Pathway To Poltics In Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth

In painting a picture of Pennsylvania's future, Gov. Josh Shapiro pointed to past progress.

"In every chapter of this Pennsylvania story, we got better," Shapiro, the Democratic 48th leader of the Commonwealth, said in his January inauguration speech. "We got stronger. We got more tolerant. Our story is one of progress and prosperity, and today we come together under the banner of this new administration to write our next chapter with a keen understanding of our history and the voices that will guide our future."

Several of those voices are Allegheny College alumni (and a former president), working hand-in-hand with Shapiro in service of the goals and promises he articulated on the campaign trail - goals and promises that affect nearly 13 million Pennsylvanians, from major urban centers to small farming villages, in ways large and small. Here, we share insights about why Alleghenians are well prepared for these types of roles, along with their pathways to these significant posts.

Morgan Boyd '20

Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Departmentof Community & Economic Development

Morgan Boyd '20

Morgan Boyd didn't wait until graduation to start a journey that has taken him to his current job. While juggling a full course load at Allegheny, Boyd successfully campaigned for seats on the borough council in his hometown, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, and on the Lawrence County (PA) Board of Commissioners.

"I want to provide value to Pennsylvania, not only in my home county, but all across the state, so this is very fulfilling to me," said Boyd, who majored in economics with a minor in philosophy. "I get to work on everything from downtown initiatives to blight remediation to analyzing our Pennsylvania economic development toolkit, and what we need to add to the toolkit to be more competitive regionally, nationally, internationally."

An Allegheny education gave him the confidence to know he would succeed anywhere, Boyd said.

"I found college to be more about learning how to learn than about learning a specific disciplinary area," he said. "While I'm certainly able to have a conversation about economics and perform differential economic analysis, because of my liberal arts education, I'm able to go into different communities to get projects off the ground and work across diverse interdisciplinary teams."

Asked about the number of Alleghenians helping to shape the state, Boyd said Shapiro has been very intentional about hiring people with "diverse backgrounds and thought processes."

"When we're looking at structuring economic development programs, we're not just talking about dollars and cents. We're also talking about 'What's the impact on the transit in neighboring communities and housing opportunities in those communities?' 'What's going to be the impact on poverty in that community?'" he said.

"Having the education and ability to look thoroughly at complex problems through different lenses, I think, is extraordinarily valued by employers in general and by the Shapiro administration."

Mark Campbell '82

Business Development Transition Team

Mark Campbell '82

Mark Campbell, a native of Warren, Pennsylvania, and a first-generation college student, knew nothing about what to expect on a college campus in 1978.

"My interest at that point was in getting an education that would allow me to be successful," said Campbell, who now serves as partner of the Ridge Policy Group, overseeing the lobbying efforts of clients that range from small nonprofits and institutions of higher education to large for-profit enterprises. "I didn't know what that would look like, but Allegheny nurtured my interests. It piqued my thoughts and pushed me in directions that I probably would not have considered. It opened my eyes and ears to a much bigger world than I had known prior to Allegheny."

Campbell ultimately majored in history after taking a full slate of interdisciplinary courses that "prepared me in ways I still don't fully appreciate," he said.

That interdisciplinary approach, he said, "allowed me to be an articulate, well-spoken critical thinker who I think can take on just about any professional challenge, utilizing what I learned during those four years."

It came as no surprise to Campbell that fellow Gators were tapped to join him to serve on other transition teams.

"There is a value to the Allegheny liberal arts tradition that helps to hatch young minds, transform young minds in ways that allow them to be leaders - thought leaders and literal leaders in politics, in government and in many other areas," Campbell said.

Larry Hailsham Jr. '15

Executive Deputy Chief of Staff

Larry Hailsham Jr. '15

Larry Hailsham Jr., a political science major and communication arts minor originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, came to Allegheny as a Bonner Scholar, part of a program that merges leadership, education and service. As a Bonner Scholar, students commit to eight to 10 hours each week working with a local community organization and participating in leadership development, community building and social justice training, among other commitments.

That experience, combined with an Allegheny study away opportunity in Costa Rica, "taught me how important it is to listen, and about how critical it is to ask questions and learn from people who have different experiences than you,"
Hailsham said.

"I bring all of that into my daily experience where it is very important to ensure that you actually have the various different perspectives that you need around the table."

Hailsham served as president of Allegheny Student Government before building an impressive and deep résumé in politics, including working as special assistant to Sen. Bob Casey and as Pennsylvania political director for Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. In his current role, Hailsham serves as second-in-command of the governor's office and oversees several teams responsible for the execution of the governor's day and administration of the office. Hailsham humbly describes his role as ensuring "the proper execution of the governor's day and all of the necessary components of the day transpire as planned."

Like other alumni in the administration, Hailsham said it's no surprise that Gators can be found everywhere in Harrisburg, most notably in the halls of the Capitol.

"If you go to Allegheny, you come out with a unique understanding of your role in the world that we live in - and it's no coincidence that Alleghenians have really taken an interest in public service," he said. "That's the crux of an Allegheny education. Allegheny really instills a sense of civic pride and civic service."

Michelle Henry '91

Attorney General

Michelle Henry '91

Michelle Henry knew as a high school student in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, that she wanted to go to law school and become an attorney, a path that began at Allegheny and continued at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg. After two decades in the Bucks County District Attorney's Office focusing on child abuse cases and for a few years as the District Attorney, Henry was tapped by then-Attorney General Shapiro to join his Office as First Assistant Deputy Attorney General in 2017. When he became governor, Shapiro nominated Henry as his successor.

