Cynics tell us that Albany is a place that can extinguish the brightest of stars.
To them, we say simply, “Read on.”

What follows are 40 leaders in politics, government and advocacy whose talent, tenacity and passion quiet those detractors and give us hope that the future of state politics is bright indeed.

The list here, a first for The Capitol and one that follows in the footsteps of our sister publication to the south, City Hall, represents a fraction of the nominations that poured in when this project was announced last month.

Culling 40 men and women from those e-mails was no easy task. We looked for those whose work in the past year—a year as crazy as any we have seen around the state—has distinguished them in one way or another, and we highlighted those who we can be certain we will see continued good works from in the years ahead.
The winners are grouped together mostly at random, as their busy schedules allowed for them to escape for a few moments for a quick photograph on the Capitol’s ornate staircases. We asked all of them the same three questions in order to find out how each arrived at the privileged position they now hold, what they hope the next several years will bring for them, and where they would be if the combination of chance and skill had not brought them to state politics.

Finally, we asked each to name a theme song, just so we can know what their fans should hum as they roam the halls of the statehouse.

The work of these Rising Stars runs the gamut of life around the Capitol. Featured below are political reporters and campaign aides and statehouse staffers and committed lobbyists—and even a few elected officials.

If there was space enough, and time enough, the size of this list could easily have doubled without diluting the quality of the pool of honorees. But still, that the 40 here made the inaugural list earns them special commendation, and they earn us a measure of hope.

Profiles by Sydney Beveridge, Amy Lieberman, Greg Marx, Jina Moore, Corinne Ramey, Aaron Short, Karen Zraick.

Maritere Arce
Director, Bureau of Immigrant Workers’ Rights, New York State Department of Labor
Age: 39
Theme Song: “Get Up, Stand Up,” by Bob Marley

Maritere Arce said yes to the call from Patricia Smith pretty much immediately.

The two women knew each other from their time in Eliot Spitzer’s (D) attorney general’s Office, where Smith was chief of the Labor Bureau and Arce was in the Communications Office. And Arce knew that Smith, after being appointed State Commissioner of Labor in 2007, had moved quickly to create a Bureau of Immigrant Workers’ Rights.

So when Smith called to offer the director’s post, Arce jumped at the chance. She started in February, just one month before the department recovered a record $2.3 million in back wages for workers at nine Asian restaurants in New York City.

Though she had never lived on the U.S. mainland before starting law school, Arce is not an immigrant herself—she was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where “politics is the national sport.”

But throughout a career that has included jobs in media, political campaigns and government, she has long been interested in “improving policy for those who are less empowered.”

With just six people in the bureau, Arce’s staff is small, and her task is large: last week, the department learned of another group of city restaurant workers making as little as $1.30 an hour. Still, she says, she knows she is in the right place.

“I’m just in love with my job,” she said. “I feel that everything has come together here.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “One common thread in my career path is looking for justice and doing it in an effective way.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d be writing—I’d be working in journalism.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I hope something related to the causes that are relevant to me.”

Alfredo Vidal
President, The Vidal Group
Age: 39
Theme Song: “In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda

When the New York Jets were looking to build support in New York City’s Latino community for their planned West Side stadium, they knew where to turn for help.

The team went straight to Vidal, then a partner at Brown, Vidal and Weinraub, and followed him when he founded his own firm in 2004. They found a young, ambitious lobbyist with a keen understanding of the political terrain—knowledge gained by stuffing envelopes and distributing literature for former Bronx County Democratic Chairman Roberto Ramirez nearly a decade earlier.

“I sort of cut my teeth there in the Bronx,” said Vidal, who immigrated to Washington Heights from Peru as a child and worked in the Cuomo administration before moving on to lobbying. “That’s something I think not a lot of lobbyists do.”

But his focus is not limited to the five boroughs. As Vidal works to expand his practice in Albany, he has supported efforts to build Latino political networks on Long Island and upstate. The Jets sought him out in part because, as he says, “there are not a lot of Latinos or African-Americans in positions of power that allow them to trickle into the lobbying industry.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I learned how to run a business, and that catapulted me to getting the confidence to run my own.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “Probably running a community-based organization.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Living the American Dream ... one client at a time.”

Rasheida Smith
Regional Coordinator for Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith
Age: 30
Theme Song: “Misunderstood,” by Nina Simone

Rasheida Smith spent most of her career toiling in the New York City Council before she joined Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith’s (D) team in March. The Queens native’s new job is to facilitate communication between the senator and his constituents.

“Our goal is to really bring the government to the people and to work with a number of organizations to keep information going back and forth,” Smith said.
“I know it sounds cliché, but we are in a time for real change. I’m ready to be a part of this and to bring government to the people. It’s kind of unheard of, that everyday folks should have such access to the government and be able to help shape policy.”

Previously, Smith served as the budget director for Council Member James Gennaro (D-Queens). She has also worked as the director of constituent services for State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens), after she put time in with Council Members Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) and Thomas White (D-Queens).

Though she concedes that politics “must be” flowing through her bloodstream, Smith possesses a creative, softer side, as well—she likes concocting organic soaps and lotions, and used to work with children in urban community gardens.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “If I hadn’t gone through the experience and learned the things I learned working under Gennaro, I never would have been prepared for this job, nor would I ever have been asked to apply for it. Working for him was like training camp.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “Working in politics. No—working for a nonprofit.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Something nonprofit-based, maybe centered around the environment.”

Jack Quinn III
Assembly Member
Age: 31
Theme Song: “The House that Jack Built,” by Aretha Franklin

“It’s the best job in the world,” Assembly Member Jack Quinn said of his Assembly seat. “I can help my community and see the good that comes out of it.”
Still, there are difficulties: as a moderate Republican in a Democratic district, Quinn explained, he can rarely simply vote the party line.

“Although my personal views fit my district, my political party as a whole doesn’t fit,” he said.

To keep tabs on his constituency, he said he tries to look at almost every letter that comes into his office and keeps track of constituent phone calls.

Currently, he is trying to bring jobs to Buffalo so that younger New Yorkers stay in the area. Although at times he sounds like Buffalo’s number-one fan (“We have great arts and culture, and so much to do, and great weather!”), he realizes that jobs are the way to keep people in the city he loves.

The son of former Rep. Jack Quinn, the younger Quinn got much of his political education at the dinner table.

“There wasn’t a night that went by when we didn’t talk about something political,” he said. “Everyone always had a opinion and it got to the point where you had to wait your turn.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “My sister and I worked at a young age, and there was a sense of work ethic there. Nothing was given to you for free.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d probably be a lawyer. I loved being a prosecutor.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I’m not sure what it’s going to say, but I can guarantee the address will be somewhere in Western New York.”

Bill Mahoney
Research coordinator, New York Public Interest Research Group
Age: 25
Theme Song: “Going with an open government ‘sunlight’ theme, I’d have to say ‘Who Loves the Sun,’ by the Velvet Underground.”

A new rite of spring has come to Albany. In mid-May, the Assembly releases its annual list of “member items,” an opaque, 4,500-page PDF listing which groups and projects got handouts from the state treasury and which lawmakers sent the cash their way. Then Bill Mahoney sits down at his computer and, in short order, turns this daunting data dump into a nifty searchable spreadsheet, posted online for the world to see. (A hint about the results: It’s good to be the speaker.)

From his post at NYPIRG, Mahoney works to make public information more easily accessible to voters and to grateful journalists, who describe him as a “tech-savvy” “Excel whiz” and call him the “campaign data guru.”

In addition to member items, Mahoney has put his statistical chops to use to show which members are most (or least) effective at turning a bill into a law, and how record-setting campaign spending is underwritten by a relatively few deep-pocketed donors. Going forward, he hopes to shine a brighter light on compensation for state employees and legislators, and to reveal employment information for donors to state campaigns.

“Citizens need to have some of this information at their hands,” he says, “if they’re going to make an intelligent choice come Election Day.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “As a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings in high school, I got my first taste of the 14-hour days that a job in politics requires all too often.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “Doing research elsewhere.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Senior research analyst.”

