Academy Fellow William Leighty is the former Chief of Staff to two Virginia Governors from 2002-2007, a marine and published author, and more.

What motivated you to pursue your current career path, and how did you navigate the early stages of your career? I was raised in a military family with a strong tradition of serving others. That along with my background in scouting left me with the personal motto of “Being of Cheerful Service to Others.” My early career just seemed to build itself naturally as I took on more and more policy-oriented jobs. And the opportunity to advance and be responsible for significant projects led me to believe I was making a bigger contribution to others, more than working in the private sector could.

In your experiences interacting with or being involved in the public service, how have you seen the role of public administrators evolve in the span of your career? Much as envisioned in the original Minnow Brook conference I was witness to the advancement of support and confidence in the professionalism of public administration. The evolution from trusted servant to trusted advisor and advocate. Although we still have a way to go, I also saw increased participation by women and minorities. Only those of us who saw what it was like before can gain some real appreciation for how much has changed.

What projects or initiatives have had the greatest impact on you personally, and how have they shaped your perspective on collaboration between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors? Not a project but my service as a United States Marine had the single most impact on the trajectory of service to others and molded my leadership style.

As someone who has likely witnessed shifts in public policy priorities, how do you think future generations can contribute to reshaping or addressing long-term societal challenges in governance? I am deeply gratified, as I teach, to see the future ge3neration of public administrators so committed to giving back a delving deeply into studying the institutional injustices of the past.

What do you enjoy in your free time? I am an avid and engaged “Birder” travelling the world in search of a chance to enjoy seeing “good birds.”