So what did you learn?

What I learned working in the Senate is that there was almost no genuine interest in the substance of an issue. I grew up in the home of a professor of literature and religion, and I was used to other academics coming by the house and engaging in these long and thoughtful discussions of ideas, with a lot of back and forth. But by contrast, there really was no genuine debate among the senators. Everyone had an agenda, and they didn’t listen to one another. Sometimes they would give their speeches to a Senate floor that was virtually empty. This was sort of disappointing to me, but it also got me thinking about how to engage with people in a substantive way.

And what did you conclude?

I began to believe, and still do, that the key is probably to be authentic — that people will respond to that. That, to this day, guides my thinking in my advocacy work. And it seems clear to me that the Council operates on an assumption like this, too, which is encouraging. I’m a graduate of the Public Affairs Institute — class of 2020, I believe — and Institute is one of those rare places where the presentations by the instructors are substantive and where there are genuine discussions among your classmates. I recommend Institute very highly. It’s an incredible experience.

Talk about a current challenge you face in the public affairs profession that might help your peers.

Here’s something I’ve noticed about how the work has changed over the years — especially since COVID. Not so long ago, there was a sense of urgency about “focus.” You’d have to focus on a specific goal because it was something the company or the industry needed. They’d say, “You can’t boil the ocean.” But that has changed. Today, you have to be engaged in society-wide issues, which are broad — not narrow in that old sense of being focused on one thing. I am not questioning the importance of engagement on these issues, but it presents new challenges. I understand why this is the case; it just requires a different approach. The key here, too, I believe, is probably in being authentic and true to the organization’s values.

Finally, talk about what you do for exercise — besides chasing a 10-month-old around your Brooklyn home. The New York Times has already told its readers about you and this sport, so tell ours.

I’m a competitive stair climber, and here’s the story. In 2011, I moved into this great Frank Gehry building in the Financial District in New York. It’s 76 stories high, and at the time it was said to be tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere. The Times did a story on the building, and the reporter asked me, as one of the residents, what I loved about the building. Some people said they loved the pool or the view, and these are great. But I said I loved the stairs. I’d run up and down the stairs for exercise. When some other stair-climbing enthusiasts read the story, they contacted me, and I started participating with them. I have climbed the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. While I am by no means a champion like some of my friends, I have actually raised more than $10,000 competing in events that benefit organizations such as the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I guess you could say it’s a win-win, right?

Reach Dmitri at [email protected].