Facts About PACs Podcast

Ep 73 Leaders Speak Special

March 31, 2022 National Association of Business Political Action Committees Season 1 Episode 73
Facts About PACs Podcast
Ep 73 Leaders Speak Special
Show Notes Transcript

It’s March 31st, 2022, and as a capstone to NABPAC’s celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re using this platform to give voice to our signature Leaders Speak series. The incomparable Tracy J Edmonds turns on the microphones and takes us inside the world of DC government affairs for a candid conversation with two amazing women – both heads of their respective DC offices – about what “breaking the bias” means to them and the teams they lead.

Our guests on this special LEADERS SPEAK episode of the Facts About PACs podcast: Molly Ryan, Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy, at Global Blood Therapeutics. And, Karry La Violette, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Director of the Advocacy Center at National Community Pharmacists Association.

Micaela Isler:
Welcome back, to the Facts About PACs.  I’m Micaela Isler, NABPAC’s Executive Director, and today we’re breaking from our usual format to bring you a special presentation.  
 
Adam Belmar:
 It’s March 31st, 2022, and as a capstone to NABPAC’s celebration of Women’s History Month, today we’re using this platform to give voice to our signature Leaders Speak series. If you loved these interviews in print, we think you’ll appreciate the chance to lean in and hear this interview in HD audio. 

Micaela Isler:
Today, the incomparable Tracy J Edmonds turns on the microphones and takes all of us:  inside the world of DC government affairs … for a candid conversation with two amazing women – both heads of their respective DC offices – about what “breaking the bias” means to them and the teams they lead.

Adam Belmar:
Our guests on this special LEADERS SPEAK episode of the Facts About PACs podcast:
Molly Ryan, Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy, at Global Blood Therapeutics.
And, Karry La Violette, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Director of the Advocacy Center at National Community Pharmacists Association.

Micaela Isler:
Prior to migrating to the United States, Molly Ryan was a morning anchor on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation’s first FM radio station 101.9 Metro FM and had 3 million listeners daily. Molly is an advocate of preparing the next generation of leaders. She is the co-founder of Washington Heads of Office and volunteers her time on the boards of the Public Affairs Council, the Congressional Award Foundation, and the California State Society. Molly holds an MBA from the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing an additional degree in Business Management at the University of Maryland.

Adam Belmar:
And Karry La Violette is a former NABPAC Board member, PAC practioner and now sterling government affairs leader of an association founded over one hundred years ago – but never more relevant than they are today: The National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for America’s twenty thousand independent pharmacies. 

And if you’d didn’t know it, community pharmacists are local health care problem-solvers who continue to play a critical role all of us – especially during the pandemic.

Micaela Isler: 
And with that.. we turn it over to you, Tracy J, for our first Leaders Speak podcast…

Tracy J Edmonds:
Thanks, Michaela. As you mentioned, Leaders Speak is a regular program that we produce here at NABPAC And today, for the very first time, we're super excited because we're taking this to the podcast medium. We're lucky to have two very accomplished women in government affairs, both of who are heads of Washington offices, with us today. Molly and Karry, thank you for joining us. We heard a little bit about your bios in the opening. Tell our listeners what led you to a career in government affairs, policy, and advocacy. Was it something you always had an interest in or did you develop and grow into this career? Karry, let's start with you.

Karry La Violette:
Thanks, Tracy. I probably never would've thought I'd be in the job I'm in right now, to be honest with you. I just had an interest in politics when I was in college and current affairs, that kind of thing, worked on some campaigns and really got hooked on it, really thought it was interesting, and moved to DC after working on some campaigns, and just fell into just different government affairs roles and worked my way up throughout the years. I never would've guess I would've been a lobbyist. I knew I wanted to do something in government affairs. That was interesting to me, but wouldn't have guessed the trajectory I took and the different jobs I've taken in the government affairs field.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Yeah. Thank you for that. Molly, how about you?