"My major was communication arts with an emphasis on public speaking, so that concentration assisted me greatly both as a prosecutor in the courtroom and now more than ever in communicating the message of the Office of Attorney General," Henry said. "I find myself speaking at press conferences, professional meetings, panel discussions and even testifying before the United States Senate, so I rely on that training to think critically about the message I'm delivering and how I can do it effectively. I also minored in women's studies, and that perspective about the historical path of women in our society has helped me as a leader in the workplace. Women have a different perspective, which is really valuable when assessing a situation."

A central tenet of the Allegheny experience - the exposure to multiple fields of study and multiple perspectives - is critical, and "has served me my entire career," Henry said.

"As a prosecutor and a lawyer, it is imperative that you consider all sides and try to anticipate all scenarios so that you can be prepared for when you ultimately get to the courtroom. At Allegheny, I was taught to examine issues in that way, and I've carried that skill with me and utilize it daily," she said.

The coursework and general culture on campus at Allegheny "puts an emphasis on public service, civic engagement and the idea that it is important to give back to the communities that helped shape you,"
Henry said.

"I'm not surprised to see Allegheny alumni serving at high levels in the Commonwealth. … I am proud of my fellow Allegheny alums as we all work in our new capacities to serve the people of Pennsylvania."

James Mullen

Higher Education Transition Team

James Mullen

The charge to serve on a governor's team is not a simple one, but one that the alumni are well prepared for, said Dr. James Mullen, who served as Allegheny's president from August 1, 2008, to June 30, 2019.

According to Mullen, Allegheny attracts students who are naturally civic-minded and who want to contribute to their communities, and then gives them the well-rounded education and the opportunities to make that happen in profound ways.

"When you come to a place like Allegheny and service becomes part of you and part of your education, it inspires you to go out into the world," he said. "You see a larger sense of responsibility and a larger sense of what community is and a larger sense of what it means to be a citizen. I've never been surprised that our students go on and serve in public life."

Every residential liberal arts college boasts of graduates who possess a strong foundation in a certain discipline. Allegheny's interdisciplinary approach to education - the commitment to teaching students to view questions and subjects from multiple perspectives - is what sets the college and its alumni apart, Mullen said.

"That creates a certain kind of person who is going to go out and make a difference in the world."

Andre Perry '93

Education and the Workforce Transition Team

Dr. Andre Penny '93 | Photo Credit: Eric Lee

Dr. Andre Perry's path to college began on the track. Track and field coach Ralph Wright recruited Perry to Allegheny from his hometown of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, with the promise of an excellent education and a chance to run. Perry, a psychology major, got both of those things - and found his passion in the process.

Following his first year, Perry had the opportunity through Allegheny to work as a counselor for, and later, director of, a weeklong college exposure camp offered by the Student Leadership Institute, an initiative of Pennsylvania's Migrant Education Program.

"That camp was really the beginning of my passion for policy research," said Perry, who later founded the College of Urban Education at Davenport University and now works as Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a scholar-in-residence at American University and as a professor of practice of economics at Washington University. "That experience absolutely changed my life. It enabled me to connect my personal experiences to my political and academic ones."

One of the most valuable aspects of Perry's Allegheny experience, he said, was the exposure to different courses and to varied opportunities that helped change and shape his worldview.

"We don't live in academic boxes," he said. "We live in communities, communities that are rich in culture, economics, religions and psychology. We live in an interdisciplinary way, so we should learn in an interdisciplinary way. One of the purposes of a liberal arts education is to think critically - think critically about who you are, about the world and how we should live in it. What kind of lives do we want?"

That kind of thinking "does not know academic boundaries," Perry said, and is one of the reasons why Allegheny voices are valued in the political/policy arena
and beyond.

Al Schmidt '93

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Al Schmidt '93

As Secretary of the Commonwealth, Dr. Al Schmidt oversees elections in the state and regulatory programs under the umbrella of the Department of State, including those related to businesses, charities, permits and industry certifications. His path began at Allegheny, drawn there by the small size and academic reputation.

Schmidt valued the college's interdisciplinary approach and took a variety of classes, including political science classes, all of which helped broaden his understanding of the world. At Allegheny, he met international students and took advantage of study abroad opportunities and full-immersion programs where he could learn German. He later went on to get a Ph.D. in history from Brandeis University.

"Studying history is more than just memorizing dates," Schmidt said, referring to his major area of study. "It's really about learning how to think and how to communicate in writing, which is by far the most useful skill set I took away from my time at Allegheny."

A Pittsburgh native who majored in history and minored in German, Schmidt always intended to enter public service while volunteering on various political campaigns. Later, he worked as a senior performance analyst in the Government Accountability Office and then, under the Clinton administration, as a policy analyst for the Presidential Commission on Holocaust Assets. Before being tapped by Shapiro, Schmidt served as a Philadelphia City Commissioner from 2012 to 2022. He was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2023 for his role overseeing Philadelphia's election results in the 2020 race.

It's a lengthy résumé, but it's easy to connect the dots between Allegheny and the Department of State, Schmidt said.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Allegheny was the right choice for me and set me on the trajectory that I was interested in going on," he said. "Allegheny really equipped me with the tools I needed to go down
that road."

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