Marc Molinaro
Assembly Member
Age: 33
Theme Song: Something by Frank Sinatra or Billy Joel

While Marc Molinaro may not be the youngest rising star, he has certainly been qualified for the list for longer than almost anyone. Molinaro was named to the board of trustees in his home village of Tivoli at age 18, and elected mayor the following year. At 19, he was the youngest mayor in America, and the youngest official ever elected in New York State.

“Every day of my adult life has been in public service,” he said—and not necessarily by way of bragging. “I know that these days, that’s a negative. People for some reason don’t like to elect officials who have experience.”

His lengthy career, so far said the assumed state senator and possibly, statewide candidate to-be, “has provided me with a degree of respect for various points of view. … Good politicians know when to challenge their own party, when to work across party lines and when standing on principle is important, and the difference between those.”

That lesson has informed his own policy stances, especially on the environment.

“I think my party was desperately wrong on that,” he said.

One area he thinks the Republicans are right? Property taxes, which he said are his highest priority these days.

“We can’t have honest dialogue about how to really, truly reform education in the state of New York because everything boils down to, ‘How much will my property taxes go up?’” he says. “Outside of New York City, property taxes represent an enormous part of the burden [that is] the high cost of living.”
Molinaro said he would like to see changes start at the national level. He wants the federal government to “pay its fair share of special education and scale back or eliminate No Child Left Behind, which I find to be utterly useless.”

He hopes approaching the education problem holistically can bring tax relief, and vice-versa. As much disagreement as that may generate, Molinaro is confident about one thing: New York’s political parties “can’t afford to camp out on different sides of the issue.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I think my work at the local level prepared me to serve in Albany, but just as importantly provided me a great deal of experience I hope is helpful in representing the people of my district. I’ve also taken a very strong rule to Albany from [a high school job at] Bruno’s Deli: Don’t waste.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d be teaching. I always tell people I would want to teach third grade and a college course. I love the blissful ignorance that young people have—they don’t look at life tainted in any way, they’re sponges for information.”

Five years from now, what will it say on your business card? “Hopefully, ‘Employed.’”

Addie Russell
Assembly Member
Age: 30
Theme Song: “I Will Survive”—“Not necessarily my song, but we’re all trying to survive right now, to get through these tough times.”

There was never much question Addie Russell would be involved in politics. With a mom who held elected office as a town clerk, assessor and building inspector, and a father who was active in his union, “I was exposed to political activities from a very young age,” Russell said. “It was something that was discussed at the dinner table every night.”

Still, the Philadelphia, N.Y., native took to her career with startling precociousness. At 18, after her first year at SUNY Albany, she joined the Jefferson County Democratic Committee. At 24, after her third year of law school, she launched a campaign for county office. And last fall, she left behind county government and put on hold her work as an attorney after winning election to the Assembly—just in time to confront the state economic crisis.

The times are especially tough for Russell’s North Country district. She can rattle off the details of plants closed and jobs lost. But she remains optimistic, and hopes to use her new post to promote green energies such as hydropower and biomass, plus investments in higher education and research and development. And already, she is being talked about for bigger things, with her name in the mix as a possible successor for departing Rep. John McHugh.

“That’s really where our economic future is, in new cutting-edge technologies,” she said. Spoken like a born politician.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “They have just added to my experience and my depth of knowledge on certain issues. As an attorney, I look at things a little bit differently because I understand how laws affect people on a day-to-day basis.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would likely still be practicing law, and I would still be a county legislator and active on several not-for-profit boards in my community.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “It will very likely say Assemblywoman in the 118th District.”

Hampton Finer
Deputy Superintendent and Chief Economist of the New York State Insurance Department
Age: 38
Theme Song: “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems,” by Notorious B.I.G.

The economy might be hampering most Americans’ lifestyles, but for Hampton Finer, the recession has its benefits.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for me, for regulators in general,” Finer said.

Finer joined the New York State Insurance Department in 2007 and briefly served as its senior policy advisor. Before that, he directed the economic analysis activities at the attorney general’s office.

As the deputy superintendent of the state Insurance Department, Finer regulates and manages the state’s insurance sector, “taking a hard look at insurance agencies, how we rely on them, while trying to get some good, progressive policies going at a state level,” he said, adding, “A lot of people don’t realize that insurance is regulated at a state level, that this is a huge part of the New York network.”

The benefits of his present gig are simple, Finer said.

“I am really working on what I consider to be the most important issue of our day—the future of our financial system.”

And there’s another perk: following the stock market crash, Finer said, he became “pretty popular” at cocktail parties.

“Everyone wants to know where this is all going,” he said. “I tell them I think we’re close to the bottom, but it will take a while for things to really get better.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are? “I came here from the attorney general … I created what has become an indispensable economic analysis office that took part in over $4 billion in recoveries for consumers.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I definitely flirted with going back to academia, teaching somewhere. But it’s too much fun to be a regulator.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Director, superintendent, secretary, that kind of thing.”

Irene Jay Liu
Political Writer and Blogger, The Albany Times Union
Age: 28
Theme Song: “There Will Be a Light,” by Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama

Irene Liu was pitching editors long before she was a reporter. As an undergrad at Yale, she founded a nonprofit called Advanced Strategies for Healthcare Access, which enrolled Connecticut residents in government health programs and assisted them finding doctors.

But when she discovered hospital policies that prevented eligible patients from using the relief funds and programs they were entitled to, Liu picked up the phone and called the editor of the local alternative newspaper New Haven Advocate and tipped them off to the story.

That subsequently changed the way Yale New Haven Hospital dealt with patients receiving free care and led to debt forgiveness for a number of indigent patients.
“And it all started with someone writing a story,” Liu said.

For Liu, now known Capital region-wide for stoking the fires of the Albany Times-Union’s Capitol Confidential blog, that moment catapulted her into the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she specialized in investigative reporting.

After a radio internship at KQED in San Francisco, Liu got hired for a newspaper job at the Biloxi Sun-Herald. Five days before she was to begin, she was back at Columbia, talking to the career services office there about her new gig when she got a call from the paper: her position was being eliminated, leaving Liu in the unenviable position of being a laid-off journalist before she was a working one.

She recovered though, enough to help turn the Capitol Confidential into a must-read for politicos looking to understand the Byzantine ways of Albany.

Her first day was former governor Eliot Spitzer’s (D) State of the State. She has since watched as Albany has gone through convulsive upheavals.

“It’s kind of hard to even imagine,” she says. “But in February of that year the biggest story coming out of the capital was the Darrel Aubertine-Will Barclay race.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now?  “Starting up a nonprofit, working on policies affecting the working poor as consultant to a foundation and just being involved in local politics has helped me to understand how power is harnessed and wielded to shape public policy. Observing the process from a number of perspectives has absolutely informed my work as a journalist today—the foundation was working on the community impact of health care access and subprime loans years before those issues started making headlines.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would probably be a doctor—most likely in family medicine or pediatrics.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Honestly, if it still said reporter, I would really be happy, especially given all the turmoil in the field right now. I got into journalism because I believe in the work we do. If I was still a reporter in five years, I’d count myself very lucky.”

Micah Kellner
Assembly member
Age: 30
Theme Song: “Faith,” by George Michael

Micah Kellner hopes to be involved in two parades this year.

“One would be the Pride parade for marriage equality and the other one would be to see the Mets go down the Canyon of Heroes,” he said. “I joke that marriage equality and the Mets are the only two issues I care about.”

But let Kellner talk for a few more minutes, and it turns out that his plate is full of other issues as well. Kellner, who has mild cerebral palsy, has been an advocate for the disabled, including fighting for more handicapped-accessible buses and taxis. Rights for the elderly and housing issues are also important to him, he said.
Openly bisexual, Kellner said his sexuality has never been a problem in the Assembly.

“I have a lot of friends in the Assembly and everyone is incredibly cordial,” he said. “It’s never been an issue.”

The biggest challenge of his job, he said, is getting people to care about unfamiliar issues, such as access for disabled people.

“You may think it’s the most important thing in the world—and they may have never thought of it,” he said.

