Sightings | Alumni Profile
A Delaware Yankee in Tony Blair’s Embassy p.3
Working in the Senate
No need. After Carper’s election, Reilly came on board as a legislative aide
whose turf included energy, the environment and agriculture. He worked with
issues ranging from avian flu (chicken production is a huge industry in Delaware)
to beach nourishment, but his major effort was helping Carper introduce the
Clean Air Planning Act, which would have legislated reductions in greenhouse
gases and other pollutants like mercury, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide
that are emitted from power plants. The act didn’t pass, but Reilly developed
a reputation for getting things done and creating bipartisanship around environmental
issues, according to Profeta.
“I loved that position,” says Reilly. “I would still be there if it weren’t for the unique timing of the job at the British Embassy.”
Although his work has taken him further and further away from the coastal problems he studied at Duke, Reilly maintains his relationship with the coast by escaping frequently to the eastern shore of Maryland—just around the point from Camp Tockwogh—where he sails a 1965 Pearson Vanguard sailboat named Rosalie after the camp cook. “It’s my escape from the Beltway,” says Reilly.
For the future, Reilly sees a professional life in public service, although not necessarily public office. He may return to his coastal roots by working in some capacity to help preserve the Chesapeake Bay, or he may remain inside the Beltway. The Marine Lab’s Kirby-Smith sees him as “head of the EPA or another agency like that,” but also wouldn’t be surprised to see him continue advancing in the diplomatic world.
It is clear that Reilly has the ability and patience to continue working on environmental issues from within a government. “Having been inside the legislative process and watched another government function, I see some incredibly dedicated and talented people who understand how important the work of the government is,” he says. “We are making real progress. At times, it is painfully slow and the course is not always in a straight line, but overall we are heading in the right direction.”
Lisa M. Dellwo is a freelance writer in Durham, N.C.