BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Christine Ciccone, CFO adviser at DHS
How/where are you celebrating and with whom? “Family will be in town and we are going out for an Italian dinner with an inappropriate amount of good wine.”
How did you get your start in your career? “I interned for my home-state (New Hampshire) Sen. Warren B. Rudman. He had just co-authored the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act. It was an all-hands-on-deck exercise in the office, so I took advantage of the opportunity and worked long hours. After I graduated and was about to start law school, by chance I was visiting a friend in the office when they offered me a job.”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading during coronavirus social distancing? And why? “‘The Education of Henry Adams,’ which is an autobiography published in 1918 by President John Adams’ great-grandson about his travels and experiences in the U.S. and abroad. The prose is truly spectacular. He writes about the rapid advance of science and technology at the time, and the need for self-education to keep up with the changes because the educational system was not capable of doing so. He also writes about the political animosity at the time, which is a good reminder that we have experienced difficult periods in the past and the union has and will continue to survive and thrive.”
What’s a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “There was a recent story trending in POLITICO that certainly deserves consideration.”
How’s the Trump presidency going? “I was in New Hampshire last week when they held their primary election. What I repeatedly heard was that people view the president as continuing to fight hard to deliver on his promises even though he faces strong headwinds.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I will be moving to Rome next month and starting a job working for the International Fund for Agricultural Development, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a very important mission addressing global food shortages.”
