Lobbyist/Advocate Tory Anderson
Tory with Congresswoman Sinema and Ms. Sinema's District Director, Michelle Davidson
Tory at the Capitol
Tory leading the charge at the Capitol
The person I chose to profile was one of my two supervisors-Tory Anderson, an advocate at the Arizona Legislature.
Tory actually received her undergrad degree in Family Studies. She originally wanted to be a therapist. Her first job out of school was as a social worker for the state. It was there she learned how hard it was to help those she worked with because of the state policies. She had tried to make change from the bottom up, but decided she wanted to do it from the top down. That is why she went to get her Master's degree in Public Administration.
While earning her Master's degree, she had a great professor who told her she should start in the budget office of the Governor (then Governor Napalitano) because it would give her the opportunity to see how state government works, the legislative process, and how money is distributed and allocated to the various state agencies. So she did indeed start working there upon completion of her degree.
It was there that she was introduced to lobbying and advocacy-what she does now. She really does love the legislative process and her chosen career.
One thing she learned in the field that she never learned in school is that nothing works the way it is supposed to. The legislature plays by its own rules rather than the procedures it is supposed to. That's also, in addition to the money in politics, what she likes least about her job.
The thing she loves most about her job is that she feels like she's really making a difference.
Her advice to me and any other policy student would be to start in the budget office-one learns so much.
This supervisor seems like somebody who really knows what theyre talking about.
ReplyDeleteGlad she was able to put you on a good path!