WASHINGTON – She is an eighth generation D.C native, her grandfather was Speaker of the House and Catlin O’Neill wanted nothing to do with Washington.
“My only plan was not to work in politics or live in Washington, D.C.,” O’Neill said.
But after the Manhattan studio where she worked after college closed following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, O’Neill found herself at home in Washington with an offer to come work for soon to be Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
She would go on to run the office her grandfather, Speaker Tip O’Neill, held.
“When I look back on my career and think, it was a series of experiences where I had the option of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and I always said ‘yes,'” O’Neill said of her success.
That’s the key to excelling in O’Neill’s eyes. No matter if it starts with making copies or getting coffee, she said.
// < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ var g_nodeObserver = new MutationObserver(OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved); var g_charObserver = new MutationObserver(OnObserverCharacterDataChanged); function StartObserver() { g_nodeObserver.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); g_charObserver.observe(document.body, { characterData: true, subtree: true }); } function StopObserver() { g_nodeObserver.disconnect(); g_charObserver.disconnect(); } function OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved(changes, mutationObserver) { window.external.CB_OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved(); } function OnObserverCharacterDataChanged(changes, mutationObserver) { window.external.CB_OnObserverCharacterDataChanged(); } // ]]>
“That’s how you become a resourceful and reliable person,” she said. “People start to give you more work if you’re willing to do it, do it well and with a smile and ask whatever questions necessary to complete a task.”
While she held on to her idea of returning to the music industry longer than she’d like to admit, O’Neill said she finally came to the realization — not only did she love her job, she was great at it.
// < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ var g_nodeObserver = new MutationObserver(OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved); var g_charObserver = new MutationObserver(OnObserverCharacterDataChanged); function StartObserver() { g_nodeObserver.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); g_charObserver.observe(document.body, { characterData: true, subtree: true }); } function StopObserver() { g_nodeObserver.disconnect(); g_charObserver.disconnect(); } function OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved(changes, mutationObserver) { window.external.CB_OnObserverNodesAddedOrRemoved(); } function OnObserverCharacterDataChanged(changes, mutationObserver) { window.external.CB_OnObserverCharacterDataChanged(); } // ]]>
“In leadership you have to be able to analyze the things coming at you a million miles an hour,” she said. “There’s a lot of competition for what needs attention. And being able to prioritize those things and work seamlessly to get things sort of dealt with and move onto the next issue is a skill-set ,” she said.
O’Neill worked in Pelosi’s office for 10 years before leaving for the private sector.
“Public service is in her DNA and I thank Catlin for her talent and leadership on behalf of the people of San Francisco. She has been an indispensable part of my staff and she will be missed,” Pelosi said in a statement announcing O’Neill’s departure.
O’Neill is now a director of public policy at Facebook.
The post From the Hill to Facebook: Catlin O’Neill’s unexpected journey appeared first on WTOP.
