Page 266 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows

FELLOWS AT WORK

Sacramento to have a drink and talk about the issues. The tradition contin-
ued in Washington. Several times each month, Lyng and Reagan pals such
as Commerce Secretary William Verity, Jr., Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein,
and Treasury Secretary James Baker, among others, would get together in
the early evening to watch the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour together in the
Oval Office. Secretary Lyng brought George along for a few of these gath-
erings, and although George did not participate, he felt honored to be there.
“After a hard day in the mines, they would sit together and see what
was being reported on MacNeil/Lehrer and talk about it for almost two
hours,” George explained. “They were a like-minded, focused group of
men who were comfortable with each other and had known each other for
years. They talked about the issues. It wasn’t a sarcastic thing. There wasn’t
any posturing going on or pretentious actions; it was just exactly what I
thought the inner circles of the powerful in Washington would be like. I
just sat in the back of the room and kept my mouth shut. I was humbled
and grateful, and it wasn’t lost on me what a rare opportunity that was.”

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING
Another Fellow whose time in Washington was full of rare opportunities
was Travis Matheson (WHF 07–08). The young state trooper not only rode
mountain bikes with President Bush nearly every weekend during his Fel-
lowship but also got to attend one of the grandest White House events of
the year. His principal, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, invited
him to escort her to a lavish state dinner honoring French president Nicolas
Sarkozy. “I am sure much of the beauty and elegance of the event was lost
on my lack of social sophistication, but I will say I was stunned by the way
everything was presented,” Matheson recalled. “Each table had a beauti-
ful arrangement of brilliant pink, orange, and red roses in the center. The
silver, china, and glassware were also beautiful with gold trim and images
of the White House on the plates. And the service was amazing. It seemed
like if you even glanced at your wine or water glass, it was instantly filled!”
Secretary Peters went out of her way to ensure that Matheson felt included
and at ease as she took him around to introduce him to First Lady Laura
Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and other distinguished guests.
More than anything else, Matheson was thrilled by the warm welcome
he received from the president. “President Bush remembered me from the
bike rides,” Matheson said. “He even remembered that I was a state trooper

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