His favorite moment in the Assembly was a recent one.

“The thing I’m most proud of is getting the vote for marriage equality,” he said. “It was and will always be the most important vote I’ve ever taken.”
Now, he just has to wait for those Mets.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Politics was a happy accident for me, since I have a BFA in film and television from NYU. I got an internship for Chuck Schumer, and it all sort of snowballed from there.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d be sitting behind home plate during every Mets game I could possibly get to.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “General manager of the New York Mets.”

Craig Johnson
State Senator
Age: 38
Theme Song: “Welcome to the Jungle”

Craig Johnson has been a state senator for just over two years. But nothing he has done in office has gotten him more attention than winning itself, with a special election victory that made him the first Democrat to represent Nassau County in the Senate in 100 years. 

But he downplays this distinction. 

“I don’t really view my party affiliation as a way to govern,” he says.  “I’m more of an independent creature.”

Even groundbreaking history repeats itself: Johnson spent seven years in the Nassau County legislature, where his party enjoyed a one-vote majority. Today, Democrats have the same slim majority in Albany.

Johnson has tried to use his reputation as an even-handed lawmaker to tackle some hot topics: He recently introduced bills divesting state pension funds from companies that do business in Iran and other terrorist states.

But the problems on voters’ minds may be a little closer to home these days. Since the economic crisis, Johnson says constituent calls to his office have increased. Some have been thank-you calls for last month’s passage of unemployment benefits. 

Others are outright calls for more help in tough times, even if this is not help the state can afford to give. 

“People are just looking at me as a resource,” Johnson said. “I view my office as a bridge.”
 
How did your past jobs get you to where you are now?  “I was a county legislator before I was a state senator. It certainly taught me how to try to play nice with others.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing?  “Well, if I weren’t an attorney as well as not being in politics, I would probably teach social studies.”

Five years from now, what will it say on your bisiness card?  “I don’t think that far in advance.  I live day by day.”

Michael Tobman
Principal, Hudson TGP
Age: 36
Theme Song: “Tangled up in Blue,” by Bob Dylan

A case of the chicken pox helped to determine Michael Tobman’s career path. As a junior at SUNY Albany, he spent his winter break sick at home, forcing him to start an internship with the State Senate late and with few placement options left to choose from. He ended up at the Racing and Wagering Subcommittee (part of the Program and Counsel’s Office).

“I fell into the internship and fell in love with the business,” he said.

The position hooked him into the campaign and political crowds and set him on a path to law school.

First came a judicial campaign and clerking in Brooklyn’s Civil, Criminal and Housing courts. Then he became the deputy counsel to the new majority in the Nassau legislature in 1999. After a round of re-elections in Nassau, he became the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Senator Chuck Schumer (D), where he served as the senator’s liaison to the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Those that serve on senior staff of that office are changed forever,” he cracked.

As a principal at political consulting firm Hudson TGP, he helped get candidates like State Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Nassau) and Assembly Member Grace Meng (D-Queens) elected. He has also been working on educational issues.

“It’s been quick growth and it’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “I enjoy the discretion of having a shop with some like-minded serious partners.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I went to law school because law is the language of government and politics, and I can’t remember a time, really, where I haven’t wanted to do this. I’ve always been working towards this.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’m a lawyer by training, so I guess I’d be practicing law or looking to teach. That’s the great thing about being a lawyer.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I don’t know yet, but I can tell you that we’re in conversations with some firms in Albany.”

Gregory Krakower
Director of Senate Policy Group and Special Counsel (to Majority Leader)
Age: 37
Theme Song: “New York, New York”

Gregory Krakower may not be a household name, but he is the man behind a lot of household words. His job: Making obscure-sounding government terms and plans accessible to your average voter.

“I’m an attorney with a communications background, so I can take legalistic talk and put it into … plain English,” he said.
And this is not just turning jargon into conversation: at stake, Krakower said, are resources designed to help the public but couched in language that sometimes hides them.

“Someone says, ‘weatherization,’” he says, “and you say, ‘This is going to let middle-class people borrow money to hire contractors to make their homes more energy efficient, lower their heating costs and energy bills, and provide them with more income with which they can do something else.’”

This kind of role is one Krakower stepped into in his last job, as a policy aide to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D). But his roots in politics go back to the Clinton era, when Krakower worked in the office of a congresswoman on the health care initiative.

“I was scarred,” he said, explaining why he left politics for law.

But that did not satisfy him.

“You know how they say that some lawyers miss the forest for the trees? I found that a lot of lawyers were focusing on Leaf 1A of Branch 5,” he said. “And I prefer looking at the forest.”

The problem-solving at the heart of politics gives Krakower a chance to consider the forest, the trees and the leaves.

“Whether it’s how to communicate something at a campaign, how to get more votes than the other guy, or how to solve a policy problem, politics is about problem-solving and making the world and the state better.”
   
How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “As a policy advisor for Attorney General Cuomo, I got to work in his campaign and on statewide policy issues.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be trying to get into politics.”

Five years from now, what will it say on your business card? “I can’t even begin to predict. … Perhaps ask me in four years and 11 months.”

Michelle Goldstein
Director, Mayor’s Office of State Legislative Affairs
Age: 37
Theme Song: “She Works Hard for the Money,” by Donna Summer

Representing the interests of the Mayor of the City of New York in the chummy halls of the Capitol can make even the most seasoned politico feel like an unwelcome guest at times. Fortunately, that has never bothered Michelle Goldstein.

“One night I got back to my hotel in Albany late and they said they didn’t have a room for me,” said Goldstein. “I complained and they said they actually had a suite, which they would give me. When I used the card to open the door to the room, it turned out it was already occupied by a senator!"

As director of the Mayor’s Office of State Legislative Affairs, Goldstein and a team of five assistant legislative representatives travel to Albany every day during session to lobby on behalf of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (Ind.) agenda. This term has included an exhausting budgetary process, taxes, the city’s transportation priorities and a tense battle over mayoral control over the public schools.

The nature of the work has helped develop a healthy camaraderie among her staff, which eats breakfasts and dinners together and stays at the same hotel during session. A die-hard Yankees fan and Staten Island native, Goldstein usually makes sure the television is tuned on the night’s baseball game or at least Capitol News 9 while they are waiting for a budget conference at the legislature in the small hours of the morning.

“There’s no “Monopoly” or card games in the hotel, but one night we were playing ‘What do you know about your state legislator?’, such as how old they were or who went to this college,” Goldstein said. “I admit it was pretty dorky.”

This month, Goldstein is working on reauthorizing mayoral control before it expires on June 30, and she is looking forward to the summer back in New York City. Her mantra this summer? More biking, less BlackBerry-ing. And hopefully catch a Yankees game or two at the new stadium.

“It’s a good goal to have,” said Goldstein.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I started my career working at the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget—I realized quickly that so much of the city’s budget was dependent upon the actions of the State Legislature in Albany and became interested in trying to influence budget and policy from that perspective. My first job in Albany was as an assistant legislative representative in the office I currently head. I went on to have some different jobs, including working in government affairs at the City Department of Education and later as Director of Government Affairs at the MTA. Both of their fates were largely tied to Albany.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “I think I would be teaching. Growing up with two teachers as parents, I always thought I would like to teach, probably history, to high school students.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Legislative Director of someplace warm that only holds a legislative session every other year.”

Julia Donnaruma
Director of Governmental Affairs, Health Care Association of New York
Age: 31
Theme Song: “The Duke,” by Dave Brubeck.

Albany native Julia Donnaruma got her start in the field when she returned home from Smith College, where she majored in Italian, and took a job as a receptionist in a neurologist’s office. She suddenly found herself guiding patients through the bureaucratic maze of insurance policies.

“It opened my eyes to health care,” she said. “I would watch patients struggle with trying to understand why something was covered or something else wasn’t, see doctors on the phone trying to get an MRI approved. I realized how much red tape there is in the system and how unnecessarily difficult things were for people.”

With a newfound interest in health and seniors, Donnaruma went on to work in the assembly, as a staffer on the health committee and other projects, before jumping to the advocacy side.

