Steering Legislative Strategy: Insights from a Seasoned Staffer
This week, we spoke to Hector Colón, Professional Staff Member for the Committee on Rules.
Can you tell me about your career path that you’ve taken that’s led you to where you are now?
It certainly wasn’t a linear one! I started on the pre-law track at the City College of New York, and went on to intern for my then-hometown Representative—that’s when I knew that Congress was where I needed to be. After landing a job and working my way up from Staff Assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director in various personal offices, I made the move to the House Committee on Rules. However, not all transitions were easy. I’ve worked for two amazing Members, former-Caucus Chair Joe Crowley and former-Rep. Max Rose, who are no longer in Congress. Hundreds of current and former staffers have found themselves in that unenviable position of seeking out what’s next, working to secure new roles for themselves and their team. But through those offices’ alumni networks, and equipped with the skills they taught me, I was able to grow and succeed in ways that I didn’t originally plan, including as senior staff for Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and now as a Professional Staff Member under Ranking Member Jim McGovern (MA-02). I hope if folks take anything from my experience over 8+ years in Congress, it’s that the bumps in the road that you’ll inevitably experience don’t mean that the journey is over. They, in fact, make the journey better.
Describe a challenging or rewarding project that significantly influenced your growth as a professional. How did you handle the challenge, and what did you learn from the experience?
I started as a first-time Legislative Director for Rep. Strickland on day 1 of her first term, and I had to help develop policy pillars and goals from scratch, while building and training a policy team to execute effectively on behalf of her constituents. To hit the ground running in a new role, with a new team, I had to rely on friends and colleagues to help guide me, even as I guided my new LAs and LC. I learned that taking tasks one at a time, focusing on the mission, and having an open, supportive management style were invaluable to succeed, and I’m still very proud of the goals we accomplished together.
What do you believe sets Capitol Hill apart as a unique work environment, and how do you navigate its challenges in your everyday work?
We get to support our principals to make a real impact on constituents’ lives, and the lives of all Americans, while being a part of one of this nation’s oldest and most important institutions. It can feel pretty heavy sometimes! It’s important to take a breath, keep up with your friends and family, and know that while working here is a privilege, it’s one you deserve, and one you earned.
Anticipating needs is the name of the game. To demonstrate you can do that effectively, it’s so important to do research not just on the Members or committees folks aspire to work for, or for a particular role, but also research on the other roles that are key to the office, what their functions are, and how you hope to complement them. Know what your prospective bosses’ districts and constituents need, but also know who the Members’ allies are, and build relationships there so that upon interviewing, hiring you is a no-brainer.
Which specific policy areas or legislative issues are you most passionate about, and how do you stay informed and engaged in those areas?
I’m proud of the work I helped do to put more money in our veterans’ and servicemembers’ pockets, further Tribal equity, and foster fairness in our financial services industry, but through it all, I’ve been most focused on getting the processes of this institution to work best for those who work here, and for everyday people. That’s what ultimately led me to the Rules committee, and I now have the privilege of doing a deep dive on process to find ways to make it easier for Members to deliver for their constituents.
Word association, what is the first word that comes to mind for each of these?
Policy – Everything
Networking – Nonstop
Writing Skills – Practice
Working on the Hill – Special
Leadership Connect – Helpful
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