Last June I participated in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Government Relations annual meeting. As a former congressional fellow, I am a nonvoting member of the government relations board and presented on my experiences as a fellow. Here’s a recap:
Back in 2009 I applied to three fellowships:
- White House Fellowship
- American Society of Civil Engineers Congressional Fellowship (ASCE)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers Congressional Fellowship (ASME)
All three required an essay and recommendations for an initial screening. ASCE and ASME invited me to their second round where approximately 10 semi-finalists were interviewed. The interview format was similar for both, with a panel of former fellows and society government relations staff asking various questions. In addition to a high level of involvement in each society, a commitment to being active in government relations post-fellowship was a key evaluation criteria. Each society also values adaptability since most fellows end up working on whatever issue is “hot” during their tenure rather than their prior career focus area. In the end, I was accepted for the ASME fellowship.
The biggest water project I would say I worked on was the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation project. The goal was to raise the height of the reservoir pool to allow more non-flood storage without any new construction. Although there isn’t any discernable opposition to the project, the permitting issues with the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were challenging. I met with constituents on a monthly basis and ensured them that their concerns were raised to the appropriate federal level. I participated at an EPA meeting in-person [unusual for a congressional aide] and followed up with agency staff. For that relatively small effort, the constituents were extremely grateful.
What were the top five lessons I learned during my fellowship?
- Just because something is important to you, doesn’t mean it’s important to someone else.
- Short, in-person meetings (15 minutes) are effective–convince them that it actually is important to them and leave a one-page summary.
- Give people context and background as to why something is important to them.
- You cannot fight an emotional response with a logical response.
- Money isn’t everything in politics.
After my presentation, several people thanked me and said they enjoyed hearing from a fresh perspective. I look forward to continuing my involvement in this organization and would like to thank ASME for their generous support.
