Today's Featured Biography

 
Stanley Kolbe

I am still in Washington, DC living on Capitol Hill across from the Capitol where I have been since finishing at Cornell University in 1976 and immediately starting work in the US Senate. During evenings I attended GW University graduate school for my masters in policy and then to GWU for business.... Then left the Hill to represent the US Conference of Mayors (largest cities) and then the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as lobbyist and policy director. Both offices were just a block from the White House. Now I work in the shadow of the Capitol each day on the Senate side of the Hill and live on the House side near the Supreme Court and Library of Congress.

I love Washington, DC and never tire of seeing the Capitol dome out my front window. I have spent decades working as a government relations executive / lobbyist for a business trade group and get to work with the Congress and the White House on many issues so my work remains interesting. I was sorry to miss the reunion again but as you know, Congress went into a crisis mode again and I just could not be away last week. Next I have a trip to Maui for a business conference speech. It seems I am more swamped than ever with work. After all these years the Congressional schedule determines my availability in the fall months as the budget, debt ceiling and fiscal year tend to run out or run into crisis. One day I might have my fill of it all, but not just yet.

I have two daughters, both married just recently... Alexandra (Brown University '12 - Georgetown Law School '15) and Katerina - (Cornell University '15 - my alma mater). Both were recruited to college as softball pitchers but law and finance soon became their fields of focus. My wife Nina is a health professional and speaker / writer / consultant so that allows time for us to travel when Covid restrictions allow to see our girls in the Boston area. Alie moved to be near her firm in Cambridge and her husband at Harvard while Katie lives and works in Wellesley.

Before Covid when work allowed we spent most of our time on business and personal travel and follow the activities of our two girls. We often visit with nearby family in DC, our Sanibel Island, FL family retreat and NYC. While trips home to Iowa were limited due to Covid, I plan to start returning home more frequently to help with the family home restoration effort. While we lost my mother a short time ago, my father at 96 is just amazing and sharp as ever so remains a major blessing for us all. My sister (Sherry '75) lives nearby us on Capitol Hill so we see her often. With my older sister (Marsha '69) now in Marshalltown but her son in the DC area we generally have gathered together in DC for holiday breaks. My brother (David '73) is still in Marshalltown but travels all over the country with stops in DC to see sports and have dinner with us when possible.

It is amazing to see our classmates living all over the globe by checking the class website. How time flies when we are busy and on the go... Although I cannot say I respect all those characters in Congress nor their behavior, I do enjoy government relations and working on energy, tax and other management policy issues. Perhaps this will be the year we finally see passage on the elusive infrastructure legislation and a number of major issues I lobby on, but that remains to be seen. This is not a time where predictions on politics and policy are very reliable... regardless of how close to the process one may be.

I hope everyone has a healthy and Happy New Year in 2022 and that Covid dissipates so we can again enjoy the good life we often dreamed of during our time at MHS.

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