Bryce Harlow Foundation

Paul Johnson credits his childhood family dinners in Arlington, Virginia with sparking his interest in politics, as current events were often discussed. In fact, he decided on a career in public advocacy in the 7th grade, after writing a history paper on the topic of lobbying. He went on to attend Brigham Young University in Utah, where he majored in Political Science.

Paul’s career started at a young age too, when he interned at the American Petroleum Institute during his senior year of high school. This was followed by several internships in college, including another stint at the American Petroleum Institute with their federal relations team, and an internship in the district office of Congressman Jason Chaffetz. After graduation he started working in the Washington DC office for Congressman Jason Chaffetz  before moving to his current position as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Rob Bishop.

Paul is pursuing a Masters in Legislative Affairs at George Washington University, choosing this program because of its practical look at politics. Paul identifies with Mr. Bryce Harlow, saying of advocacy work, ”it is the opportunity to represent people who cannot represent themselves – in an honest and ethical manner.”

Brian Hawkins credits the 2000 Bush/Gore election with sparking his first interest in politics. When he enrolled at Azusa Pacific University in California, majoring in political science was a natural fit. While an undergraduate, Brian was also an active member of the Army ROTC and founder of the campus chapter of the Conservative Voice. Both experiences helped him land his first internship at the American Veterans Center working on their social media.

After graduation Brian served four years in the army as an Armor Officer. After his service Brian enrolled in the Koch Associate Program through the Charles Koch Institute. During that time he also worked at the American Legislative Exchange Council as their Policy Coordinator. He then moved on to work at Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC as a Senior Public Policy Analyst where he works primarily on freedom of speech, and administrative law issues.

Brian is pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration at George Mason University. He finds the mission of the Bryce Harlow Foundation to be especially important today. “Those of us in policy and government advocacy must hold ourselves to a higher ethical standard, and ensure partisanship does not detract from our ethical code,” Brian said. “I am proud to be a Fellow of this organization.”

A native of Fredericksburg Virginia, Kathleen credits her government classes in middle school and high school with sparking her interest in politics at a young age. But the true catalyst was her first college internship while enrolled at the College of William and Mary.

“I got my first internship on George Allen’s senate campaign freshman year, and after that it was pretty much history,” Kathleen said. She then served as an intern in the office of congressman Rob Wittman, where she still works today as a Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary.

Kathleen is also enrolled at George Washington University, where she is pursuing a Masters degree in Public Policy focusing specifically on financial regulatory policy. She is grateful to be a Bryce Harlow Fellow. “Working full time and also going to school, sometimes is hard to fit in that mentor relationship. So it’s really amazing that the Foundation exists to help,” Kathleen said.

Note: this post was revised to include the correct photo.

A native of Ithaca NY, Ian grew up in a home that encouraged political expression, independent thinking, and advocating for what you believe in. It was not surprising, then, for Ian to defer college for a year to work as a Field Organizer in Ohio for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. After the campaign he majored in political communications as an undergraduate at George Washington University.

After graduating, Ian eventually received a job at the White House where he worked for two and a half years as a staffer on the Domestic Policy Council. After the White House, Ian moved to PepsiCo, where he works as a Senior Analyst in their Public Policy and Government Affairs division.

He is pursuing a Master’s degree in Government from the Johns Hopkins University, choosing the program because it offers a strong foundation in the core elements of American democracy. Ian respects Bryce Harlow and the role he played in Washington, saying “I admire his willingness to work toward solutions to seemingly impossible problems — bringing others along with him and doing so in a decent, honest, and ethical way.”

Yasmin Rigney enrolled at Loyola University Maryland with every intention of becoming a lawyer. Then, as she studied for the LSAT after graduation, Yasmin took a fellowship at a bipartisan lobbying firm that completely changed her career course. “I realized I could contribute in a very different way,” Yasmin said. “That fellowship gave me exposure to career paths I did not know existed.”

Yasmin secured a position in the office of Senator Cory Booker, then as a Legislative Aide in the office of Senator Debbie Stabenow, and now works as a Tax Policy Advisor to Senator Kamala Harris. She is also pursuing an MBA from the University of Maryland and considers the Bryce Harlow Fellowship to be another of those key turning points in her career. “Mr. Bryce Harlow is the godfather of advocacy and lobbying,” Yasmin said. “He understood the importance of communicating ideas and policy issues to policy decision makers, and the world outside of the beltway. My goal is to continue his legacy and embody his ideals.”

California native Christina Atchley enrolled at Boston University as a tentative political science major. Her path in government advocacy crystallized after an internship with her home state assemblyman, and working on a congressional campaign and the Romney for President campaign. “I caught the political advocacy bug,” Christina said.

