HKS Authors

See citation below for complete author information.

Isabelle and Scott Black Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus

Abstract

American ingenuity is fueled by eager, talented young people who bring new ideas, boundless energy and fresh thinking to the table. Picture Bill Gates in his Seattle garage 30 years ago developing the early version of the personal computer. Innovation is the key driver of our global leadership, and it is through the dedicated efforts of people of vision, inspiration and wisdom that we can confront and overcome our pressing global challenges - if we can attract a new generation of talent to the public sector. Ironically, at the very moment when we need the very best people and their ideas in Washington, we face a mass exodus. With nearly a third of our midlevel and upper-level senior government officials due to retire in the near term, the federal government faces a serious people problem that it must address now.

Citation

Ellwood, David. "Attracting Visionaries: The Key To Meeting Global Policy Challenges." The Washington Times, June 1, 2009.