Today, she represents hospitals, nursing home and home care agencies in talks with legislators and the state Department of Health on a wide range of topics and proposals, from insurance and reimbursement rates to access to capital funding.

“They get bogged down in a lot of regulatory mandates and they face other reimbursement issues,” Donnaruma said. “More and more time is spent away from patient care. What I try to do is try to return them to their original role as health care providers.”

When not talking health policy, Donnaruma is known as the Norah Jones of Albany. She is a jazz singer with regular gigs at Café Capriccio and Bread & Jam in Cohoes.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “The nice way to say ‘lobbyist’ is ‘advocate.’ I’ve always been an advocate, I guess. I started organizing protest rallies as a kid.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I recently found out that my friend from college is running a restaurant in Milan, and I would want to be her sommelier.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I hope that business cards are obsolete in five years because I never remember to take them with me! I hope the technology is there so we don’t need them anymore.”

Amy Kramer
Vice President, Governmental Affairs, Credit Union Association of New York
Age: 34
Theme Song: “Island in the Sun,” by Weezer

The Legislature often conjures up a Jackson Pollock painting for Amy Kramer, all chaos and frenetic bursts of splattered color. In Albany, the art historian-turned-lobbyist tries to take something confusing—like a Pollock or a financial policy bill—and build a clear, effective argument about it.

“You have to build your arguments like historians do,” Kramer said. “When you’re an art historian, it’s taking a question—‘What does this artwork say?’—and then you do the historical research to back up what you think it says.”

This is the same method she employed while studying for a Ph.D. in American history at SUNY Albany, with a concentration in art history. She had also been interested in public policy, so a professor encouraged her to apply for a Senate fellowship. When she landed one, politics grabbed her, and she never looked back.

“There’s never a dull moment,” Kramer said.

Right now, her big project is trying to change a state law that bans local government units, such as school districts and municipalities, from doing their banking business with credit unions.

The best moments, she added, are those bleary nights waiting in the gallery of the Legislature at 2 a.m., when a bill she has long lobbied for is finally passed.
“It happens in a moment, and it’s often very anti-climactic,” she said. “There’s no one to pat you on the back and cheer for you, because everyone is asleep. It’s like an inside victory in that moment—you’re alone and enjoying it in peace.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Working in the Senate was an excellent preparation for lobbying. I learned so much about how things work.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be working in a museum or teaching history.”

In five years, what will your business card say? “If they’ll have me, I’ll be here.”

Adam Kramer
Director, Regional Information Services for the Assembly Minority Conference (NYS Assembly)
Age: 35
Theme Song: “Centerfield,” by John Fogerty

Happy Republicans should be harder and harder to find in Albany, what with the party’s representation in the Legislature and Congress seemingly shrinking by the day. Yet Adam Kramer, the director of the regional information services for the Assembly Minority Conference, is just that.

Special-election victories for Republicans George Amedore and Tony Jordan gave Kramer, who served as the spokesperson for both Assembly campaigns, hope that the party has turned a corner. Prior to the Republican win, Amedore’s seat had been in Democratic Party hands for over 30 years. Jordan won his race by an impressive double-digit margin.

“We were outspent considerably,” Kramer explained. “But we had great candidates and a strong, positive message of cutting and capping taxes, creating jobs and holding the line on wasteful spending.”

A one-time freelance news and business reporter and a graduate of Boston University’s mass communications MA program, Kramer began delivering the message to the press while working for the Massachusetts Governor’s Office of Elder Affairs. He was a campaign spokesperson for Jim Tedisco’s (R) losing congressional run, and has since gone to work for new Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb.

And despite the G.O.P setbacks, Kramer still says he has got one of the best jobs in politics.

“I love coming to work every day,” he said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “My educational experience combined with more than a decade of professional experience working in government, for nonprofits and in the private sector helped me understand and better communicate to the press and to the public the Assembly Minority Conference’s message.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d probably be working in the entertainment business. I’d like to be like Ari Gold, the character from Entourage.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “40-year-old Rising Star.”

Kathleen Whynot
Communications Director to Assembly Member Cathy Nolan
Age: 25
Theme Song: “Unwritten,” by Natasha Bedingfield

Kathleen Whynot still misses the barbecue of her native Texas, but she has gladly traded the smog of Houston for the clarity of working with Assembly Member Cathy Nolan (D-Queens).

“She’s one of the greatest people you could work for in Albany and is one of the best people to learn about politics from in the state,” said Whynot. “She says, ‘You have to listen to everybody,’ and remember that these are real people out there.”

After graduating from Texas A&M, Whynot moved upstate in 2006 before getting a job as a committee clerk in Nolan’s office in 2007. These days, she is working the Assembly’s Education Committee on scheduling hearings in New York City and crafting the mayoral control bill, which expires later this year.
“We’re still working on the proposed language,” she says. “No one wants to go back to the old system.”

Whynot claims as evidence of the depths of her dedication to the Assembly a wrist injury, which she suffered slipping on a patch of ice while walking home late one Sunday night during session.

“I went that night to get my cast put on and went to work the next day,” she said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “My prior work experience includes teaching and coaching children: this taught me to always have patience no matter what is going on around you, be organized and work well on a team.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “An event planner. I have always enjoyed planning and organizing social functions.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I don’t know, but I am sure it will be something new and exciting!”

Shawn Chin-Chance
Legislative Director, Assembly Member William Scarborough
Age: 30
Theme Song: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours,” by Stevie Wonder

As a program coordinator at the Children’s Aid Society, Shawn Chin-Chance regularly saw how one misstep could lead an at-risk youth down the wrong road for life. That was what drove him to work in policy.

“I wanted to be in a position where I could actually influence policy decisions that ultimately trickle down to the programs that impact these young people,” he said. “Being at the state level allowed me to see the broader picture.”

Originally from Jamaica, Chin-Chance came to the U.S. when he was 13. While in his senior year of college, he interned with Assembly Member William Scarborough (D-Queens), gradually working his way up to legislative director. In that position, he has continued to be an advocate for issues that affect children, families and juvenile justice.

“These are kids that, of no fault of their own, are the state’s children,” he said.

Professionally, he is most proud of the four years of work that led to the passage of the Safe Harbor Act, which ensures that sexually exploited youth are treated as victims, not criminals.

As for his biggest personal achievement? “I’m engaged!”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Working at the Children’s Aid Society as a youth program coordinator allowed me to work with not-for-profits and understand how some policies affect them.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would probably work at a youth development organization or nonprofit.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Whatever position I’ll be in, I’ll be an advocate for youth, whether it’s in a nonprofit, in politics, or as an elected official.”

Kristen Mucitelli-Heath
Executive Director of the Upstate Senate Democratic Conference
Age: 33
Theme Song: “Some days it’s more Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ and some days it’s a little more aggressive like ‘Lose Yourself,’ by Eminem.”

When she is not running through the hallways of Albany’s Legislative Office Building at her new job at the Upstate Caucus, where she advocates for historic preservation tax credits or empire zone modifications, Kristen Muticelli-Heath dreams about a life outdoors.

“My family has a camp on Otter Lake, a tiny freshwater lake in the Adirondacks,” said Heath. “It’s gorgeous and stunning. This weekend, we went hiking in Pratt Falls in Jamesville. It’s astounding what you can do in upstate New York.”

Heath, a self-described “upstate girl through and through,” grew up in Utica, Rochester and Syracuse, before running track and field at Canisius in Buffalo, where she briefly held records in the hammer throw and 20-lb weight throw.

Learning to throw her weight around has proven useful while working in the State Senate, where she’s used her experiences fighting for improved health care and workers compensation at the Manufacturers Association of Central New York and working on legislative initiatives regarding food, transportation and energy while at New York State Economic Development Corporation (ESDC).

“I’m extraordinarily passionate about what upstate has to offer for its economic development assets and its natural beauty and unrealized potential,” she said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I have been very fortunate to spend the last several years representing Upstate New York policy priorities on a number of issues ranging from health care to taxes to economic development to the flight (and retention) of young people in New York State.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “If I could start all over, I would love to spend my days focused and fighting for pediatric issues—particularly the heartbreak of childhood cancer. I wish some days I had become a pediatrician or educator.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I’d love to be leading a statewide advocacy organization or in a position to implement statewide policy changes focused on economic development and business competitiveness in New York State.”

