Surveying the Combat Zone

Black Issues in Higher Education, August 19, 1999

RELATED ARTICLE: 15 POLICY PROFESSIONALS/ADVOCATES/LOBBYISTS

The following is but a few of the behind-the-scenes players who have had an impact on higher education.

1. Carrie L. Billy, executive director, White House Initiative of Tribal Colleges and Universities

Though Billy, a Navajo attorney from Arizona, has served as a federal appointee since February 1998, she earns a place on this list for her long record of advocacy and policy development as an aide to U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and as federal relations counsel to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

2) William "Buddy" Blakey, partner, Dean, Blakey & Moscowitz

Blakey has lobbied Congress for more than a decade on behalf of historically Black institutions and the United Negro College Fund. He served previously on the staff of U.S. Senator Paul Simon and as counsel to the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education.

3) Anita Estell, partner, Van Scoyoc and Associates

Former House Appropriations Committee staff member and U.S. Education Department senior adviser now represents a new breed of well-connected lobbyists. Clients include Spelman College and NAFEO.

4) Antonio Flores, president, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Flores worked with Hispanic congresspersons to press the case for Hispanic-serving institutions during last year's Higher Education Act reauthorization.

5) Marshall Grigsby, staff member, House Education and Workforce Committee

Former HBCU president is an adviser to ranking House Democrat William Clay.

6) Tom Joyner, host, The Tom Joyner Morning Show

Though considered neither a policy professional nor a lobbyist, Joyner, the self-titled "Fly Jock" of the airwaves, is a highly visible advocate of Black colleges and universities. His radio broadcasts from Black campuses have been heard by millions and has boosted fundraising efforts for the schools.

7) Arnold Mitchem, president, Council for Opportunity in Education

Mitchem gets credit for success in lobbying Congress to increase funding for federal TRIO programs.

8) Herbert Nickens, M.D., the late vice president of Community and Minority Programs, Association of American Medical Colleges

Dynamic physician launched Association of American Medical Colleges' Project 3000 by 2000 to increase minority enrollment in the nation's medical schools. Nickens tragically died this past March.

9) Gary Orfield, co-director, Harvard Civil Rights Project and Harvard education professor

Along with fellow co-director Christopher Edley Jr., Orfield leads research program charged with generating empirical evidence as basis for defending affirmative action policies.

10) Henry Ponder, president, National Association for Equal Opportunity

Former college president has tried working miracles with limited resources. Ponder is hoping NAFEO can deliver more federal help to member institutions with hired lobbyists on board.

11. Randall Robinson, president, TransAfrica

Leader of Free South Africa Movement in U.S. helped foment domestic pressure on colleges and universities to divest holdings of stock from companies doing business with South Africa.