Students Get Tips from the Pros at Dinner with the Elite
Rider students with an eye on politics enjoyed a unique opportunity to dine with three local political figures in a friendly, relaxed and conversational setting on October 1 at the Trenton Marriott. Dinner with the Elite: Exploring New Jersey Politics, sponsored by the Center for the Development of Leadership Skills (CDLS) and the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, allowed students to learn the ups and downs of governmental affairs from three uniquely different points of view.
Noreen Giblin, former director of executive office operations for Gov. Jon Corzine; Troy Singleton, vice president of public affairs for the New Jersey Carpenter Contractor Trust; and Bob Bostock, Lawrence Township councilman and freelance speechwriter, all shared their perspectives on their lives in public service. Though only Bostock has held elected office, all three have spent their careers in high-level positions in government and were delighted to share the things that have worked for them – as well as some things that did not – along the way.
Giblin, who worked as a lawyer following law school, related the her story of leaving a high-profile firm in the days following September 11 to serve on James E. McGreevey’s campaign for governor. Afterward, she was the state director for Sen. Frank Lautenberg, managing the staff of his New Jersey offices, before taking as job as the director of executive office operations for Corzine.
Staff members can often have a surprising amount of involvement in shaping policy and the day-to-day operations of the office-holder, Giblin explained, leading to career-long relationships with the elected officials. “You’ll see them on good days and bad days,” said Giblin, who was a prominent member of Lautenberg’s staff by the age of 30. “You’re part of the family.”
Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, agreed with Giblin, noting that “the influence and power you can have at a relatively young age is something that is unique to politics.”
Bostock actually became involved in politics at an even younger age, working the phone bank for President Richard M. Nixon’s re-election campaign in 1972 as a 14-year-old high-school student in Hackensack, N.J. However, he did not resume a role in government until earning his bachelor’s degree at the age of 31. He worked five years for Rep. Dean Gallo before joining Gov. Christie Whitman’s staff as a speechwriter.
Officially tabbed Whitman’s senior deputy director of communication – “A title you’d only find in government,” he quipped – Bostock also co-authored Whitman’s 2005 book It’s My Party Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America. Completing a circle of sorts, Bostock worked closely with Nixon over the last five years of his life, and wrote much of the exhibit text for the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, Calif.
When asked by a student if a law degree was essential to a successful career in government, Bostock said it is not. “It’s not essential unless you want to do things that lawyers do,” he said. Writing new legislation may require a stronger grasp of legal issues, he added, but there are plenty of roles in communications and campaign staffing that do not.
Singleton, who is currently directing state Sen. Loretta Weinberg’s campaign for lieutenant governor, said his first job in politics was as an intern for Dworkin in the Assembly Democratic Office in 1994. After gradating from college, he worked as a stock broker, “but 60- or 70-hour weeks was not my idea of a good time,” he said.
Working as the driver for Assemblyman Joe Roberts, the current assembly speaker, Singleton said he learned a great deal, and eventually earned a more trusted role in the affairs of the Democratic Party in South Jersey. He urged the students to be good listeners if they want to go far.
“You have two ears and one mouth,” explained Singleton, who has also served as the commissioner of the Burlington County Bridge Commission. “If you use them in that proportion, you’ll do fine. So often, we’re so eager to impress our peers, but brash is not always right.”
Giblin, Bostock and Giblin all stressed the importance of networking, relationship-building and volunteering to the students, who were primarily Political Science and Global Studies majors.
“Anyone flirting with the idea of being involved with politics, there’s an election every year, so go volunteer for a campaign,” Singleton said. “So much of politics is relationships. Be good to interns, too, because one day, one of them will be a chief of staff somewhere.”
Bostock emphasized the need for passion. “There are two kinds of people in politics: those who want to be someone, and those who want to do something,” he explained. “You’ll have a lot more fun and find more success if you’re there because you want to do something. There’s nothing like being there in the center and getting things done.”
Finally, Giblin offered some timely advice, weeks before Election Day. “Vote! I once saw a candidate lose an election by seven votes because the campaign staff was so busy working that no one actually went to the polls,” she said. “It would have made the difference.”
Afterward, Laura Seplaki, associate director of the CDLS and director of the Leadership Development Program, who coordinated the program along with Dworkin, said Dinner With the Elite accomplished exactly what all had hoped.
“The CDLS recognizes the importance of exploring the many dimensions of leadership and exposing students to the vast career possibilities of the majors they choose,” she said. “By collaborating with the Rebovich Institute, we are able to connect students interested in law and politics with well-established professionals and politicians from New Jersey. Students were also encouraged to become an active participant in local and state government while attending Rider. The CDLS has and will continue to form relationships with various Rider organizations and departments to afford students of all majors these special opportunities.”
