Hillary Beard and Robyn Gulley.

Hillary Beard ’12 is approaching year 10 in U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell’s (D-AL) office. Before becoming Sewell’s chief of staff in December 2020, Beard joined the team as an intern right after graduating from BSC and rose through the ranks in different press and legislative roles over the years. At this point in her career, she sees the District 7 Congresswoman as one of her most valued guides.

“Every day, I learn new things about her, our district, and our government,” Beard says. “I’ve learned a lot about her way of thinking, her voice, and how she will respond to various issues and scenarios.”

As chief of staff, Beard manages a team of about 25 individuals – including fellow BSC alumni Robyn Gulley ’20, legislative correspondent, and Trammell McCullough ’21, congressional intern – with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds. She also keeps up with the Congresswoman’s relationships with the White House and Cabinet, other members of Congress, and outside stakeholders.

We asked her to break down a day in her life on Capitol Hill.

8 a.m.: Beard gets into her office in the Rayburn House Office Building, one of the Congressional buildings on the southern side of the Capitol. First, she has a call with Sewell’s team, and then she prepares for committee and stakeholder meetings. The Congresswoman is assigned to the House Committee on Ways and Means, which will influence many of Beard’s activities and discussions throughout the day.

9 a.m.: Mornings call for meetings, all of which build and maintain the relationships that are crucial to Sewell’s goals and how the team serves her constituents. “On the policy front, we’re always looking at and drafting legislation and working with other congressional offices, committees, federal agencies, and stakeholders,” Beard says. “You need input from all of those entities, and your relationships can make or break your ability to get a bill or policy change across the finish line.”

Beard meets with the other chiefs of staff from the Ways and Means Committee, then with the chiefs of staff from the Democratic Caucus and New Democratic Coalition, a faction of moderate democrats.

11 a.m.: Beard joins Sewell for other meetings with committee and caucus members. They both go to a meeting on voting rights legislation with House leadership, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House Judiciary Committee, and voting rights stakeholders, like representatives from the Brennan Center for Justice. In the room, Beard sits on the periphery and takes notes as she listens to the conversation.

12 p.m.: They walk to their next meeting – they take the Capitol’s underground tunnels, excluding when meetings took place on Zoom during the pandemic – with the Ways and Means Committee Chair U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) and other members to discuss health care and tax policies.

1:30 p.m.: Once she returns to her office, Beard gets a chance to sit down and answer emails – emails are always filling up her inbox. She reconnects with other members of Sewell’s staff and answers their questions. Then, she touches base with District Director Melinda Williams or Deputy District Director Ollie Davison, who are both based in Alabama, to hear about what’s going on in the district.

3 p.m.: Beard and the rest of the team spend the afternoon meeting with stakeholders to talk about their concerns and the Congresswoman’s insight on legislation. She hears from various companies and organizations, ranging from Alabama Power to UAB to Alabama Arise, about how upcoming legislation will impact them and the district.

5 p.m.: Sometimes, Beard will head to an evening event, like a dinner, fundraiser, or reception, often with organizations who are visiting from Alabama. If she doesn’t have an event, she stays in the office and works until she feels like her day’s work is complete. Prior to the last two years, she would often work late into the evening, but the pandemic has taught her that there is only so much we can accomplish in one day and that personal time is precious.

She’ll take a bus, catch a ride with a friend, or walk since she lives close, and she wraps up another day on the Hill.

This story was published in the Fall/Winter 2021 issue of ’Southern, BSC’s alumni magazine.

If you have ideas for our next issue of ’Southern, please email [email protected]. We always welcome stories about outstanding people from the BSC community.

Beard is currently listening to Remi Wolf.

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Other Political Players

There are several other BSC alumni with a wide range of government positions in the nation’s capital.

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt ’87 (R-AL) has represented Alabama District 4 for more than 20 years and serves on the House Committee on Appropriations. Prior to running for federal office in 1997, Aderholt served as a municipal judge in Haleyville, Alabama, following the footsteps of his father, the late Hon. Bobby R. Aderholt ’57, attorney and judge who served on Alabama’s 25th Judicial Circuit for 31 years. Aderholt’s mother, Mary Frances Brown Aderholt ’58, and wife, Caroline McDonald Aderholt ’90, also attended BSC.

Watson Donald ’01 was named U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)’s chief of staff in July 2021. This new role marks Donald’s return to Shelby’s staff after serving as his national security advisor from 2007-2009. He also worked with former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) and former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), which launched his legislative experience.

Morgan Murphy ’94 and Bradley Hayes ’99 both hold senior roles on U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) staff – Murphy as senior advisor and Hayes as legislative director. Murphy serves as an advisor on national security, foreign affairs, intelligence, and space and brings a wide background as a U.S. Navy Captain, bestselling author, and former press secretary to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Hayes oversees the legislative agenda, and he has previously served in executive positions at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.