Lyn Withey

Being part of the Honors program was an important factor in setting my life course. The opportunity to engage in serious discussion/debate in small group settings (one class I recall was 4 students and the head of the department) helped me identify and understand some core beliefs and motivate me to act on them. Working with another senior professor, one on one on my honors thesis, introduced me to the process of researching and analyzing original materials, developing content analysis, and examining the diverse ways in which one event is perceived by different audiences. This proved critical to my future course in politics, at state, national, international, public and private sector levels.

After graduating in 1968 with a political science major and history minor, with an emphasis on international relations, I secured a position (with the help of one of my professors) with Barry Goldwater's campaign for the US Senate. When he was elected, I was privileged to go to Washington as part of his staff. I worked in his office for four years, handling casework for constituents and serving as a liaison with state and local agencies. During that time, I pursued a masters degree in international relations at the Sino-Soviet Institute at George Washington University. Having a desire to pursue a foreign service career, I secured a position as an Economic Policy Officer with the US Information Agency where I developed position papers for US information officers in posts around the world on economic policy and helped establish a special economics education program for agency personnel working abroad. Following this assignment, I returned to the domestic political scene as a Congressional Liaison officer for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. My husband was in the Air Force, and we were transferred to Colorado, where I worked as Director of Government Affairs for a local Chamber of Commerce. I also worked on a Congressional campaign, and when the candidate was elected, I returned to DC to serve as his legislative director (husband and children also returned). From there, I moved to the Reagan Administration Treasury Department where I served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, with an emphasis on international legislation, including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, regional development banks, and international trade. After two years, I went to the White House as Special Assistant to President Reagan for Legislative Affairs, with emphasis on defense, foreign policy, and international trade. Following that service, I joined the private sector, becoming Vice President for Public Affairs for International Paper, a Fortune 100 company with extensive international operations. In that position, I oversaw company business relations with state, national and international government agencies and participated in numerous international trade delegations.

Throughout my career, which has afforded me extensive opportunity to travel and interact with people and public officials around the world, and intensive insights into the Congress and executive branches of government, a constant theme has been communication and advocacy--going back to understanding a set of core beliefs and acting on them, while also reaching out to understand other points of view and seeking to effect a positive outcome. My education at the U of A, and particularly my association with the Honors program and professors helped instill that sense of awareness of self and others which served me well in my career. I am grateful for that and would like to help other students reach their full potential.