Featured Alumni

Cary Gibson

How did you break into the profession? What made you choose that career path?
The summer before my senior year in high school, I was bored, so my mother helped me get an internship with a Senate campaign to expose me to something new. After exactly two weeks, I was hooked and subsequently entered college as a Government major. My junior year of college, I was lucky enough to spend a semester interning for a small government relations firm. It was a great internship, and I always knew I'd come back to the field at some point.

What are some common misconceptions about your job?
The lobbying profession has taken some hard knocks lately, and there's a perception that lobbyists are somehow antithetical to the democratic process. I would argue that the opposite is true. Lobbyists add an important public voice to policy debate.

What is the importance of integrity and trust in your day-to-day work interactions?
Integrity and trust are the two most important things about my job. I can only be a successful advocate if people feel they can take me at my word.

How did being a Bryce Harlow Fellow assist in your graduate studies; in the professional world?
The fellowship was tremendously helpful. I was a part-time student and didn't have the time to carry the number of credits required for federal loans. But more than the fellowship, the people I met through the Bryce Harlow Foundation have been a tremendous professional asset. The BHF fellowship alumni are a wonderful and accomplished group of people. It's been helpful to have such easy access to that network and to regularly hear from people who have been working in this field.

What is some advice that you can offer students just starting out on their careers in advocacy? What did you wish you would have known? What should they make sure to learn?
I think a lot of people start out with a bit of insecurity because of all the things they don't know. My advice is to focus your efforts not on learning what the answers are, but rather on learning where the answers are. No matter how much you study, there's always going to be a time where you have to say "I don't know." The best skill is knowing how to move on from there to find what you need. My other piece of advice is to talk to people who've been in the field for a while. Other people's experiences are one of the best ways to learn.

What do you like about living in DC? What are your favorite things to do; things that shouldn't be missed?
One of the things I like best about D.C. is the easy access to culture-and so much of it is free! The National Gallery of Art and the Kennedy Center are amazing and, at least once, be sure to take in one of the concerts on the lawn of the Capitol.