Geoffrey Green, BA 2010

Vice President of Government Affairs, Bollinger Shipyards, LLC

Geoffrey Green is the Vice President of Government Affairs of Bollinger Shipyards,
LLC, where he serves as liaison with federal elected officials, the White House, and
various department and agency heads with regards to budgets, legislation, and policy
changes that directly impact the business and their customers. Prior to that, he served
as Legislative Director to U.S. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, and Appropriations
and Projects Director to U.S. Senator John Kennedy. A native of New Orleans, Geoffrey
earned a B.A. in Political Science from Southeastern and now resides in northern Virginia
with his wife, Rachel Bourgeois Green (BA, 2009; MA 2013).

Learn more about Geoffrey:

Is there one thing or iconic place on campus that reminds you of your time spent at
Southeastern?

When I was not in Fayard Hall or the Starbucks, I was in the Sims Library. On the
3rd floor, there used to be a small room tucked away dedicated to the late Congressman
Jimmy Morrison. I do not think anyone else knew about the room because I would spend
endless hours in there studying or just admiring the photos and memorabilia. There
were photos of him during his time in Congress with former Presidents John F. Kennedy
and Lyndon B. Johnson. It was fascinating to me.

What is your fondest Southeastern memory?

Attending the Alpha Sigma Tau winter formal dance in December 2008. It was where I
met my wife, Rachel. I attended the formal at the invitation of another member of
the Sorority. While standing in the buffet line, I met Rachel. Our conversation was
light and fun, but I knew I had to get to know her more! We connected on Facebook,
met for coffee at the PJ’s on University Avenue, and started dating soon after. We
were married in 2016 in New Orleans and relocated to Washington, D.C. My winter formal
date back in 2008 is one of my wife’s best friends and was a bridesmaid in our wedding.
We share a great laugh about how things turned out. Southeastern holds special memories
for both of us.

Did a Southeastern professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational?

Dr. Ronald Traylor was my first Political Science course professor and academic advisor.
He gave the most insightful lectures on our Country’s founding documents. I took advantage
of his office hours to discuss course material and general life advice. I would find
out his office hours even for semesters when I did not take one of his courses. I
enjoyed his friendship that much!

Did you end up working in the field that you studied?

Yes! I worked on various political campaigns while I was in college. Soon after I
graduated from Southeastern, I was offered and accepted a position as the Deputy Grassroots
Director for a U.S. Senate campaign. After a successful campaign result, I moved to
Washington, D.C. to work in the U.S. Senate as a congressional staffer. I worked on
Capitol Hill for a total of eight and a half years in both the House of Representatives
and the Senate for Members of Congress representing Louisiana.

How did your Southeastern degree prepare you for success in your career?

The Political Science Department has great professors and instructors. The courses
were challenging and required A TON of reading! I left Southeastern prepared for my
career. I learned lessons beyond my course work, too. I learned to embrace challenges
and respectfully consider others’ opinions. This really came in handy when I began
working on Capitol Hill!

What do you enjoy about your current position/profession?

I’m an extrovert to the core and enjoy interacting with people from all walks of life.
I work for a company that plays a role in our national defense and local economic.
My job is to ensure Congress, the White House, the Pentagon, and various federal agencies
are paying attention to our programs, funding and authorizing them so we can continue
employing and expanding our workforce along the Gulf Coast.

What unexpected experience or event has shaped and/or influenced your current professional
life?

Without a doubt, Hurricane Katrina because it changed everything for me. It is what
got me to Southeastern, motivated me to study Political Science and work in government.
My proudest professional moment so far was working as a lead staffer on the Water
Resources Reform Development Act of 2014. I provided legislative text that would implement
necessary reforms to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and authorize billions of necessary
dollars to flood risk reduction programs in Louisiana. Prior to 2014, the last time
Congress passed a similar bill was in 2007. The pain, suffering, and loss experienced
by so many Louisianians in 2005 inspired my work in 2014 and that legislative text
became law! Congressman Scalise presented me the signed “Red Line” of the law that
includes the President Obama’s signature. It’s framed and displayed in my office.
It’s my daily reminder that serving others is always more fulfilling than serving
self.

What advice would you give to a driven college student about to enter the “real world”?

Meet people, nurture those relationships, and build a vast network! I graduated during
an economic recession, and my first job after college graduation was through my network.
Then, my next job came from a recommendation from a connection. Set yourself up where
you and your network are your walking resume. Thousands of others will have the same
degree you have and may have the exact same work experience you have, but NO ONE else
is YOU! And no one else has your exact network of connections.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Playing golf and reading.

Do you have a fun or interesting fact that you would like to share about yourself?

My wife and I are determined to visit all 50 states by the time we turn 50 years old.
We book travel to a new state each year. The pandemic has certainly made this difficult.
We were supposed to visit Alaska this year, but a road trip to Vermont it is!