Federal Player of the Week
On the Road: President Obama's advance man lays the groundwork for trips around the world
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On June 16, President Obama met with Mike Pinzone, owner of the Fish Sandwich Snack Bar on Florida's Gulf Coast. The two shared a walk along the Pensacola beach, discussing the oil spill that continues to wreak havoc on the local economies. Pinzone's business alone has already lost $100,000.
Days earlier, Pinzone was hand-picked for this event by Kenny Thompson and his team of White House advance staffers, who had been dispatched to the Florida town to meet with local officials and small business owners about the effects of the spill on their communities, businesses and tourism.
"He was so passionate about the beaches and the plight of small business owners that we decided that his restaurant would be an ideal place for the president to visit," Thompson said.
When the president speaks at a factory in Ohio or drops in at a restaurant in Florida, the event can often appear effortless even spontaneous but it takes an entire team working and traveling full-time to prepare and manage every detail of these outings.
As an advance lead in the White House, Thompson, 29, is an integral part of planning the "who, what, when, where and why" for the president's visits around the country not hour-by-hour, but minute-to-minute.
Samantha Buchan, head of advance at the Department of Energy, has worked with Thompson on multiple events for the president.
"It is incredibly important for our president to be able to leave the White House, to see the American people, to witness events like the BP oil spill and to be able to speak about them first hand," Buchan said. "Kenny's job enables the president to do that."
Thompson's day starts early in the morning and runs through around 8 p.m. each night, and is spent meeting with local officials, scouting venues, planning activities and working with the Secret Service and local law enforcement to help manage security.
In the 18 months since he began his position in the White House, Thompson has been to 26 cities in 17 states and six countries.
"The only thing that remains constant is that I'm on the road or in the air and in meetings with a wide variety of people," Thompson said, noting that glitches do occur.
"Rarely does a trip or event go by exactly how we plan, there are simply too many variables," said Brandon Lepow, who works with Thompson as a White House advance staffer. "But when there is a change, no matter how big or small, Kenny is quick to step up and smooth things over."
The hardest part, Thompson laments, is missing important events in his friends' and family's lives.
"Kenny has traveled around the country and world for President Obama and has to spend a lot of time away from his family and friends to do this job," Buchan said. "He does it because he truly believes in our president and what he is doing for our country."
Even with the constant time on airplanes, which he compares to George Clooney's travel in "Up in the Air," Thompson would not trade his experience for anything.
"I love this job," Thompson said. "Public service is a fantastic way to affect people's lives in a positive way. It's a challenging line of work for sure but when you are a part of something so much larger than yourself it makes it worth it."
This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and www.washingtonpost.com. Visit http:/
