This episode features Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who has seen how government functions from all angles – as an advocate, a staffer, and now as an elected official. She has worked in the labor movement, as a staffer for Gov. Pritzker, and as Chief of Staff of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House. In 2022, she saw a new opportunity to support her community – and ran to represent the 13th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, she is applying...

Sandra Douglass Morgan is a trailblazer through and through. On today’s episode, she talks about the many roles she’s held – from Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to President of the Las Vegas Raiders and everything in between.

This episode's guest is Josh Earnest, one of the few staffers to go the distance from early on the Obama campaign through both terms in the White House. Josh worked in politics and government from Florida to Iowa to New York City to Washington – and has applied lessons learned there to his job at White House Press Secretary and today, as EVP of Communications and Advertising for United. Learn all about his extraordinary pathway, his take on what makes a great staffer, and more.

A series of conversations in memory of Dan Turton, a former White House and House of Representatives staffer who died too young, made a lasting difference, and touched many lives.

As a little girl, Jocelyn Frye wanted to be a lawyer. That she did – and so much more. Today, Jocelyn leads the National Partnership for Women and Families. On this episode, she shares insights about her journey from attorney to advocate to White House staffer, and back to advocate. Along the way, she describes what it was like to work so closely with the First Lady Michelle Obama, how she views the ongoing work for justice and equality, and so much more.

President Biden’s first two years in office resulted in several landmark laws: the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS & Science Act, and more. During that time, this episode's guest, Louisa Terrell, served as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. In this episode, hear Louisa discuss her journey to the West Wing and how she helped the President achieve historic wins under...

Mike Harney knows the federal government like few others. Prior to his position as Senior Vice President and Head of Public Affairs at Clear, he held a range of impressive positions as a staffer. Hear about the joys and challenges of each position on this episode of STAFFER.

On this episode of STAFFER, Steve Haro dives into his experiences throughout his over two decades in government and politics. He has served as Chief of Staff to two senators, worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration, and now works at TelevisaUnivision. He talks about what makes a good staffer, how he finds the private sector after life in government, and more.

Patrice Willoughby started her career in the office of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, where she learned to lead with grace and so much more. Learn more about her experiences in Congress, the Executive Branch, the private sector, and now at the NAACP. All that and more on this episode of STAFFER.

In this episode, Greg Butler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy, talks about his time as a staffer in the NYS Assembly and U.S. Department of Justice, and what lessons he’s taken with him in the decades since then.

Janno Lieber is a New Yorker through and through. He worked in the mayor's office during Ed Koch’s administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the private sector (where he oversaw major projects including Port Authority Bus Terminal and the new World Trade Center), and now at the MTA, where he serves as the Chair and CEO to largest public transportation network in North America. Hear about his experiences as a staffer and so much more on this episode of STAFFER.

To say that Patrick Gaspard has had an impressive career as an activist is an understatement. Listen to this week's episode of STAFFER to hear more on his experiences: fighting against South African apartheid as a teenager; working in several presidential campaigns, including for Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, and Barack Obama; running politics and policy for labor giant SEIU 1199; working in the Obama White House and DNC; serving as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa; and today, as the CEO of...

Tiffany Muller talks about her role as President of End Citizens United, which has more than 4 million members and 1 million grassroots donors. Together with Jim Papa, they dive into her journey through the political world – from her time on the Topeka City Council to campaigns in Kansas to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the fight for LGBTQ equality – and how she stays motivated to fight day in and day out.

Quentin Fulks and Jim Papa talk about Quentin’s new role as the Principal Deputy Campaign Manager for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ reelection campaign, the values that drive him, and the twists and turns that brought him to this moment. Along the way, they cover Quentin’s experience as Campaign Manager for Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock’s re-election campaign, and his role as Deputy Campaign Manager and Political Advisor to Governor J.B. Pritzker.

Sharon Werner is currently Chief Counsel at PNC Bank. But prior to PNC, Sharon served in the Obama Administration as the Chief of Staff to US Attorney Generals Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch and spent five years as Chief of Staff to Congressman Jason Altmire (D-PA). Jim and Sharon discuss the traits of high-achieving staffers and developing a career in Washington and the private sector.

Mike Boots, Executive Vice President of Breakthrough Energy, joins Jim to discuss his life and career from politics to advocacy. Mike previously held the position of Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He provided advice to the institute and philanthropic foundations on topics relating to business, civil society, and the environment. Prior to that, he was the environmental advisor to President Obama in 2014 and 2015, leading the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

From flight attendant to labor leader with the Transport Workers Union of America, from Senior Advisor to the Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to policy and government relations expert at AARP and NAACP, Portia Reddick White has seen a lot from the skies and the trenches. On this episode of STAFFER, host Jim Papa speaks with her about her experiences and so much more.

This episode's guest is Shelly Stoneman, who has worked everywhere from Capitol Hill, the Balkans, the White House, and the Pentagon. She is a leader in the national security community and leads Government Relations for BEA Systems, where she is also on the Board of Directors. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also appointed Shelly to chair the Department of Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service, and in her “spare time,” Shelly also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of...

Polly Trottenberg is the Deputy Secretary of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg. She was previously the commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2014 to 2020. Trottenberg's more than 20 year career has taken her from working as a staffer on the Hill to helping to manage an agency of 55,000 people.

Greg Speed is president of America Votes. He is a leading progressive campaign strategist with a broad experience in politics, having worked for advocacy organizations, the Democratic Party and elected officials. He and Jim discuss his career in politics from staffer to political strategist.

Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer for Vail Resorts, Kenny Thompson, talks with Jim Papa on this episode of STAFFER. Kenny shares stories from Austin City Hall, the presidential campaign trail, and the White House, as well as lessons he learned along the way: connect with people, pay attention to detail, and always offer a solution.

This episode of STAFFER features David Castagnetti, award-winning lobbyist, co-founder of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, Capitol Hill veteran, and presidential campaign advisor, who offers his take on the most important quality of an outstanding staffer...and why you should never eat lunch at your desk.

This episode features Hildy Kuryk, Partner at Artemis Strategies, discussing her journey from staffer to Executive Director of Communication at Vogue. She shares thoughts and observations made from vantage points in demanding roles at the heights of government, politics, and fashion.

Tim Miller, writer-at-large for The Bulwark, joins host Jim Papa to discuss ethical challenges and the tough choices that many staffers often face. The two also discuss Miller’s book “Why We Did It,” and dive into conversations he had with friends and former colleagues after he became a leader in the Never Trump movement.