Molly Ryan:
I think very similar to Karry. And hello everybody. Molly Ryan. I honestly I've worked in the broadcasting field before I moved to the United States 20 almost four years ago. I used to be a radio disc jockey. I played everything from music to sports weather, you name it, on 101.9 Metro FM. And when I relocated to the United States, I was the last of four to move here. I wasn't really sure where I was going to end up. Was I going to end up in journalism or was I going to do something in media communications? Just wasn't really sure. And as a young 20-something snapper, there were two options. So my sister, who's an aeronautical engineer, lived in Dallas, Texas, and there was an opportunity to even live with her or live with my mom in Tacoma Park, Maryland. And so again, as a 20-something young snapper, I'm like, the option of living with mom was a definite no.

Molly Ryan:
And I moved very quickly with my sister in Dallas. And I felt like there was not a calling for me in my very, very short nine months in Dallas. And so I tucked my tail in between my legs and moved in with my mom in Tacoma Park, Maryland. She was involved in several campaigns in the nation's capital. I went into one of the campaigns that I was working for. And one of the activities that we had was a lunch and learn. And I heard this incredible story about a patient's life that had been changed because of a policy that had been changed. And right there, I just knew there was a light bulb moment for me. I said, "I want to do that. I don't know what that is. I don't know what that looks like. I don't know what degree you have to have for that, but that's what I want to do. I want to work on policies that absolutely change somebody's life." And that was the beginning of my journey in government affairs.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Wow. That's awesome. The opportunity to have an impact sounds like it was a common theme for both of you. When we talk about themes, obviously this month is Women's History Month. And the theme for Women's History Month 2022 is breaking the bias. So what does that really mean for each of you? Are you seeing more breaking of the bias in corporate America? And what more do you think we need to do? What can we all do? Let's start with you, Molly.

Molly Ryan:
Tracy, I think we are seeing a shift. We're definitely seeing a shift not only in women shattering those glass ceilings. I mean, look at us. We've got a female vice president of the United States. When you look at the Supreme Court bench, look at the incredible leaders that are on that bench that are women. When you look across corporate America, even in my own organization, Global Blood Therapeutics, our leadership, the makeup of our leadership is predominantly women and women of color, to say the least. So I feel like there is change. There's a movement of change that is happening. Are we there yet in terms of really leveling the playing field across all industries in terms of women and their representation? We're not there yet. But it's inspiring to see all this change taking place.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more. We're seeing so many organizations jump into this DEI conversation. But there's still so much more to do. Karry, weigh in on this topic and tell me what you think about breaking the bias.

Karry La Violette:
Yeah. I agree a lot what Molly said. There has been a lot of really great change. And I think speaking from my perspective, I'm the first woman senior vice president of government affairs for my organization. They've never had a woman in this role before. We've got other senior VPs of different departments, but not the government affairs role. But I see with leading my team, it's not just gender bias. There's an age bias. People's skill sets are different. I try and look at our whole team as just, what is the skill set we need to move our goals forward? So we really try and be inclusive. And I do think the country's going in the right direction. Not everyone's in a typical role that they used to be. There's some people who don't want to be on the spotlight or be a senior vice president. And that's fine. There's roles for all of us to play. And I think it's just looking at the individual skillset.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Yeah. I'm really glad you mentioned that, Karry, because when we talk about Women's History Month, obviously we can talk about gender, but there is an aspect of intersectionality. So as we sit here, folks can't see us, but we've got two black women on this call. So we're also dealing with other issues. And like you said, there's different backgrounds. There's so many different things that come into play. So breaking the bias, I think we're headed in the right direction, but a lot to do there. I want to talk about women supporting women. Madeline Albright once said, "There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other." How have women helped you in your career and how are you paying the forward yourselves?