David Soares
Albany District Attorney
Age: 39
Theme song: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” by U2

Sometimes, the most productive thing David Soares does all day is buy a drink.

“When you are out there getting a bottle of water at the corner store, you establish relationships with people,” he said. “The streets carry the word better than the Internet. That’s the reason why I do that.”

Soares has spent almost five years in a job most people think involves throwing the book at hardened criminals. He thinks of his work as “re-branding.”
“There’s such great distrust between the public and law enforcement,” he said.

The problem has roots in the Rodney King case, now nearly 20 years old. Since then, Soares said, “we’ve seen that relationship decline to the point that gangs control entire neighborhoods, and even people who are shot at are fearful of coming forward and holding their accuser accountable.”
So he considers his job to be rebuilding that trust.

“The first step was actually having a physical presence in the communities,” he said.

Today, he has satellite offices around the county, and he goes out of his way to have lunch or pick up a snack at a corner store in more troubled neighborhoods.
But his approach has been more systematic than simply upping his street presence. His office has also been retooling how it responds to minor offenses. The Community Accountability Board he started is an alternative courtroom of sort, where offenders, usually youth, and their neighbors brainstorm a mutually beneficial resolution in lieu of a traditional jail sentence.

“I can’t shoot webs out of my wrists, I can’t climb walls, and I don’t have a bat outfit and a cool car,” he said. “But the ability to empower citizens and give people a second chance … is about as close to being a superhero as you can get.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Whether as a cashier or as a delivery person, contact with people really helped in my communication skills, leading into my present job.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be an entrepreneur.”

Five years from now, what will it say on your business card? “How about just Albany County DA? That’s boring, though, isn’t it? How about David Soares, then right underneath that in quotes—this is from my daughter—‘DA Man.’

Kyle Kotary
President and Founder of Empire Public Affairs, partner of GC&E Campaign Strategies
Age: 39
Theme Song: “Three Little Birds,” by Bob Marley

The recession has forced Kyle Kotary to think outside the box. The communications guru has been exploring new ways—like Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress blogs and other social media—to spread his clients’ messages.

“The whole game has shifted,” he said. “How do you get your message out when they have limited revenue for paid media?”

Kotary founded Empire Public Affairs, a communications firm that works with state associations and local government, in February 2008 and partnered with Tom Nardacci of Gramercy Communications to form GC&E Campaign Strategies this past March.

When he is not running his two small businesses, Kotary is also on the boards of two nonprofits and a member of the Bethlehem Town Board and the Albany County and Bethlehem Democratic Committees.

As for that Bob Marley song choice? “It’s a perfect song for crisis communications: ‘Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing gonna be all right,’” he said. “You can’t take yourself too seriously and you have to have a sense of humor.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I’ve had the good fortune to work for some really amazing elected officials and applied all of that to starting up my own communications firm.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would probably teach government, political science or history and I would coach soccer and hockey.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Hopefully President of Empire Public Affairs and partner of GC&E—and Bethlehem Town Councilman. I’m up for re-election this year.”

Nicholas Confessore
Reporter, New York Times Albany Bureau
Age: 33
Theme Song: “New York, New York,” by Ryan Adams

Um, you know, if it were not for that one, you know, interview, who knows who might be our United States Senator.

Yes, Caroline Kennedy’s bid to replace Hilary Clinton (D) seemed all but assured until she met Nicholas Confessore and his New York Times colleague Danny Hakim at a diner on the Upper East Side. There, Kennedy’s 168 verbal ticks, reprinted in full in the paper and streamed online via video, led many to question her readiness for office.

Kennedy also revealed her prickly side, telling Confessore and his reporting partner, in response to a question about when she decided to jump into the political fray, “Have you guys ever thought about writing for a woman’s magazine? … I thought you were the crack political team here.”

That Confessore’s interview may have helped bring about the end of Kennedy’s Senate bid was appropriate, since he was part of the reporting team that first announced her interest in seeking the Senate seat as well as her ultimate decision to withdraw.

He found the whole Kennedy-for-Senate thing “the most intense subject I’ve reported on because there was so much interest in it everywhere. Everything you wrote about could reverberate around the world.”

Confessore began in magazine journalism in Washington, D.C., at the American Prospect and Washington Monthly, where he won the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. He transitioned to daily news at the City Hall and Brooklyn beats of The New York Times, and he has been stationed at the New York Times’ Albany bureau since Eliot Spitzer’s (D) inauguration.

He does not, he says, have plans to write for a woman’s magazine.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Small magazines like the ones I worked at are places where young reporters can take on ambitious topics, and so I was able to follow my interest in politics as far as I could imagine a story that I could report, and those are the stories, that if they’re good, give you a chance to get attention from editors at bigger outlets. Working on those stories gave me some chances to capitalize on what has been some very good luck.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “Professional surfer.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Given the state of the newspaper business, I’d be delighted if it said the same thing as now.”

Glynda Carr
Executive Director of Education Voters of New York
Age: 37
Theme Song: “My Favorite Things,” from The Sound of Music

Glynda Carr grew up in inner-city Hartford but rode a bus each morning to a school in a wealthy suburb, where she was one of only a handful of students of color. There, she immersed herself in music and art classes, encouraged by her parents—who later pushed her to get involved in politics. Her father, a West Indian immigrant, and her mother, who is African-American, had long been involved in community organizing. On her 18th birthday, she recalled, the whole family trudged to City Hall so she could register to vote.

“Who I am today is based on the kind of education I received,” Carr said. “It showed me a well-rounded education can be attained by all. It’s just based on will.”
After graduating from the University of Hartford with a degree in music, Carr did stints at several nonprofits, including the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship fund, where she managed a $2-million portfolio before her 30th birthday.

In 2001, she caught the eye of State Sen. Kevin Parker (D) when she volunteered for his campaign, and he asked her to become his chief of staff. His overtures surprised her, since she was a political novice.

“I was like, ‘You want me?!’” she recalled. Parker replied that he was looking for someone who could listen to the concerns of his largely Caribbean-American district and translate them into policy. Carr fit the bill. She focused on economic and youth development and ran his 2006 re-election campaign.

Just over a year ago, Carr began a new chapter at Education Voters of New York, an advocacy group that has played a key role in several tight races in recent years with cash infusions and public campaigns highlighting candidates’ positions on education funding.

“I’m excited to be part of an organization that is in the right place at the right time,” Carr said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “The offer came at a point where I felt like my experience as a staffer in the legislature would allow me to be an advocate.”

If you weren’t working in politics, what would you be doing? “I hope I would be retired, sitting on the beach reading a book.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Education Voters! But I hope the discussion has changed, that we’ve built a full-fledged citizens movement on education reform, where everybody feels that they have a voice and a place at the table to help shape what our schools look like.”

Kevin Younis
Vice President and Deputy Commissioner, Intergovernmental/Legislative Affairs, Empire State Development Corporation
Age: 38
Theme Song: “With My Own Two Hands,” by Ben Harper

In the early 1990s, Kevin Younis, then a college student casting about for something to do with his life, interviewed for a volunteer position at a start-up Americorps program in his home city of Syracuse. He ended up instead with an offer for a leadership post at the princely salary of $18,000 a year.
“I was blown away,” he recalled.

It was the start of a career in public service that has included stints as chief of staff for a state lawmaker and policy director for one of New York’s largest unions. Now ensconced at Empire State Development Corporation, Younis spends much of his time trying to bring some measure of accountability and clarity to the famously complex Empire Zones program.

“I would like to see a program that makes more sense, that is more logical and targeted and effective,” he said.

