As I sat down, I instantly realized the grass was damp.ÿNo matter.ÿ For a Southerner passionate about government and service to the American public, it was a surreal moment.ÿ There I was, sitting on the South Lawn of the White House, with the President, his senior advisors, and various other distinguished guests watching a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.ÿ As various proportions of red, white and blue exploded overhead, I soaked in every minute of the experience.
I was at the White House for the annual fireworks viewing because I worked at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a program examiner this past summer.ÿ OMB asked me to work on the team that helped the White House oversee the Federal response to the financial crisis.ÿ Our group was also responsible for appropriating resources to the Department of Treasury and its bureaus (like the IRS, the U.S. Mint, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network).
During the summer, I helped calculate the cost of TARP to U.S. taxpayers, proposed revisions to the regulatory reform legislation transmitted to Capitol Hill, attended a multitude of hearings and briefings on the financial services industry, and produced detailed cash flow analysis that evaluated the Administration’s financial stability efforts.ÿ It was a rewarding, enriching experience and I urge anyone interested in the intersection of business, government and public policy to consider working at OMB.ÿ Not only will you interact with a group of fast-paced, talented public servants but you will spend your days improving the way our government operates and have the opportunity to impact the lives of countless American citizens.
