Washington, D.C., Colloquium

2022 Carsey School Washington, D.C., Colloquium:
Student Reflections & Advice to Future Colloquium Participants

Between our weeklong colloquium in Washington, D.C., and guest speakers on campus during Fall and Spring semesters, our Master in Public Policy and Master in Global Conflict and Human Security students have the opportunity to learn from a long list of policy practitioners with years of on-the-ground experience.

The Washington, D.C., colloquium gives students front-row access to meetings with public policy institutions. Students learn about career paths across multiple sectors (e.g., government, non-profit organizations, think-tanks, research institutes, organizations that do international work), discuss the current policy landscape, and connect with working professionals for networking and career-building opportunities.

Discover the Master in Public Policy Program

Discover the Master in Global Conflict & Human Security Program

Colloquium Highlights

  • Steve Abbot
    Chief of Staff
    Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
     
  • Richard Ashooh
    Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration
    U.S. Department of Commerce
     

  • Gérard Araud
    Ambassador of France to the United States

    French Embassy
     

  • Heather Boushey
    Executive Director
    Washington Center for Equitable Growth
     
  • Susan Brophy
    Managing Director
    The Glover Park Group
     

  • Stuart Butler
    Senior Fellow – Economic Studies
    Brookings
     

  • Michael Campbell
    Former President and CEO, Arch Chemicals Inc.
    Chairman, National Association of Manufacturers

     
  • Jim Carroll ’86
    Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations
    Honeywell
     
  • Alex DeMots
    Senior Vice President and the General Counsel
    Center for American Progress
     
  • David DiMartino
    Partner
    Blue Engine Message and Media
     
  • David Dixon
    Partner
    Dixon Davis Media Group
     
  • Robert Drogin
    Deputy Bureau Chief and National Security Editor, Washington Bureau
    Los Angeles Times
    Author of “Curveball”
     
  • David Dixon
    Political Media Strategist and Partner
    Dixon Davis Media Group
     

  • Noelia Duchovny
    Analyst
    ​US Congressional Budget Office
     
  • Scott Dullea
    Director of International Affairs
    Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy – Policy
    The Pentagon
     
  • Jeffrey Edmonds
    Director of Russia
    National Security Council Staff
    The White House
     
  • Chris Edwards
    Director, Tax Policy Studies
    Cato Institute
     
  • Phil Ellis
    Deputy Assistant Director of Health, Retirement & Long Term Care
    Congressional Budget Office
     
  • Jennifer Erickson
    Assistant Director of Innovation for Growth,
    White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
     
  • Laura Favinger
    SVP, Head of Government and Industry Affairs
    Zurich, North America
     
  • Nathan Fenstermacher
    Managing Director of National Security and International Policy
    Center for American Progress
     
  • Joseph Firschein
    Deputy Associate Director and Community Affairs Office

    Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
     

  • Joel Friedman
    VP for Federal Fiscal Policy
    Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
     

  • Kate Gordon
    Vice Chair of Climate and Sustainable Urbanization
    Paulson Institute
     
  • Jennifer Granholm
    Chair, American Jobs Project
    Senior Contributor, CNN
    Formerly:
    Governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2011
    Attorney General of Michigan from 1999 to 2003

     
  • Maggie Hassan
    United States Senator (D-NH)
    State of New Hampshire
     

  • Chye-Ching Huang
    Senior Tax Policy Analyst
    Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
     
  • John Jones
    Chief of Staff
    U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
    Formerly:
    National Security Director, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

     
  • Angela Maria Kelley
    Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy
    Center for American Progress Action
     
  • Daniella Gibbs Leger
    Senior Vice President, Communications and Strategy

    Center for American Progress
     

  • Andrew Light
    Distinguished Senior Fellow
    World Resources Institute
    Formerly:
    Senior Advisor and India Counselor to the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change,
    Secretary of State’s Office of Planning Policy (Obama)

     

  • Annie Kuster
    U.S. Representative (D-NH)
     
  • Andrew Light
    Distinguished Senior Fellow
    World Resources Institute
    Formerly:
    Senior Advisor and India Counselor to the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change, Secretary of State’s Office of Planning Policy (Obama)

     
  • Michael Linden
    Managing Director, Policy & Research 
    The Hub Project 
  • Holger Mahnicke
    Director of the Department of Culture and Communications
    German Embassy to the United States
    Formerly: 
    German Ambassador to Cameroon
     
  • Stewart Matthews
    First Secretary and Head of Administration
    Northern Ireland Bureau
     
  • Brian McCabe
    Managing Partner
    DCI Group
     
  • Mike Mitchell
    Senior Policy Analyst
    Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
     
  • Guy Molyneux
    Partner

    Hart Research Associates
     

  • Ken Monahan 
    Director, International Trade Policy
    National Association of Manufacturers
     