He acknowledged that the task can be daunting, especially given the steady turnover at his agency. But Younis, a supporter of green technology and “value-added” manufacturing, believes he is in a position to help deliver for upstate urban areas the revitalization that has already occurred in the Big Apple.
“We’ve got to get our cities healthy,” he said. “That’s why I do what I do.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “They helped figure out my strengths and weaknesses, and each job has strengthened my interest in a career in public service and government.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be working in some type of not-for-profit.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Kevin Waterhouse, Kept Man.” [His wife’s last name is Waterhouse.]

Rich Azzopardi
Director of Communications, State Senator Craig Johnson
Age: 28
Theme Song: “Holy Diver,” by Dio

Rich Azzopardi is, as he puts it, “a good quote.”  When fielding questions from the press, he always has some slightly off-kilter thing to say about the Republicans in Long Island.

Perhaps his proudest: when asked by the New York Times if he knew anything about a publicly-funded Republican television studio in Long Island, Azzopardi said, “I don’t believe they ever gave us the password that shut down the waterfall to enter the cave leading into the studio.”

And he never runs out of things to say about Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau). “[Skelos] talking about secrecy is like Keith Richards talking about clean living,” he told the Albany Times Union.

The workaholic—his days start at 5:30 and end around 9—said that he is not just trying to get noticed by the press.

“That’s my personality—I’m goofy,” he said. “I think I have a reputation of being a straight shooter.”

A former journalist, Azzopardi spends most of his time “putting out fires” and sparring with Republicans who say that Sen. Johnson broke up the so-called Long Island 9, the group of senators from there who served in the Senate since seemingly the Al Smith era. “It’s been a war for the past two years,” Azzopardi said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that Senator Skelos sleeps in a coffin at night.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “After I was a reporter for five years or so, my other passion remained politics, and I was looking for a way to use both passions.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be running a bakeshop with some of my co-workers in Pulaski, N.Y.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I am happy where I am and hope to remain director of communications for Senator Craig Johnson, or possibly Ambassador Craig Johnson.”

Jim Slevin
Vice President, Uniformed Firefighters Association
Age: 36
Theme Song: “Eye of the Tiger,” by Survivor

Jim Slevin had always thought about helping his fellow firefighters, but it was not until the catastrophe of Sept. 11 that he decided to become a leader of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.

 “I always had an interest in the union and politics, but Sept. 11 was really the catalyst,” he said. “I thought that firefighters weren’t being represented the way they should be. I thought I had the skills and knowledge to get that done.”

Until then, his work as a firefighter in midtown Manhattan was separate from his medical malpractice and real estate legal work. After he rose in the union ranks though, his twin careers joined. In 2002 he became the youngest person ever elected to the Executive Board of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. Now in his third term handling government relations work as vice president, he also serves on the executive board of the New York State Professional Firefighters Association.

“Even though I grew up in a firefighting family, I never wanted to be one myself,” he said, but his father, a firefighter battalion chief also involved with the union, encouraged him to take the test. After years in the profession, he says, “I don’t have one regret.”

In the union he works on a variety of campaigns concerned with the health and well-being of firefighters. During his tenure, he has also fought for and helped secure pension benefits legislation to cover firefighters suffering from ailments after their work at the World Trade Center site.

Last year, Slevin was involved with the passage of the Citizen Soldier Salary Act, a law that reformed the onerous financial payback obligations placed on veterans returning home from service.

“I know what it takes when you really have to fight for your members,” said Slevin.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I think the life experience, experience working in a law firm, experience working in the firehouse—I developed a well-rounded background that allows me to succeed in my job lobbying for firefighters.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “If I wasn’t working in my current field, I’d probably be doing more legal work as an attorney and continuing to work as a firefighter.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card?  “One thing I learned in the events of Sept. 11 was that a lot of surprises happen in life and you don’t know where you can end up. Hopefully, I’ll still be working for firefighters to protect their benefits.”

Erin Duggan
Spokesperson to Governor David Paterson
Age: 33
Theme Song: “‘Scarlet Begonias’—although ‘Dancing in the Dark’ has been my secret lucky song since I was 9.”

Erin Duggan cannot believe how little she knew about the way things work.

The former reporter left journalism in 2008 after covering crime for the Syracuse Post-Standard and politics for the Albany Times Union to work in Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) press shop.

“The amount of work that happens behind the scenes has been the biggest surprise,” she says. “As a reporter, you’re focused on one thing and you think that’s what the PR person is focused on too.”

Now that Duggan has gone over to the other side, she says there is no going back. “I absolutely love it. It’s definitely a big job and it’s never boring.”

Duggan covered homicides, fires and a shooting involving a Syracuse University football player while at the Syracuse Post-Standard.

“The crime beat in Syracuse was fascinating,” she says. “To go from what I saw growing up in Westchester to working with cops and firefighters 15 hours a day, seeing what they’re seeing, gives you a lot of respect for the work they do.”

Among all the characters she has met in Albany over the past 12 years, she asserts that First Lady Michelle Paterson is one of the most interesting. This summer, Duggan and Paterson will be planning the Quadricentennial celebration of the discovery of the Hudson River, which will include several bicycle rides along the river in Harlem and upstate.

“She’s about eight inches taller than me and in incredible shape, so I’m nervous I may lag behind. But she’s very nice and I hope she’ll be encouraging,” said Duggan.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I was a newspaper reporter for a decade, and a lot of people thought it was weird that I basically moved down the Thruway, from the Syracuse Post-Standard to the Albany Times Union, to a brief stint with the New York Times. This is a job that uses everything I learned about this amazing state and enables me to work on issues as diverse as road projects in Buffalo, health and education in Syracuse and the MTA finances in New York City.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “Sleeping. And writing something other than press releases, although let’s face it, can you ever write enough economic recovery releases?”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Hopefully, it will be an ‘About the Author’ page: ‘Erin Duggan is a best-selling author who found her voice in Syracuse, her career in Albany and her home in Manhattan.’”

Sam NeJame
Partner, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Age: 35
Theme Song: “Follow the Leader,” by Eric B. and Rakim

Sam NeJame learned about winning strategies not in the marbled hallways of the Capitol but on the hardwood of the Carrier Dome.

The former Syracuse University basketball player, though, has parleyed his court skills into courtroom skills.

After law school, he became the Assistant Corporate Counsel to the City of Syracuse Law Department, where he worked in government affairs and often served as a liaison for the mayor.

“I was always into politics,” he says. “It ended up being an interesting mix of the two, so I dug it right away.”

He found himself leaning more and more towards politics and less and less towards the law, and so joined the consulting firm of Patricia Lynch and Associates soon after the firm opened.

Then he came to Wilson Elser, where every lobbyist is a lawyer too. As a partner at the firm, he works on government affairs strategies for a variety of public and nonprofit clients. His current priorities include the historic preservation tax credit, the Queens aqueduct bid and homecare worker issues. A proud alumnus of the Syracuse school district, he also worked on the Syracuse school renovation project, which, no doubt, provides more than a few new basketball courts.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Each one of those jobs taught me something different about the governmental process and afforded me the opportunity to build relationships at various levels of local, state and federal government—all of which allow me to be successful at what I do now.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d be the No. 2 guard at Syracuse—I have eligibility left.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “My business card would be exactly the same. This is my dream job.”

Chris Bombardier
Partner, Patricia Lynch Associates, Inc.
Age: 31
Theme Song: “Beautiful Day,” by U2

When Chris Bombardier joined Patricia Lynch Associates, Inc. in 2003, the Albany lobbying firm had 32 clients. Now, it boasts 150, servicing everything from Fortune 500 companies to small nonprofit organizations.

Bombardier entered the lobbying field fresh off the staff of Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari (D).

The merging of politics and public interest suits him, he said.

“I got a love for policy and politics during law school at some point, and I really loved being in the middle of where those two intersect,” said Bombardier, who graduated from Albany Law School. “I think this is the best place for someone to be who enjoys identifying significant problems and finding solutions.”

Bombardier focuses on issues ranging from health care to economic development, representing clients before the Legislature, Executive Chamber and New York City government.

The key, he stays, is to always stay one step ahead of where he needs to be.