Molly Ryan:
I absolutely agree, number one, with that sentiment. I think we are all coming from a place, right, or from a history that has perpetuated that we can't be in a boardroom. Women can't have a senior role within an organization. We used to be in a box, right? And we're broken from that box and we're shattering all kinds of ceilings right now. And I believe that only together as women really supporting women will we go even further. And not only that, we have to get our men to also pull us up and bring us along on this journey because they have a set of influence as well, especially in some of the organizations. Even you look at corporate America in some of the leadership rooms, right? We don't have a lot of women that are represented. So you have to have the men also pull the women and bring them along on this journey.

Molly Ryan:
The most impactful person in my life has been my mother. She raised four children on her own. I'm the last of four. She works three jobs and she's my inspiration. She's my [shirao 00:06:44]. She is the person that I look up to every single time that I'm thinking about, "What can I be doing differently to help others?" I speak at different events, including the women's group up on Capitol Hill, just to make sure that women that are upcoming in their careers... There are lots of individuals that are younger in their careers as they're coming to Washington, DC, is really helping them see that there is a future beyond their scope of responsibilities at that given moment, is saying, "Hey, there are roles for you in corporate America, in government affairs."

Molly Ryan:
And then my colleague and I, who heads up government affairs for Aflac, we started the Washington Heads of Office Leadership Council. And that group is a group that works really to bring up the next generation of leaders. We are inspired by that because we know that we are sitting in positions of privilege, of influence. And if we don't do it, who's going to do it? Who's going to reach back out and bring people up and bring people along on this journey so that they can also achieve fulfillment as they seek different opportunities?

Tracy J Edmonds:
Yeah. That's a great point. Karry, you broke glass, right? You are the first woman to be in the role that you hold. So tell us a little bit about women who have played a prominent role in your development and how you view your role in developing other women.

Karry La Violette:
Sure, Tracy. Thanks. And very similar experience that Molly outlined as well with different colleagues of mine within the industry who grew up together, so to speak, and just keeping that network together and how we can learn from each other and help others, like Molly said, that are up-and-coming, the younger generation. I can say that now. I'm getting much older now.

Tracy J Edmonds:
We all [inaudible 00:08:20].

Karry La Violette:
I'm not the youngest one in the room anymore. Yeah. A lot of mentoring. I've taken that seriously over the years, especially younger women, is I've helped pretty much all of them find their next role. When they've worked for me, I'm like, "Okay, look. Nowhere for you to go here. You're great. Let me find you the next best job," and helped network that way. I've taken that on over the years and it's great to see them grow in their roles and mature, and it's been a lot of fun.

Tracy J Edmonds:
You know what? That's so powerful to recognize talent and to say, "You can no longer grow here. Let me help you find the next thing." The reality is so many men hold those senior-level roles. So what is the role of men in breaking bias? What do we need to see more of from our men who are in leadership positions? And I see you, Molly. Just jump on in there. Tell us what you think.

Molly Ryan:
I'll have to tell you, it was a male in my previous career that saw me, right, that saw me and was like, "There's something there in you that I believe in. And I want to be your mentor. I want to help you grow in your role." And there was just that level of, "I want to bring you on this journey," because in my previous position, the boardroom looked like what most typical boardrooms look like in America. Dominated by men, dominated by white men, to be very precise. Again, maybe sometimes when you look in the mirror, sometimes you don't see that spark, but he saw something, and he said, "I want to help you in your career." And he was the one that pulled me and brought me along.

Molly Ryan:
We want to see more men do that. I think in [inaudible 00:09:55] point in the women that are working for them, in the amazing colleagues that are working for them, to bring them along on the journey, because sometimes it's not going to happen organically. It's going to happen if somebody is your champion, if somebody is your spokesperson in that executive meeting room where they're looking at names on the board and they're saying, "Okay, who do we need to move up?" We want to have more of the women that are represented within organizations on that list. And it's not going to happen if you don't have those champions in those rooms.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Yeah. Absolutely. And since you've broken the glass, Karry, as you work with your male peers, are you working to see that they do more of that? Or are they stepping into that themselves? Or how is that showing up in your world?

