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).
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Playing golf and reading.
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!
(985)549-2150
Fax:(985)549-5079
alumni@southeastern.edu
CONNECT WITH US
