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Make it Work: Young Fed Veronica Vargas Stidvent Reflects on Her Labor of Love
It was pretty heady stuff. But for El Paso native Veronica Vargas Stidvent, being nominated to a big position in the Bush administration was the next logical step in a remarkable career-- even though she was just 29 years old.
Stidvent recently left her post as Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor after serving nearly two years. Before the U.S. Senate confirmed her (unanimously) for the DOL job, she was Special Assistant to the President, where she helped develop policy on a wide range of issues, including labor, education, justice and homeland security. Her federal service also included a stint as Special Assistant to the Administrator in the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Although brief, her tenure at DOL was impressive. Heading up the policy shop that impacts every working family in the US is no small challenge. Aside from managing a staff of 45, Stidvent oversaw policy development, regulations, program implementation, compliance assistance strategies, program evaluations, research, budget and performance analysis, and legislation.
Oh, and don't forget, when senior White House officials and the Labor Secretary wanted advice, counsel and quick answers about any worker-related subject . . . immigration, technology, employment trends, Stidvent was on their speed dial.
She made a name for herself when she lead the effort to launch a compliance assistance Web Portal, designed to help members of the regulated community understand and comply with federal employment laws and regulations administered by the Labor Department. Under her leadership, many of these resources became available in Spanish.
She championed efforts to reduce regulations on US manufactures, and became a go-to person during the immigration debate as she and her team pulled together data on employment numbers, current immigration programs, and other information that influenced discussions at the highest levels of government.
Stidvent earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Yale. She caught the public service bug while clerking for Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District in Texas. She also has private sector experience, and was an associate with the law firm Vinson & Elkins in Austin.
She left the Labor Department on Labor Day 2006 (of course!) and moved back to her beloved Austin with her husband Chris -- also a lawyer -- and new daughter Charlotte. Setting up house with a new child is taking up a lot of her time, but she's also looking at what to do next, and how to merge all that experience into her next dream job. Texas-and the nation-haven't heard the last from this 32-year old powerhouse!
We had lots of questions . . . and Stidvent graciously answered them via e-mail. After she put the baby to bed.
Did you ever have trouble being taken seriously in a town and environment that values gray hair and 12-page resumes?
At times, I suspect I was mistaken for an intern at first glance, but I don't mind being underestimated. That can be a huge advantage. In any job, I think you have to earn respect and trust-gray hair not withstanding-and ultimately your contributions are what make people take you seriously.
As a new mother, you're taking the work/family balance from rhetoric to reality. Any advice for young feds who are trying to do it?
It's important to set your top priorities and not waiver from them. And although it sounds like a contradiction, you also have to be flexible. For me, that meant my daughter's bedtime came first, even if it meant my husband or I had to leave the office without putting our work to bed and then work late into the night. On the other hand, I've been on many conference calls with a baby in one hand, a rattle and bottle in the other. Speaker and mute buttons become very important.
What surprised you the most when you moved from Texas to Washington? And now that you're back in Texas, what do you miss most about Washington?
It was obvious that Washingtonians speak a different language. I was immersed in acronyms the minute I started working in DC. I miss the many wonderful friends and colleagues that I met during my tenure in government. And I miss all the signs of fall.
What is your proudest accomplishment in your federal government career?
I am very proud and honored to have the opportunity to serve my country in the small way that I did. As a policy advisor, I spent most of my time behind the scenes. For me, my proudest accomplishment was being able to brief senior White House officials and Cabinet members on issues such as immigration, knowing that the efforts of my team would inform the discussion with the President.
What's the best advice you ever got... and did you follow it?
I've received very good advice from people far wiser than me. I'll share a fairly recent piece of advice: Think about what you want to do, not just what you want to be. It's very salient advice for those pursuing careers in government. It can be easy to get hung up on titles or other markers of prestige. I haven't always followed that advice, but I am trying to.
Describe a moment in your career as Assistant Secretary when you thought; "I'm way too young for this."
It can be uncomfortable to be in a room where people are comparing notes on how things were done in the Reagan Administration. It's hard to chime in when your focus at the time was on Jelly Bellies.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how cool is it to be driven to a meeting in a black sedan?
It's a 10 the first time you step out of the sedan and people stop to see who's arriving (their disappointment brings it down to a 9). It's about a 1 when you realize that there's a small pool of sedans and you're eighth in line to get a ride.
