| A Tireless Advocate for Science – an Interview with the Former House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert |
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bridges vol. 15, Sept 2007 / Feature Article
by Caroline Adenberger 
Sherwood Boehlert
The moderate Republican from Utica (in upstate New York) has served for 12 terms in Congress. He has kept the reputation of being not just one of the biggest proponents of governmental investment in scientific R&D but also one of the few remaining centrist politicians who will cooperate across party lines to get the work done in the people's - and the environment's - best interest: supporting stronger fuel-economy standards, mandatory greenhouse gas restrictions, and endangered species protections. But to Boehlert, retirement doesn't mean "buying a rocking chair and sitting on the back porch rocking away my more mature years." In addition to the numerous non-compensated boards he is on, he taught a public policy course for honor students for Boston University's Semester-in-Washington program and is writing a book while spending about two days a week in his Washington, DC office at The Accord Group, a public affairs/lobbying firm where he is of counsel. What other people would call a crazy schedule, Boehlert described as "semi-retirement" when he met with bridges at his Washington office to discuss his experiences in science policy-making and his plans for the future. bridges: Your daily schedule doesn't seem to quite fit into the stereotype of a recent retiree. What have you been up to since you left Congress in December 2006? Boehlert: I am a counsel to "The Accord Group," a highly respected, tight-knit public affairs lobbying firm with which I had a long association over the years. I do that for about two days a week. In addition, I am on several boards of directors, including the Natural Resources Council Action Fund, The Alliance for Climate Protection (the Al Gore group), The League of Conservative Voters, the Republican Main Street Partnership, and the Heinz Center, to name a few of them. And I am co-chairing, with former Governor Mark Warner of Virginia and former Senator Slade Gordon of Washington State, the Bipartisan Policy Center's "Transportation Policy for the 21st Century Project," something I believe very important and meaningful. I also taught a college course this spring for the first time in my life, called "American Institutions" at Boston University's Washington Journalism Center. You know, I initially thought it would be a cakewalk, but once I started developing the syllabus and selecting the reading material, boy, I realized how much work this is going to be! The kids in my class were honor students, both juniors and seniors who qualified for their class and internships at Congress here in Washington, DC. They were very bright and asked tough questions, but I loved it. I never thought, though, that I'd appreciate a spring break as much as I did this year's - since it gave not just the students a week off, but me too! And I am in the process of writing a book on my political past and experiences, which is a labor of love. Unfortunately, this is one of my projects that I am putting off due to so many other things I am working on at the moment. I got it all ready in my head, but only single chapters are written down, and those are scattered in folders... I hope to finish it by the middle of next year, and hopefully published - it would be a good time to publish the book, in the middle of a presidential campaign. Access to the full article is free, but requires you to register. Registration is simple and quick – all we need is your name and a valid e-mail address. We appreciate your interest in bridges. |