“To this day I am still learning and I will be for some time. Politics always changes; policy always changes. If a lobbyist stops learning, he’s going to get behind the curve,” Bombardier explained.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I am extremely fortunate to have had a boss like Ron Canestrari. He really taught me not only how to deal with the politics side of what I do now, but to make sure I also know the issues that I am working on as well as can possibly be known. He was a great mentor.” 

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d love to own a restaurant.” 

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I’m happy with exactly as it reads now. I hope it says the same thing.” 

Jenny Sobelman
Director of Operations, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at NYC Department of Education
Age: 37
Theme Song:  “Close to You,” by The Carpenters when things are good; “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas” when they’re not

Jenny Sobelman is trying to make trouble. The city’s lead education lobbyist is trying to get the disadvantaged access to power, those who do not ordinarily see the system as their ally to take another look. Sobelman is the third generation of women rabble-rousers in her family, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who protested in the 1970s for nuclear disarmament and peace in the Middle East, and her mother, who started a national campaign against the Patriot Act.

“I’m small potatoes compared to what my mom and grandma have accomplished,” Sobelman said.

The Missouri native got her start in the office of State Sen. Liz Kruger (D-Manhattan) while doing a master’s degree in social work at Hunter College. Later, she jumped to the offices of Assembly Member Richard Gottfried (D) and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer (D), before landing a spot at the Department of Education.

“I love constituent work,” Sobelman said. Immediately prior to moving to New York, Sobelman had run an academic enrichment program at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. She said that coming from out of town, it was a challenge to keep up with seasoned insiders who knew New York political history going back generations. But she didn’t let that stop her.

“It means I try to do my research,” she said. “I commit to putting in the time.”

Right now Sobelman is trying to make sure the city gets its fair share of funding during the budget cycle as she gears up for the debate over mayoral control at the end of June.

“In terms of priorities in the community, there’s nothing more important than education,” Sobelman said. “We all need to have access.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I was able to get back to education advocacy at Stringer’s office and, being engaged in the conversation, I met the folks who brought me over to Tweed.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “Dream or reality? Standup comedy—(I tried it twice)—or video editor—(I did video work at the National Cathedral in D.C. and I’ve made a couple education videos since moving to New York City).”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Professional troublemaker.”

Shammeik Barat
Deputy Secretary for Community Relations for Governor David Paterson
Age: 31
Theme Song: “Wake Up” with Biggie and Korn from “Life After Death ... ’Till Death Do Us Part,” by The Notorious B.I.G.

Shammeik Barat has been working for David Paterson since 1999, back when the governor was a not-so-well-known Harlem state senator. A lot has changed since then, but Barat, who started out as a constituent service representative, insists that the governor has remained much the same as he has risen through the halls of power.

 “I think we all have changed, but what he has been able to do that at times astounds me is that through all this he has been able to keep his sense of humor, he is still a down-to-earth person,” said Barat.

When Paterson became lieutenant governor, Barat became the director of New York City Affairs in his office. She is now the highest-ranking Latina in the Executive Chamber, and she names the passage of the Rockefeller Drug Laws overhaul as the governor’s most impressive accomplishment this term.

“This has been an issue Governor Paterson has advocated for years while he was in the State Senate and is one that I personally have supported,” said Barat. “It is humane, focusing on treatment for first-time non-violent offenders …  It is cost-effective, and it is more expensive to send someone to prison than rehab.”

Barat spends most of her time now meeting with minority communities throughout the state to ensure that the Paterson administration is keeping abreast of their concerns.

And though the elevation of her longtime boss to a new office has come with new responsibilities for Barat, it has not forced the New York City native from her Washington Heights home.

“I don’t miss New York, I live there! I just commute to Albany,” she said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I’ve been working for Governor Paterson for 10 years, starting right after college.”

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing? “I haven’t even thought of that, it’s mostly all I’ve done. I’d probably be in the nonprofit sector, dealing more with human rights issues.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Hopefully, and probably, still working in the governor’s office with Governor Paterson. That’s how I see it.”

Grace Meng
Assembly Member
Age: 33
Theme Song: “These days, it’s children’s songs and nursery rhymes.”

“It’s been a really exciting first five months,” said Meng,  who in addition to learning the ropes in Albany has been caring for a newborn.

The legislation she wrote concerned bread-and-butter issues: extending unemployment benefits and preserving affordable housing. She also managed to direct some federal stimulus money toward her district.

A lawyer, Meng previously founded Friends of the Community Unite and Serve, a community organization in Queens, and interned in Washington and as a law clerk for then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D). Her father, Jimmy Meng, was the first Asian-American elected to the state legislature, representing the same district for one term starting in 2004.

“I’m glad that I had volunteered for my dad before,” Meng added. “I had been up there, met my colleagues, I was somewhat familiar with the place. It made the transition a lot smoother.”

Her greatest challenges?

“Being up here and meeting legislators from 149 other districts opened up my eyes to New York State, and to what a balancing act we have to accomplish when making bills,” she said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I’ve been an attorney, worked in the community. I felt like I was helping people on a one-to-one basis. Being in the legislature now is a wonderful way to try to make changes in people’s lives across the board.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d be involved in community groups, many of which do such great work and help advocate for many issues I believe in. “

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Hopefully I’ll still be working in the State legislature—unless I get a fortunate break, like Senator Gillibrand.”

Marc Alessi
Assembly Member
Age: 32
Theme Song: “Seven Nation Army,” by The White Stripes

Marc Alessi is not afraid to dream big, especially when it comes to alternative energy. He has done studies on optimal sources of energy and worked to reform his local utility company.

“We’re on the precipice of a potential social revolution in terms of alternative energy,” he said. “It’s great for our environment and great for our economy.”

The self-labeled “energy guy” believes that biodiesel is the answer, and that large amounts could be created locally. “If it’s done right, people could go into Home Depot and buy their power for the next 30-40 years,” he said. “I think that eventually we won’t need the grid.”

Alessi, a Democrat in a Republican district, said he has succeeded in Suffolk County by voting independently. “I pay attention to the issues and I don’t just toe the line,” he said. In addition to energy, he is concerned with health care and government reform.

His biggest challenge, he said, is finding time to do it all.

“I feel like I need to be an expert in every issue that comes across my desk,” he said. “We’re often in crisis mode.”

After reflecting on why that might be, he concluded that he needs more staff.

“You know, I could use 100 staffers,” he said. “And I have four.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I went to law school at night and was a political coordinator [for the Civil Service Employees Association] during the day. It introduced me to political people on both sides of the aisle, which is why I can talk to people on both sides of the aisle today.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d probably be a practicing attorney.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “It would say Marc Alessi. It’s up to the people what the rest of the card says.”

Jack O’Donnell
President, O’Donnell & Associates, LLC
Age: 34
Theme Song: “I Believe in Miracles,” by Hot Chocolate

A lot of people in politics say they will never forget the excitement of their first political campaign. Jack O’Donnell has a different reason to remember his: it was for his father’s effort to win a judgeship on the city court.

O’Donnell was still in kindergarten.

“I’ve been in politics for as long as I can remember,” he said. 

He stuck with it, and after college worked at the New York State Democratic Committee and the Erie County Democratic Committee. After working on Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D) 1998 campaign, he became Schumer’s director for intergovernmental affairs, which helped him learn the inner workings of government policy and process. 

Since 2002, O’Donnell has worked at the political consulting firm he founded. He is especially proud of his work with some of his more local clients—he campaigned for his father John O’Donnell’s re-election campaign to the New York State Supreme Court, and his mother Denise O’Donnell’s 2006 attorney general bid. 

He is also the executive director of Responsible New York, an independent political reform group founded in 2008 by Tom Golisano that he credits with helping unseat two incumbents in the State Senate. 

“The group’s goal is to reform and renew New York State, and that’s something I’ve always believed in,” he said. “Every time I have an opportunity to do that, I will.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “Everything I’ve done, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great people and to learn from them, and every year I try to take some of that and get better and learn a little more.”

 If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I also have the opportunity now to teach political science at Canisius College, and teaching young people about the constitution and about public service is wonderful, and inspiring them to make New York a better place. That’s what I’d be doing.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “O’Donnell and Associates—still offering experience, ideas and solutions for a better New York.”

