Loving and Leaving Washington by John Yochelson

Author:John Yochelson [Yochelson, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: POL040000 Political Science / American Government / General
ISBN: 9781612348353
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 2016-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

14

Think Tank Entrepreneur

Dave Abshire liked to tell a story about having taken command of a platoon as a young officer during the Korean War. A grizzled sergeant took him aside when he reached his unit. “Lieutenant,” the sergeant said, “this platoon is either going to get better or get worse. It isn’t going to stay the same.”

Abshire saw truth in the sergeant’s advice for any organization. I viewed the insight in more personal terms. Either I was going to reposition myself at CSIS or fade. My corporate marketing portfolio was missing something essential: a specific content area that I could call my own. I needed to direct a program to make the center my first-ever career base. Otherwise, I would be merely a facilitator.

My break came when CSIS endowed the Dr. Scholl Chair in International Business and Economics. The Chicago-based Scholl family, which had a strong allegiance to Abshire and Georgetown University, came through with long-term support in the area closest to its global success in foot care products. The first choice to fill the chair, Thibault de St. Phalle, looked like a perfect fit. He had served on the board of directors of the Ex-Im Bank, the export finance arm of the U.S. government. He was also coming out with a book on trade, inflation, and the dollar, to be published by Oxford University Press.

The classy St. Phalle intended to take a star turn. The mixed reviews of his book, however, did not give him the recognition he and the center had anticipated. As a high-level executive, he wasn’t about to roll up his sleeves to organize meetings, write proposals, or raise funds. But the center needed a workhorse, not a show horse.

I asked Abshire if he would consider splitting off the research and writing responsibilities of the Dr. Scholl Chair holder from the operational task of establishing an international business and economics program. He hesitated for a few uncomfortable months, not wanting to embarrass St. Phalle. Then he came around. The growth opportunity for CSIS was too important to pass up.

The title of program director made me a think tank entrepreneur in Washington. Now I had the DC equivalent of a small business to run. The goal was affecting policy, not making money. It was up to me to figure out how. Hundreds of others were trying to do the same thing. My comparative advantage grew out of the power of the CSIS network, which I counted on to make up for a thin background in economics. I’d give the program a moderately conservative, free market tilt that appealed to business without slamming the door on labor. If the right opportunity came along, I might take a shot at a political appointment.

My new duties put me ahead of the game in making a connection to Kissinger. He chaired a high-powered group of chief executives, the CSIS International Councillors, who contributed a minimum of $50,000 per year to participate in two off-the-record sessions on the global business environment. Some of their funding covered Kissinger’s suite and administrative support.

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