U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS
Heather Lawrie

A student majoring in psychology with a minor in Spanish from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Heather Lawrie was placed by the Washington Internship Program at the U.S. Conference of Mayors for an internship lasting from January to May. Heather requested a placement in law and government, and this one also made use of her Spanish-language abilities. In the past, Heather participated in the International Study Abroad Program in Salamanca, Spain and worked at her university’s Psychology Research Program as well as the Court-Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASA), which concentrates on how the court system affects children. A member of the Spanish Club and president of the Bayou Chapter of the National Charity League, Heather worked in the past as a bilingual tutor for elementary-school students.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization representing America’s 1183 cities with populations of more than thirty-thousand people. The Conference has assumed a national leadership role, calling attention to serious urban problems and pressing for solutions. While there, Heather worked with the assistant executive director. Heather performed research on current energy issues, in the course of which she used sources like the Energy and Environment Daily and online material. After collecting data, she wrote reports and talking points. Heather also helped senior staff organize packets for business-council luncheons and mailings.

Heather assisted in preparing for the Annual Winter Meeting at the Capitol Hilton Hotel. She worked on briefing materials for the Energy, Environment, and Membership Standing Committees. The mayors in attendance debated issues that would improve both local and the national government. Heather was thrilled to see New York Senator Hillary Clinton speak in person at a luncheon honoring the mayors along with leaders from her home state of Texas, including Bill White who discussed problems with Hurricane-Katrina evacuees living in Houston and the increasing crime rate there. Heather wrote two articles that were published in the bimonthly newspaper U.S. Mayor. The “Recruitment Plan Campaign” and “The Role of Mayors in Preventing Further Climate Change” both ran on February 6, 2006.

Heather was excited to accompany her boss to the National Press Club for a press conference about automakers producing plug-in hybrid vehicles in order to reduce gas consumption and dependence on foreign oil while cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. This initiative was supported by cities and counties, national policy organizations, electric utilities, national security experts, and environmental groups. Among the speakers were experts like Austin Mayor Will Wynn; Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for National Security Policy; Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy; and Professor Andy Frank of the University of California at Davis, the inventor of plug-in hybrids.

Heather also reported on Congressional hearings she attended, like one on LIHEAP (dealing with home energy assistance for low-income households), and another dealing with natural gas, which was addressed by Senator James Jeffords (independent from Vermont) as well as officials from the Environmental Protection Agency. Heather went to an Appropriations Committee hearing on Amtrak, transportation, and the budget for fiscal year 2007. A related Congressional briefing that Heather attended at the Dirksen Senate Office Building dealt with “Dependence on Oil: How Transit Can Help Americans Reduce Energy Consumption,” and it was headed by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Coming from a big state like Texas where citizens typically drive long distances, Heather was painfully aware that the United States consumes more than twenty-million barrels of oil each day with two-thirds used by the transportation sector, and currently almost 60 percent of U.S. oil is imported. Among the speakers were William W. Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association; Mariia Zimmerman, vice president of Policy: Reconnecting America; and Winston Harrington, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future.

Heather heard a speech delivered by the Secretary of the Department of Energy, after which she went on a tour of the Energy Department. The Secretary spoke about high gas prices and alternative fuel sources. Later in the internship, Heather helped compile a survey for the Annual Energy and Environment Summit. Heather’s work was sent to every mayor from the member cities, who reported back on local environmental practices. Heather entered all this information onto spreadsheets and prepared the facts for publication in a brochure she designed. She also improved her ability to use Microsoft Excel.

Heather learned much about politics and lobbying, as well as conservation-related topics, at her impressive internship. Heather wrote in her final paper: “Overall, my internship was a wonderful experience. I loved being able to learn more about current issues that absorb the mayors of America. I also learned how important it is for people to fight for their beliefs. I met so many amazing, hard-working people at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the organization is really a great place. I am lucky to have been able to work there, and I strongly recommend this placement to other interns.”

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