Ryan Moses
Director of Government Relations for Wladis Law Firm
Age: 33
Theme Song: “Live Your Life,” by T.I. and Rihanna

Ryan Moses has been on the fast track since he was a sophomore at Sienna College when he landed an internship with former Gov. George Pataki (R).
“That’s where I really cut my teeth with this business. Kid gets out of college and immediately gets this gig, gets to travel around—it’s been quite the ride for me,” Moses said.

Pataki’s office offered Moses a position directly upon his graduation. He took it, and stayed in the administration for six years, serving as Pataki’s special assistant and, at one point, director of legislative and local affairs. Then, it was straight to the New York Republican State Committee to take over as executive director in 2004.

Now as the director of government relations for Wladis, Moses handles the firm’s lobbying, government relations, consulting and business development work.
As for the state Republican Party, Moses admitted that things seem to be at the bottom, but he said the party’s present state of disarray offers opportunity for significant improvement.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the way things are. I think we lost our way a bit, and I think there is a lot to be done,” he said. “But when you are down and you can’t go much lower, you have to bounce back.”

Moses says people should expect a hearty rebound effort from former Long Island Rep. Rick Lazio’s (R) expected 2010 gubernatorial run.
“I’ve always been a huge Lazio guy, and think there is tremendous opportunity there,” he said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “The relationships I built in those eight years with the Governor and the Republican State Committee have shaped who I am—they not only transferred into a successful career, but also into lifelong friends.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “Sports broadcaster.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “I’m not into titles. I hope it says my name and whatever I’m doing—that I’m challenged and doing things for people.”

Katie Cucco
Chief of staff for Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny
Age: 24
Theme Song: “Watch Me Shine,” by Joanna Pacitti

Katie Cucco got her start in Brooklyn politics rather unexpectedly. Just after graduating from Ohio State University in December 2007, where she majored in political science and history, she came to New York on vacation, unsure of whether she wanted to go to law school or straight into the workforce. She had dabbled in politics, working on John Kerry’s (D) campaign and in campus activism. She sent in a résumé to freshman Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny’s (D) office in response to a job posting, but she did not really expect to hear back.

To her surprise, she was called in for an interview. Just a few days later, the night before she was supposed to fly back to Ohio, she got a call asking if she could start the following Tuesday. She replaced Jonathan Yedin, who took a post with the Kings County Democratic Organization.

“I literally went home, packed, dropped some stuff off at my parents’ house and flew back to New York,” she said. “I didn’t even have my own apartment for the first three months!”

She stayed with friends and started exploring New York—from Central Park and Manhattan museums to the ethnic enclaves in Brook-Krasny’s district, which includes Russians in Brighton Beach, black and Jewish voters in Coney Island, and Italians, Irish, Arabs and Asians in Bay Ridge.

“They have common concerns,” she said of Brook-Krasny’s diverse constituents. “They just express them differently.”

Today she works on the redevelopment of Coney Island, transportation and one issue she’s especially passionate about: helping the district’s many senior citizens.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “My work on the John Kerry / John Edwards campaign helped to prepare me, in that I suddenly became exposed to so many different aspects of the political world. There were just so many layers that you don’t fully understand by sitting in class and reading your textbook, I really had to get out there and experience it to feel the full power of it.”

If you weren’t working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d probably be in Ohio!”

Five years from now, what will it say on your business card? “I would say I’ll stay in politics. I don’t want to limit myself. I’d just like to think the possibilities are endless.”

Hakeem Jeffries
Assembly Member
Age: 38
Theme Song: “No More Drama,” by Mary J. Blige

Hakeem Jefferies has spent years working on bringing more affordable housing to rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Crown Heights.

Oddly, he said, the economic tailspin has made his mission easier.

“There was just a perfect storm of collapse of the housing market and an excess in luxury condominiums in the district to create an opportunity for affordable housing,” he said. “There are hundreds of vacant luxury condominiums under construction. Developers hoped to sell them for hundreds of thousands if not millions. Now, they are unable to.”

Calling his effort Project Reclaim, Jeffries has been working with condominium developers in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill to leverage luxury vacancies in favor of the working class. A recent survey of condominium units turned up 66 new or under-construction buildings in the two neighborhoods, none fully occupied. 

“Anecdotally, we know that the partially-occupied buildings have vacancy rates of over 80 percent,” he said. 

He is hoping that translates into hundreds of apartments that developers will recast as affordable housing units.

But the changes to his district have brought challenges of their own. When, for example, the city considered congestion pricing, his constituents were split. 
“Neighborhoods that were more working-class were adamantly against it; they say it as a way to promote exclusivity in Manhattan and to punish people from outer boroughs,” he said.  “In the more affluent parts, there was stronger support … because of the environmental improvements.”

In a sign of his optimism—or perhaps political savvy—Jeffries said there is more that unites his district than divides it. He spends Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in the summer holding street-corner office hours in a dozen neighborhoods, so he can hear diverse views. 

“Everyone, regardless of race or income,” he said, “cares about safer streets, better schools and quality housing.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “I practiced law for 10 years, in corporate litigation at a law firm and at a Fortune 500 company.  The skills of advocacy and persuasion one acquires as an attorney helped me both to do the job as a legislator and to present myself when I initially ran as someone qualified to handle the responsibility.”

If you weren’t in politics what would you be doing? “I would be practicing law, perhaps still at Viacom.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries.”

Karim Camara
Assembly Member
Age: 37
Theme Song: “My Way,” by Frank Sinatra

If he could stand the sight of blood, Karim Camara might not be in politics today.

As a college student, Camara was on a pre-med track—until he had an opportunity to take a summer term at a medical school.

“Seeing a cadaver before me totally changed my mind,” he said, thinking back to his old career plans.

Instead, he was elected to the Assembly in a 2005 special election from the Crown Heights, Brooklyn, neighborhood where he was born and raised. In the time since, the seminary-trained pastor has established himself as part of a post-civil rights generation of black politicians.

“We’re standing on the shoulders of great leaders, but we have a responsibility to take it to the next level,” especially on urban policy issues such as education, housing and economic development, said Camara, who was one of the first New York politicians to endorse Barack Obama.

But while Camara sees the Assembly as “the base of power in our democracy,” he does not expect to spend his life in Albany. As he prepares to become founding pastor of Abundant Life Church this fall, he said that in the long run, “my primary focus is going to be ministry.”

“Urban communities, communities of color,” Camara adds, “are looking for leaders, not just legislators.”

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “By being both a minister and a nonprofit executive, I was able to be a part of and develop grassroots coalitions. That was the foundation for me both politically and in how I govern.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I would be a full-time pastor.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “World-changer.”

Greg Ball
Assembly Member
Age: 31
Theme Song: “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky),” by Bill Conti

Going from the Air Force to the Assembly was not an easy transition for Greg Ball.

“At the Air Force Academy we have a code: ‘I will not lie, steal or cheat,’” he said. “Albany has a very different model, and it’s been a real wakeup call.”

Although he said he did not arrive in Albany with rose-colored glasses, working in politics has been challenging.

“It’s a very different caliber of people that are in politics, both good and bad.”

Ball said his priorities are to stop excessive government spending, renegotiate trade agreements to help American workers and do what he can to help blue-collar families. In the past, he fought against then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) proposal to give drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants and opposed local tax increases.

“When I first ran I told folks that I don’t have a magic wand, and it’s going to be tough being part of the super-minority, but leadership matters,” he said.
The toughest part of his job, he said, is pushing his legislative agenda in the Democrat-controlled Assembly.

“It’s hard to promote a reform agenda in a state that is hemorrhaging jobs and controlled by three guys from New York City,” he said.

How did your past jobs get you to where you are now? “At the Air Force Academy you’re forced every day to do things that you may not be good at. The Academy teaches you to push your comfort zone, and that’s the key to being successful.”

If you were not working in politics, what would you be doing? “I’d probably be a rancher out west.”

Five years from now, what is it going to say on your business card? “Hopefully, U.S. House of Representatives. We’ll see in 2010.”