Ever considered running for the school board? City council? State legislature? Some 70 scientists and engineers attended a workshop last month to learn about campaigning for local office. The 10 May event was held at Georgetown University and was sponsored by 10 professional organizations, including the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
The idea, says APS associate executive officer Alan Chodos, “is to give practical information to practicing scientists and engineers who might be interested in running for local office. That, plus [give them] the feeling there is a community of people who will support them as they go ahead.”
“My presentation was about the steps to put a campaign together,” says Dean Levitan of the consulting firm MSHC Partners. “The mechanics of a campaign include raising money and communications–advertising, websites, blogging, town hall meetings, door to door. It’s 98% elbow grease, 2% creativity.” Other presenters...
