Today was my last day of work! With the new Administration, all political appointees automatically lose their jobs, so both Joel and I are now officially unemployed. YIKES! We've known this is coming, so have been planning/saving/praying for months to prepare for this transition. It doesn't necessarily mean that its any less scary, but we are confident in the Lord's provision for our family. Joel is knee-deep in job searching (more about this in a future post) so we aren't really celebrating his "retirement" per se. But as for me, I will be staying home with Baby Harper in February so it truly does feel like retirement in a way!
I have been incredibly blessed with amazing professional opportunities since finishing graduate school in 2001. I moved to Washington on September 10, 2001 without a job, just in time to witness first-hand the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. In fact, I watched the smoke billow out of the Pentagon for days from my brand-new apartment in Alexandria, VA and wondered what on earth I had just done. God provided and within a week, I had a great job as a research assistant at The Heritage Foundation, one of the leading think tanks in the country (and my perfect ideological home!). After 2 years, I was promoted to a policy analyst where I could research, write, and speak about issues I really cared about like poverty, family, welfare, and the culture of life. I had awesome opportunities to even be on TV and radio, which was SO much fun.
After 4 wonderful years at the Heritage Foundation, the professional opportunity of a lifetime came about to work at the White House Domestic Policy Council. In God's amazing provision, this job found me while I was not even looking to leave. Although it was the hardest and most intense job I've ever done, it was the most amazing experience to serve President Bush and see the inner-workings of the White House. The work was incredibly exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling, but boy the hours were LONG! After about 2 years at the White House, God again opened another wonderful professional door for me. I left the White House to continue my service to President Bush from the Department of Health and Human Services. I had the fantastic opportunity to be the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, where I managed a staff of 35 and a budget of $10 million in research and evaluation projects for the human service portfolio of the Department. The work was so much fun, and I cannot even begin to comprehend how much I learned in this job. But my learning curve didn't stop. Last October, my old boss at the White House (who was now the Deputy Secretary, or the #2 guy at HHS) recruited me to come work for him. So for the last few months of the Bush Administration, I served as as policy advisor in the Deputy Secretary's office, which was so much fun and exposed me to so many of the larger health issues in the Department. It was a crazy last few months, working some very long days, but well worth it to finish strong and wrap up many of the important initiatives of the Bush Administration.
While I am thrilled beyond belief to become a mommy and be able to stay home with Harper, I am definitely bittersweet about my amazing professional life coming to a close for awhile. Maybe not forever, and I am praying that God will reveal ways for me to use all the things I've learned over the last 8 years to make a difference to the issues I care deeply for. Perhaps some part-time things or consulting will emerge down the road. (After having been working in the thick of things for so long, it will be hard to resist staying out of the fights that are sure to ensue over many of the issues I've worked on!) So while I don't know what the future holds for me professionally, I am trusting God to use the gifts and talents He has given me for His glory.
In the meantime, I am VERY excited about my new career as a mommy. While the hours will be longer and the pay lower than any job I've ever had, I know it is a HUGE promotion!
Toasting (sparkling cider) to 8 fantastic years of professional opportunities and to my new promotion as a mommy!