After college Christina secured a Legislative Assistant position at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where she worked on transportation infrastructure, health care and immigration policy issues. Christina now serves as Executive Director of Congressional Public Affairs at the Chamber and is responsible for managing the Chamber’s legislative efforts on the transportation infrastructure and technology issues. “I love what I do! I work with great people on issues critical to the nation,” Christina said. A student at George Mason University, she is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy degree and is pleased to be a Bryce Harlow Fellow. “An advance degree will help my career,” Christina said, “and Mr. Harlow’s legacy is my guidepost. It inspires me daily to do my job with the highest integrity and best intentions.”

Growing up in Missouri, Sophie White never gave much thought to politics. She credits joining the college Democrats at the University of Missouri with her first taste of political engagement. “I never realized people were apathetic to politics until I was working to register people to vote,” Sophie said. Immediately upon graduation, Sophie secured a staffer position in the D.C. office of Senator Claire McCaskill. She later left to join the Professional Aviation Safety Specialist (PASS) where she’s been for four years. “My time at on the Hill solidified why I love advocacy. I enjoy interacting with and educating law makers on transportation and aviation policy issues, explaining why these issues matter and how they impact their constituency,” Sophie stated.

Sophie is pursuing a law degree at the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America. “Bryce Harlow’s legacy and reputation resonates with me. He wasn’t ideologically driven and was more concerned with bridging the gap between the public and private sector than following the party line. I try to do that in my professional life everyday.” Sophie said.

Growing up in New Hampshire, Mike Maroni was always surrounded by politics. “Since New Hampshire is the first state to hold its presidential primary, it was perfectly normal to have a conversation with a presidential candidate in the halls of your school, at any age, on any issue you cared about,” Mike recalled. Although always interested, the 2008 presidential campaign cemented Mike’s move into advocacy. He helped organize presidential debates at his school, Saint Anselm College, and had the opportunity to discuss policy issues with then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden as well as media stalwarts like Wolf Blitzer. “I knew then I wanted to pursue a career in advocacy — and Washington, D.C. was where I needed to be.”

After graduating, Mike worked in the policy department of a healthcare non-profit and now serves as the Department Specialist of Government Affairs at Edwards Lifesciences. He is also pursuing a law degree at George Washington University. “Bryce Harlow demonstrated during his public life that, done the right way, lobbying positively impacts the lives of many people regardless of their political leanings,” Mike said. “I try to emulate this every day in my work.”

The 2004 presidential campaign was a pivotal moment for David Pinkham. He was in high school, and remembers being genuinely interested in politics and discussing the election in earnest with peers, teachers and family. David went on to volunteer for the Jim Webb (VA) 2006 senatorial campaign, held summer internships at AAA and APCO Worldwide, and chose to major in government as an undergraduate at Franklin & Marshall College. “All of these experiences added up to a terrific baseline for developing political research and communications skills,” David said. “Plus, they solidified my desire to pursue a career in advocacy.”

After graduation, he secured a position at the Auto Care Association where he is currently manager of government affairs. He oversees the department’s grassroots efforts and supplements federal and state lobbying with research and communications support. “Being part of a small team at a trade association gives me valuable exposure to all aspects of the government affairs world,” David said. David is also pursuing an MBA at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and feels the business management and quantitative skills he is learning are helping him become a more strategic government affairs professional.

David is proud to be a Bryce Harlow Fellow. “I hope to have a long, respected career in advocacy like Bryce Harlow, and am already applying some of his lessons in my daily work — trust and honor, being more transparent, and really listening to stakeholders,” David said.

Caitlin Van Sant thought she wanted to work in international development when a chance internship in the office of former Senator Arlen Specter (PA) changed her perspective. The internship gave her an up-close look at the legislative process, how Congress operated, and how policy issues are actually developed and implemented. “After one taste, I was hooked — and never looked back,” Caitlin said.

After graduating from James Madison University, the Pennsylvania native relocated to Washington D.C. and began working at BIO in state government affairs focused on health care and agriculture issues. She later worked for the American Academy of Pediatrics and her current role is Manager of Federal Affairs at Children’s Hospital. “I love my work! I am a voice for children who are often forgotten or not prioritized,” Caitlin said.  She is also pursuing a law degree at George Mason University.

Being selected as a Fellow is a source of pride for Caitlin and she takes seriously the responsibility of serving with integrity. “Mr. Bryce Harlow signifies a time when people trusted government and policymakers,” Caitlin said. “I hope to be part of the change back toward lobbyists being recognized as trusted and critical parts of creating public policy.”