Wednesday, September 17, 2003

As part of my job, I regularly read profiles of Capitol Hill staffers. As you'd expect, these folks tend to have similar pedigrees: they come from great schools, were active in campus politics, worked on their bosses' campaigns, etc.

That's why Delta Whitfield's story stood out for me. She's a staff assistant to Mark Dayton, Minnesota's senior senator. Twenty years ago she was a cashier and trainer at Washington National Airport. She put in time at Hecht's, a local department store chain, as well.

She started on the Hill as an elevator operator, which is where she caught the senator's attention. Impressed by her unflaggingly positive attitude and her impressive people skills, he brought her on board as part of his office staff.

Now Ms. Whitfield works alongside the best and the brightest, one of their number. She strikes me as a genuinely impressive individual. Senator Dayton summed it up best. "I think Delta is an ideal person. She has the qualities I’d like to see in every staff member."

Posted @ 10:31 AM

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