  • Nicole Nason
    Assistant Secretary of State
    U.S. Department of State
     

  • Greg Nickerson ’89
    Founder

    Washington Tax & Public Policy Group
     

  • Jessica O'Connell
    CEO 
    Democratic National Committee
     

  • Ann O’Leary
    Formerly:
    Co-Director, Clinton-Kaine Transition
    Senior Policy Advisor, Hillary For America
    Legislative Director, Senator Hillary Clinton
    Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton
    Senior Policy Advisor, US Department of Education

     
  • Colonel Rich Outzen
    Policy Planning Staff
    U.S. Department of State
     

  • Bob Paduchik
    Co-Chair
    Republican National Committee
     

  • Andrea Purse
    Communications Director
    The Hub Project
     
  • Stephane Valencia Ramirez 

    Strategic Partnerships and Outreach
    Google
     

  • Ilia Rodriguez
    Senior Vice President
    The Daschle Group
     
  • Ken Salazar
    Partner
    WilmerHale
    Formerly:
    50th United States Secretary of the Interior, 2009-2013
    United States Senator (D-CO)

     
  • John Samples
    Vice President
    Cato Institute
     
  • Bill Samuel
    Government Affairs Director
    AFL CIO
     
  • Scott Schaier
    Executive Director, Beer Distributors of NH
    Board of Directors:  BREW NH, NH Community Seafood, and NH the Beautiful
     

  • Alec Schrienbeck
    Clerk, Justice Breyer

    Supreme Court of the United States
     

  • Faiz Shakir
    National Political Director

    American Civil Liberties Union

     

  • Alyssa Shooshan
    AVP, Member and Board Relations
    National Association of Manufacturers
    Formerly:
    Chief of Staff, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)

     
  • Anja Simone
    Counselor – Labor, Health and Social Policy
    German Embassy, Washington, D.C.
     

  • Zakiya Smith
    Strategy Director
    Lumina Foundation
    Formerly:
    Senior Advisor for Education, White House Domestic Policy Council (Obama)

     
  • Anna Soellner
    Communications Director
    Reddit
     

  • Winnie Stachelberg
    Executive Vice President, External Affairs
    Center for American Progress 

     

  • Crystal L. Tully
    Legislative Assistant
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    Office of Sen. Roger Wicker, (R-MS)
     
  • Milena Tutsch
    Spokesperson
    German Embassy, Washington, D.C.
     

  • Alan Viard
    Principal Tax Policy Expert
    American Enterprise Institute
    Formerly:
    Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
    Senior Economist, White House Council of Economic Advisors

     
  • Howie Wachtel
    Director of UN and Multilateral Affairs

    National Security Council
     
  • Sarah Wartell
    President
    Urban Institute
    Formerly:
    Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
     
  • Brittany Weaver ’10 ‘15G
    Legislative Assistant

    Office of Senator Maggie Hassan
     
  • Amanda Wood
    Director, Employment Policy
    National Association of Manufacturers
     
  • Tom Worrall
    Partner
    Witmer and Worrall
    Formerly:
    SVP, The Rhoads Group
    Director of Team 100, Republican National 
Monday, January 9, 2023 

Chris Edwards – Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute

Faiz Shakir – Founder and Executive Director, More Perfect Union
Chief Political Adviser, Friends of Bernie Sanders; Former Campaign Manager, Sanders for President

Daniella Gibbs Léger – Executive V.P. of Communications and Strategy, Center for American Progress
Former Special Assistant to President Obama; Former Deputy Director of Communications, Democratic National Committee

Sarah Miller – Executive Director and Founder, American Economic Liberties Project

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Kris Cox – Deputy Director of Federal Tax Poicy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Panel

Guy Molyneux – Partner, Hart Research

David Dixon '86 – Partner, Dixon Davis Media Group

Jennifer Granholm – Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy
Former Governor of Michigan

Seth Johnson – Director of Data and Analytics, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Brian McCabe '91 – Managing Partner, DCI Group

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Crystal Tully '05 – Minority (Republican) General Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services

Representative Annie Kuster

Greg Nickerson '89 – Founder, Washington Tax & Public Policy Group
Former Tax Counsel to Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) on the Committee on Ways and Means; Delegate and Caucus Team at the 2004 Republican National; Attorney advisor to the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2004 and 2006 elections

Rich Ashooh '86 – Vice President of Global Affairs, Lam Research Corporation
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration 2017-2020; Candidate for Congress 2010 and 2016

John Jones – Senior Vice President, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO); Director of National Security Policy, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Michael Linden – Senior Advisor, Office of Management and Budget

Aaron "Ronnie" Chatterji – White House Coordinator for CHIPS Implementation at the National Economic Council 
Former Senior Economist for the Obama Administration's Council of Economic Advisors

Curtis Reid – Chief of Staff, National Security Council

Neera Tanden – Staff Secretary, White House

Heather Boushey– Member of Council of Economic Advisers
Former Founder and President of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Friday, January 13, 2023