Karry La Violette:
I think there's more of a conscious effort now. Our organizations, much more diverse than when I started here. 12 years in this current role. And this younger generation, they just expect it. When I was their age, I didn't. We had to fight a little more to get ahead. So I think it's been a little easier as younger executives get moved up in our organization that it's a given now. It's not even thought about because they're like, "No, the woman can do the job just as much as the male can." But I know it wasn't like that for previous generations. It's been a work over the years generations before me to pave the way.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Absolutely. And I think that's a great segue into my next question. Times have changed significantly. And we think about the events of the past couple of years. George Floyd's death is the one that's probably talked about the most, but there's many things that have occurred that have pushed organizations and individuals to lean in more when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. So when you think about this opportunity, this pivot point that we're in right now, how does diversity, equity, and inclusion really intersect with the work that each of you lead? And Karry, if you want to get us started, that'd be great.

Karry La Violette:
Yeah. I mean, it's just because of the role that I play, when you're in a government affairs role, you have to talk to everyone, right, on Capitol Hill. Doesn't matter what their philosophy is or not. "I'm representing my members. That's the issues that I'm going to talk to you about." It's not, "Where is your stance on some controversial social issue?" It's keeping it focused. And so it's very important in this role and those that work under me to just have that inclusion in the back of their mind at all time. You can't dismiss anyone. The young staff assistant that you might tick off one day could be the chief of staff or the member of Congress. So you have to look at it from the business perspective and just be human, to be honest. Everyone has differing opinions and you have to listen to everybody's diverse views on things. Not everyone's going to agree, and you just have to be inclusive of everyone around you.

Tracy J Edmonds:
I love that. Molly, weigh in. How is D and I showing up in the work that you lead?

Molly Ryan:
I think Tracy, you raised a fantastic comment on the murder of George Floyd, I think fast forwarded, I think, organizations and their perspective on how they needed to be showing up differently, what they needed to be going to have a more diverse employee base. It also begged the question of what is everybody doing within their position of influence in terms of elevating equity, elevating diversity, making sure that their organizations are inclusive? There was almost a gut check in terms of what's really going on, I think, in America in terms of organizations really making sure that diversity was on top of every agenda.

Molly Ryan:
Employees also pushed their organizations are like, "What are you doing? We want to see the numbers. We want to see ourselves reflected back into the organization and in leadership roles." So I think there was an awakening here, Tracy, that happened. And we know George Floyd wasn't the first black person to be murdered, but his death, I think, really brought an awakening into the entire country in terms of, "That is unacceptable and we need to be showing up a little differently in the workplace."

Molly Ryan:
So I'm excited about the journey that I have seen. I think the question for me is the sustainability of that diversity, equity, and inclusion hunger, I think, that we saw in organizations and the ability for them to really step up and do more in this space. I am excited to see it even happen in private equity, right, where that didn't exist at all. And just really excited that you're starting to see more initiatives even in the boardrooms for private equity and organizations being tasked to make sure not only do they have gender equality, but they also have diversity, right? The people of color, how are they serving on those boards? So it's exciting to see that shift and the movement of change that is taking place.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Absolutely. When we think about the role that women play and what you all do, government affairs, policy advocacy, why is it so important that we have women engage in these types of roles and be present on the Hill and in other places?

Molly Ryan:
More women have greater influence within organizations. Let me speak about myself, right? My position in government affairs and the work that we are doing not only at Global Blood Therapeutics, but also the work that we're doing on equity as it relates to the Washington Heads of Office Leadership Council, we have a role to play in along the next generation of phenomenal women leaders that are going to be in a variety of different fields. We're interfacing. When you look at Congress, you didn't have a lot of women that served in Congress. And when I received a book that had all the women that are members of Congress today, I was just blown away by just the representation there. So I love to see that sea of change continuing. Love to see women like myself and Karry and Tracy, yourself too, leaning in and making sure that we are inspiring that next generation to take up the next roles that are going to be coming up, to put them also in positions of influence as well.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Absolutely. And Karry, how do you see that in terms of how women are showing up in roles like yours and Molly's? What kind of impact are you all having? How are you changing the conversation?

