Governors’ man in Washington

Ray Scheppach knew Sarah Palin before she burst onto the national scene. 

Scheppach had the task of briefing Bill Clinton long before the 42nd president entered the White House.

{mosads}Representing the nation’s governors in Washington is Scheppach’s job — and he calls it the best in America.

As executive director of the National Governors Association (NGA), he’s in charge of the day-to-day operations for one of the larger organizations that influence Washington. A self-professed wonk, the Ph.D. economist works with governments inside and outside of the Beltway.

“I work with 50 governors who are innovative and are action-oriented. On the other hand, I can try to influence federal policy,” said Scheppach. “There are very few jobs that offer both of those avenues.”

The NGA is a bipartisan organization that speaks with one voice for all the nation’s governors on Capitol Hill. It also works with state government leaders on their own internal policies by operating a think tank — the Center for Best Practices — that formulates policy proposals.

With an annual budget of $21 million and more than 100 employees, the NGA has the weight to swing around Washington when it takes on an issue. Scheppach, who has worked at the NGA since 1983, has the experience to bring such influence to bear.

“In regard to public policy, it is the best job in America,” said Scheppach.

The Connecticut native has always been attracted to government. Having served two years in the Army for pilot training at Fort Rucker, Ala., Scheppach decided he wanted to go back to school. He soon picked up a master’s degree and a doctorate in economics at the University of Connecticut.

In 1975, he was one of the first employees at the newly created Congressional Budget Office (CBO). There, he worked on energy and natural resources issues, among others, before rising to the rank of deputy director.

Scheppach acknowledged that it was unusual then for an economist to come to Washington. Many of his colleagues went on to academia instead.

“I was sort of a strange animal,” said Scheppach. “The public policy stuff interested me and that is why Washington was a draw.”

Bob Reischauer worked with Scheppach for several years at the CBO and was impressed with his work, describing him as “a very hard-working individual who carries around a lot of economic knowledge.”

Reischauer, now president of the Urban Institute , a prominent think tank, said Scheppach helped establish an organization that Congress now depends on to keep close tabs on the budget.

{mospagebreak}“The CBO at that time was a relatively fragile organization,” said Reischauer. “One reason it is what it is today is because of people like Ray who spent a lot of effort and time in building it up.”

From the CBO, Scheppach would move over to the NGA. For more than two decades now, the economist has directed the organization’s federal lobbying efforts, and also helps oversee its think tank and seminars.

State governments pay substantial dues to be part of the organization, but the NGA also accepts grants from foundations and the federal government.

{mosads}Politics play little part in the group’s internal workings, Scheppach says.

“[The governors] tend to be much more bipartisan. Most of them have to deal with the other party in their state to get something done,” said Scheppach.

But if an issue comes to a boil in Washington, the niceties at the NGA can fade. Capitol Hill lawmakers or the White House lobby governors from their respective parties to act in concert with partisan interests.

“Our biggest problem is the politics of the Hill coming over our bow,” said Scheppach. “If that happens, that reduces our chances for consensus, which allows us to move forward.”

The NGA needs at least two-thirds of its members in consensus on an issue before the group can act on it, according to Scheppach.

“His real strength is preserving the bipartisan nature of the organization. That’s not easy when you have so many high-profile elected officials,” said Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), the NGA’s vice chairman. “It is important that we maintain consensus when we speak to Congress.”

At NGA, Scheppach has worked with America’s political stars before they were launched onto the national stage, such as former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), now her party’s vice presidential nominee. For example, the NGA official got to know a certain Arkansas governor before he entered the White House: Bill Clinton.

Scheppach said it was always difficult to brief Clinton, an inveterate multi-tasker, on an issue, but the Arkansas Democrat managed to come out on top when he spoke before Congress.

“He would be on the telephone and doing another 15 things while you were talking to him,” said Scheppach. “But when he went off to testify, he would know the bill better than the people who wrote it.”

That kind of close working relationship with governors has served the NGA well as they moved on to the upper echelons of government. Four of the past five presidents have been state governors, and several others have held key Cabinet posts in Democratic and Republican administrations.

“It is nice for us as an association to have direct access,” said Scheppach. “You make a call, you get it returned.”