Andrew Light – Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Department of Energy

Markus Teglas – Minister Counselor, German Embassy

Ken Monahan – Vice President of International and Economic Affairs, National Association of Manufacturers

Angela Kelley– Chief Advisor, Policy and Partnerships, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Former Senior Counselor on Immigration, Department of Homeland Security

Monday, January 10, 2022 

John Podesta – Founding President, Center for American Progress
Former Chief of Staff, President Bill Clinton; Counselor to President Barack Obama

Chris Edwards – Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute

Rich Ashooh '86 – Vice President of Global Affairs, Lam Research Corporation
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration 2017-2020; Candidate for Congress 2010 and 2016

Guy Molyneux – Partner, Hart Research

Faiz Shakir – Founder and Executive Director, More Perfect Union
Chief Political Adviser, Friends of Bernie Sanders; Former Campaign Manager, Sanders for President

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Andrew Light – Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Department of Energy

Jennifer Granholm – Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy
Former Governor of Michigan

Jake Sullivan – Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor)

Markus Teglas – Minister Counselor, German Embassy

Angela Kelley – Senior Counselor on Immigration, Department of Homeland Security

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Daniella Gibbs Léger – Executive V.P. of Communications and Strategy, Center for American Progress
Former Special Assistant to President Obama; Former Deputy Director of Communications, Democratic National Committee

James Kvaal – Under Secretary of Education, Department of Education

David Dixon '86 – Partner, Dixon Davis Media Group

Representative Annie Kuster

Juliet Eilperin – Editor, The Washington Post

Brian McCabe '91 – Managing Partner, DCI Group

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Heather Boushey – Member of Council of Economic Advisers
Former Founder and President of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Michael Linden – Senior Advisor, Office of Management and Budget

Neera Tanden – Staff Secretary, White House

Greg Nickerson '89 – Founder, Washington Tax & Public Policy Group
Former Tax Counsel to Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) on the Committee on Ways and Means; Delegate and Caucus Team at the 2004 Republican National; Attorney advisor to the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2004 and 2006 elections

John Jones – Senior Vice President, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO); Director of National Security Policy, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)

Sarah Rosen Wartell – President, Urban Institute

Friday, January 14, 2022

Seth Johnson – Director of Data and Analytics, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Rohit Chopra – Director, Consumer Finance Protection Board

Ken Monahan – Vice President of International and Economic Affairs, National Association of Manufacturers

Crystal Tully '05 – Minority (Republican) Deputy Staff Director, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Monday, January 7, 2019 

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Heather Boushey – Executive Director and Chief Economist
Washington Center for Equitable Growth

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Laura Favinger ‘82 – Chief Administrative Officer
Insurance Information Institute

12:15 - 1:45 p.m.
Greg Nickerson ’89 – Founder
Washington Tax & Public Policy Group

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Rich Ashooh ’86 – Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Howie Wachtel – Director of UN and Multilateral Affairs
National Security Council

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 
 

9:40 - 11:30 a.m.
Gerard Araud – Ambassador of France to the United States
French Embassy

12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
David Dixon ‘86 – Political Media Strategist and Partner
Davis-Dixon Media Group

2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Scott Dullea ‘89 – Director of International Affairs
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Sarah Rosen Wartell – President
The Urban Institute

11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Faiz Shakir – National Political Director
American Civil Liberties Union

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Winnie Stachelberg, Excutive Vice President, External Affairs
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Senior Vice President, Communications and Strategy
Center for American Progress

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Bill Samuel – Government Affairs Director
AFL-CIO

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Alan Viard – Resident Scholar
American Enterprise Institute

6:30 p.m.
Brian McCabe ‘91 – Managing Partner
DCI Group

Thursday, January 10, 2019 

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Alec Schrienbeck – Clerk, Justice Breyer
Supreme Court of the United States

11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Noelia Duchovny – Analyst
Congressional Budget Office

12:30 - 1:50p.m.
Jim Carroll ’86 – Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations
Honeywell

2:30 - 4:45 p.m.
Brittany Weaver ’10 ‘15G – Legislative Assistant
Office of Senator Maggie Hassan

5:15 - 6:15 p.m.
Andrew Light – Distinguished Senior Fellow
 World Resources Institute

Friday, January 11, 2019
 

9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Guy Molyneux – Partner
Hart Research Associates

11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Bob Drogin – Washington Deputy Bureau Chief
Los Angeles Times

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Joe Firschein – Deputy Associate Director and Community Affairs Officer
Federal Reserve

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Chris Edwards
Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute

A Master in Public Policy Student's Unique Experience in D.C.

The Carsey School's D.C. Colloquium gives students front-row access to meetings with public policy institutions. Students learn about career paths across multiple sectors (e.g., government, non-profit organizations, think-tanks, research institutes, organizations that do international work), discuss the current policy landscape, and connect with working professionals for networking and career building opportunities.