Karry La Violette:
Yeah. No. Molly brought up some great points, and you did as well, Tracy. I think seeing people myself and Molly were reflective of the population. You should be seeing women in these roles. It's finally happening, like Molly said, the members of Congress. In addition to that, you didn't see a whole lot of female staffers when I first came to DC either. Now you see many more women chiefs of staff and more diverse staffers as well. So I think the more people see us, it's reflective of the population, and it's just going to continue to rise, I think.

Tracy J Edmonds:
I want to close this conversation out. I want to stay with you, Karry. A big part of why we do this Leaders Speak series is to highlight diverse backgrounds, diverse careers, and educate how we intersect with the work that Napac does and the roles that you all hold. But at the end of the day, it's so important to be a role model, right, and to demonstrate how you can show up in the career that you can have. So when you think about your career, what is the greatest insight or learning you've had about developing into the role that you have today? What has been your takeaway around building a great career?

Karry La Violette:
I would say hustle. It's my mantra a little bit is I'm going to outhustle anyone else, right? So as I moved up, I'd be the person to raise my hand and say, "Hey, I can help up that project," or, "Hey, I want to learn about that." I wasn't just hanging back and just being told what to do. I mean, yes, I had to report to my bosses and do my real job, what I was hired to do. But it was always be willing to help and show that you're willing to go above and beyond. I mean, I think that's been the word I would describe [crosstalk 00:17:29]-

Tracy J Edmonds:
I love that. And also, I hear take a little risk, too. You said you're the one that raised your hand and said, "Hey, I'll take that on." So I love that. Hustle and risk-taking. Molly, weigh in.

Molly Ryan:
Karry, I couldn't agree more. Taking that risk. And I think we as women sometimes just want to sit back and like, "We just want to be recognized for the work that we're doing." Take a risk. Raise your hand, as Karry mentioned, for opportunities that make you uncomfortable because that discomfort is going to create growth. Number two is always have a board women that are around you that aspire for the same things that you are, or that become then your anchor of support because at the end of the day, you are going to their support, I think, as you're growing in your professional career. And then lastly, I would just encourage, I think, as I look at young leaders developing, don't be afraid to take on something else that is not within your wheelhouse.

Molly Ryan:
I remember in my earlier career at Baxter Healthcare, we had a delegation from China that was coming in. I knew another about international trade, literally zero. Born and raised in Kenya, but literally in the healthcare space, I knew nothing about international trade and international healthcare policy, let alone what was happening in Asia. My boss was like, "There's this delegation coming. I think you should take on this assignment." And I was like, "Okay. I'll definitely take on this assignment." And we had such a great and meaningful convention with our Chinese delegation. And I remember sitting back after that event took place, our then-general-counsel coming back and saying, "I knew you could do it. I knew you were the person that could do this." So that taking a chance on something that is not in your wheelhouse is also going to demonstrate potentially some area in your career that you might go into the future. Look where I'm sitting now. I'm running global government affairs. So I learned a lot. I learned a lot in that one experience and it's really borne fruit today.

Tracy J Edmonds:
Oh my gosh. That is amazing. I think you both put a fine point on what we're trying to share here. So for all you women out there, I think I'm hearing hustle, take a risk, have women who surround and support you, and feel the fear and do it anyway. Well, let me thank you both, Karry and Molly, for just a wonderful first podcast. So this is our first one and you both knocked it out of the park. Thank you again for giving us your time today and sharing your wisdom.

Karry La Violette:
Thank you, Tracy. Thanks for having us.

Molly Ryan:
Thank you, Tracy. 

Micaela Isler:
Thanks to everyone downloading and sharing the show. Subscribe! and meet us right back here on the Facts About PACs podcast.