Interview with Mr. Spencer Boyer
Text of the Full Interview Below:
For Mr. Spencer Boyer, staying true to his beliefs guides his professional and personal growth.
Spencer was raised in Washington. He admired his father, who was a law professor.
Mr. Boyer understood the link between law and public policy from a young age. He witnessed people who began as lawyers transition into public policy. He was interested in law as a professional foundation credential because he believed it would help him understand the underpinnings of policy issues he had been dealing with.
His time at Sidwell Friends also inspired him because several of the parents of people in his grade worked in government. His conversations with them inspired him to pursue a career in government himself.
Further, he was part of the student government, which he mentioned increased his interest in governance and representation.
Mr. Boyer is most passionate about strengthening national and international security. Second, he is passionate about promoting and protecting democracy and the rule of law. This effort was part of his roles as executive director of a small NGO and head of the Washington Office of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Thirdly, he is passionate about furthering international, especially transatlantic, communication, cooperation, and understanding. Unsurprisingly, he has done extensive work on the trans-Atlantic front. He has worked at a think tank, The Center for American Progress. There, he worked to strengthen America’s alliances with its European allies. He also had a position in the intelligence community as the senior Europe analyst for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Mr. Boyer enjoys that he has been able to alternate between the government and the private sector throughout his career. He has chosen to work for administrations he believes in, such as the Biden and Obama administrations. When he desires a change of scenery, he goes on to do something else. For example, he is currently a partner at a large commercial diplomacy strategic advisory consulting firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Mr. Boyer remains optimistic and driven in situations where his beliefs might not align with the agenda set out by government officials. He asks himself if he can maintain his core values while still occupying a certain role. He cites that “sometimes you might just have to try it out”. He stresses that “you’ve got to feel good about what you’re doing.”
To Mr. Boyer, service means working towards meaningful outcomes that matter to whichever community you are focused on. He emphasizes that it could be anything as long as you feel you can make a difference in that space in whatever way. Whether global, national, or local, he states people need to identify how their passions relate to world issues. To Mr. Boyer, service is not about scale, but it is about purpose and your efforts reflecting your values.