau said.

Deborah Rowe’s view of advocacy has been shaped by her background and beliefs. She grew up in Southern California, raised by a single mother who immigrated from China in her twenties. Education was both anchor and engine in their household. Her mother, a teacher, modelled independence and resilience, and Deborah carried that forward as she put herself through California State University, Long Beach.

As a political science major, she immersed herself in student government, voter engagement, legislative work, and founding a student lobby corps. This drive to help shape outcomes through advocacy helped her land an internship at The Walt Disney Company.  This grew into an internal communications role at Disneyland Resort, but with public service still pulling her, Deborah moved to Washington, DC during the 2013 government shutdown, and built her career from the ground up.

Over the next twelve years, Deborah rose steadily on Capitol Hill in the leadership offices of former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer—starting at the front desk and rising through the Capitol office’s ranks to ultimately help run the House floor during the 116^th and 117^th Congresses. She later joined a bipartisan firm as Director of Public Policy, deepening her expertise in appropriations and outreach.

Today, Deborah is Manager of Government Relations for the Port of Long Beach, a role that blends public service with global business, using her DC experience to benefit her home community. Alongside her work, she is pursuing an MBA at the University of California, Los Angeles, expanding her understanding of business, strategy, and leadership beyond traditional government relations.

As a Bryce Harlow Fellow, Deborah values both the practical support and the depth of the network. Relocated from DC to the West Coast, she sees herself as a bridge—helping broaden awareness of the Fellowship and demonstrating that ethical advocacy is applicable everywhere in the country.

Tomas Delgado credits his family and a teenage moment of inspiration for setting him on the path to public service. A Mexican immigrant who came to the United States at age three, he grew up in California watching his parents lead by example — his father working for the city, his mother at the local library. Tomas was taught to work hard, to make himself better and to make things better for others too.

Tomas’ moment of inspiration came in his high school civics class, when then-Congressman Kevin McCarthy spoke to the class about civic engagement. Tomas wasn’t yet old enough to vote, but the message stuck. “It made me ask, in the spirit of JFK’s famous line, what can I do for my country?” Tomas said.

The question carried him to the University of California, Berkeley, and eventually to Washington, D.C., where worked his way up from an intern in the U.S. Senate to staffing a Senator on the Armed Services Committee. “Everything I did was bipartisan,” Tomas said. “I learned to live by the ethos of bringing all sides together for a common solution.”

Today, Tomas manages federal affairs for General Motors, where he coordinates bipartisan lobbyists and connects their work to the company’s regulatory, supply chain, and executive teams. He is also pursuing his MBA at Georgetown, focusing on ethical leadership.

Tomas is proud to be a Bryce Harlow Fellow and hopes to build lasting bonds with his Fellowship cohort and alumni.  He is also eager to learn from his mentor, Cinnamon Rogers. “I want to learn from leaders who not only achieve results but also uplift their teams,” Tomas said. “I consider it both an honor and a responsibility to be a Fellow, and I strive to live up to the example of Mr. Bryce Harlow.”

For Thomas Rothe, public affairs was a part of everyday life growing up in the Washington, D.C. area. His great-grandfather, James Malone, was deeply involved in early brewers’ trade associations, and his mother spent decades leading government relations for a major fertilizer company, shaping global trade reforms and advising on complex agricultural policy. Hearing about hearings, negotiations and policy debates around the dinner table gave Thomas an early sense of the impact advocacy can have.

Those experiences stayed with him. After studying at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he also competed as an NCAA swimmer, Thomas returned to D.C. knowing he wanted to build a career in government relations. After working a series of campaigns, Thomas landed at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, where he began as a legislative assistant and quickly grew into a lobbying role. Thomas worked on issues ranging from crop insurance as part of the 2018 Farm Bill to right-to-repair, mastering a highly technical portfolio of keen importance to insurers, farmers and consumers.

Today, as the Public Affairs Officer at a global commercial insurer AXA XL, Thomas works on U.S. and EU policy developments. He is also earning his JD at The Catholic University of America, deepening his understanding of financial regulation, systemic risk and legislative drafting—skills he sees as essential to his future as a senior government relations professional.

“The Bryce Harlow Foundation’s mission resonates so strongly because ethical lobbying is central to my approach,” Thomas said.  As a Fellow, he’s enjoyed connecting with peers across sectors and learning from his mentor, Francis Creighton, whose guidance has blended career strategy with life advice.

Each of Olivia McLarnan’s varied steps toward a career in criminal justice policy has illuminated how policy shape people’s lives — and confirmed for her that public service offers the meaningful work she seeks.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, she held a range of roles that taught her how organizations function and what it means to work in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.  She eventually transitioned into state-level campaign work and ultimately into advocacy #cut50 (now Dream.org), where she supported work on the First Step Act (2018), a bipartisan U.S. federal law focused on criminal justice reform aimed at reducing recidivism. Through that experience, Olivia met people who were able to return home because of the First Step Act — individuals who had been serving long, often disproportionate sentences.  Those connections cemented her understanding of policy’s real-world impact. “Policy isn’t abstract,” Olivia said. “In this case, it was giving someone a second chance.”

Today, as a Policy Specialist at the Council on Criminal Justice, Olivia works at the intersection of research, policy, and public education. The Council’s nonpartisan approach challenges her thinking and exposes her to a broad range of perspectives. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at American University, with a focus on quantitative analysis, helping her marry data with human stories.

Olivia was drawn to the Bryce Harlow Foundation Fellowship for its emphasis on principled advocacy and has enjoyed getting to know her fellow cohort members, whom she describes as bright, generous, and deeply curious. She also greatly values the mentoring component. Her mentor, Emily Dickens, has already helped her reframe challenges and view her career questions through a wider, more strategic lens.

At its recent board meeting, the Bryce Harlow Foundation announced the appointment of six new board members and new elected officers. Join us in welcoming them and read all about it here: Bryce Harlow Foundation Names New Officers and Board Members. Our full list of board members and staff may be found HERE.